Mumbai, Dec 11: Veteran singer Udit Narayan recently took fans behind the scenes of the iconic 2001 hit “Bole Chudiyaan” from the blockbuster film Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham, recalling a hectic day that saw him sprint between the recording studio and the airport.
Speaking on ‘Indian Idol’, Udit revealed how what was supposed to be a routine recording session turned into a race against time. “I had a live show to get to, my bags were already checked in at the airport. And I was running out of minutes,” he said.
He initially tried to hand off the work to the composer duo Jatin-Lalit, offering a rough track to save time. But the composers insisted he record the final lines immediately. After a brief argument, Udit rushed to the airport, only to be called back for the remaining lines. He finished the song and barely made his flight. Reflecting on the day, he quoted Swami Vivekananda: “If you want to make history, you have to fight alone.”
Udit Narayan’s illustrious career spans multiple languages, including Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Bengali, Sindhi, Odia, Bhojpuri, Nepali, Malayalam, Assamese, Bagheli, and Maithili. He has won four National Film Awards for hits like ‘Mitwa’ (Lagaan), ‘Jaane Kyon Log’ (Dil Chahta Hai), ‘Chote Chote Sapne Zindagi Khoobsoorat Hai’, and ‘Yeh Taara Woh Taara’ (Swades).
The Indian government has honoured him with the Padma Shri in 2009 and Padma Bhushan in 2016, cementing his legacy as one of the most celebrated playback singers in India.