With hits like Lagi Aaj Saawan Ki (Chandni, 1983), Sapne Mein Milti Hai (Satya, 1998), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge, 2000), Suresh Wadkar’s voice has left music lovers in awe over the last five decades.

However, the singer has been absent from the music industry and chalks this up to not getting work and says, “Hum gaane ke liye hi aaye hain industry mein, hum log kyun mana karenge? Maybe people doubt if I am able to sing [certain] songs and don’t offer them to me due to this perception. With new heroes and music directors, the thinking may be different. But I do riyaaz for four hours daily,” shares the 68-year-old.

With his music portfolio, Wadkar refuses to ask people for work. “Hum gaana maangne jaa nahi sakte; yeh abhimaan nahi, swabhimaan hai,” he says, adding, “Recently, a music director in Canada contacted me to sing a Hindi song in a Malayalam film and said, ‘I am a big fan, you have to sing the song’. Beech mein kisi ko yaad aa jaati hai ki aisa bhi ek singer hai.”

The Padma Shri awardee recently won the Lata Mangeshkar award from the Maharashtra government and is “happy” his work has been recognised. He says, “It felt good [to win the award] and that the government respects artistes. I feel lucky I got this award named after (late singer) Lata Mangeshkar ji, who is like Saraswati Maa [to me].”