With a large number of concerts happening in India and international singers involved in lip-syncing controversies, veteran playback singer Kumar Sanu shared how the practice is unfair to audiences and insisted that he will always perform live, even if it means making mistakes on stage.

“Lip-syncing is a very sad thing. When the singer can’t sing, they take the support of lip-sync. It’s the event organisers who let the artistes do it,” Sanu said, expressing his concern over this growing trend in live performances.

For the singer, the issue is about honesty with fans. “We can’t cheat our fans. I don’t want to cheat them. So, as long as I live, I will sing live on stage,” he said.

Highlighting the cost audiences bear to attend concerts, he added, “People buy expensive tickets and go with a lot of excitement to listen to singers, and then, the artistes play a CD and keep miming. This is a wrong practice.” Reiterating his stance, Sanu said, “I will stand in front of them and sing. If I make a mistake, I will sing again... but I will sing live.”

When asked about how his songs are played in TV shows he expressed gratitude that his music continues to find new audiences decades later. “It is not good to ask for money for that. I think my song is being promoted… the young generation is listening to it again,” he said. “We should be so happy that our songs are playing again after 40, years.”

Veteran playback singer Kumar Sanu earlier this year secured a significant legal victory in a defamation suit filed against his ex-wife Rita Bhattacharya. In January, the Bombay High Court restrained from giving any contentious interviews about him, bringing relief to the singer after a prolonged legal battle.

Speaking about the judgement, Sanu expressed a sense of closure and emphasized the importance of maintaining dignity in personal matters. “We have decided that no one will throw mud at each other. Personal life is personal and it should not be made public. I don’t feel anyone has the right to defame someone just like that,” he said.

Highlighting the emotional toll of such allegations, the singer added, “Whatever I am today, I struggled for 40 years to reach this place. I made my name. If someone tries to defame me in a minute, that is not right. That’s why I went to court,” he stated.

On the professional front, Sanu remains content with his journey in the music industry. He is glad to see his classic songs resonate with younger audiences. “It’s wonderful to see those songs being performed on television shows. The younger generation is rediscovering them, and we should be happy that our music is still being played even after 40 years,” he said.

The singer continues to be busy with recordings, live performances and focusing on his official YouTube channel. “The biggest thing is that my channel releases two new songs every month. That keeps me very busy,” he shared.

Sanu also commented on reports surrounding Arijit Singh potentially stepping back from the spotlight. Calling it a personal decision, he said, “That is his choice. This is not the age of retirement, but whatever decision he has taken, it takes a lot of courage.”

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted ad-interim relief to singer Kumar Sanu in his Rs. 50 crore defamation suit against his ex-wife, Rita Bhattacharya, filed in December 2025.

The court also passed a gag order in Sanu’s favour, restraining Rita and several independent media houses from publishing any allegedly defamatory statements about the singer or his family.

Reacting to the order, Sanu’s lawyer Sana Raees Khan said the relief protects a reputation built over decades and reinforces that “dignity and reputation are legally protected rights”.

Rita’s counsel, Atif Noor Hasan Shaikh, urged the bench to refer the matter for mediation and said Rita would remain present on the next date. He added that her reply and supporting evidence would be filed through due process, and she was open to an amicable resolution, including mediation, “for the sake of Kumar Sanu and their three sons Jesee, Zicco and Jaan Bhattacharya”.

Sanu, who separated from Rita in 1994 and divorced in 2001, is seeking Rs. 50 crore in damages, alleging she made false claims about him through social media and interviews, harming his reputation and goodwill.

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My reputation is the result of years of dedication and my family should never have had to suffer because of the defamatory statements that affected my reputation and our dignity.

- Kumar Sanu

Singer Kumar Sanu has sent a legal notice to his ex-wife Rita Bhattacharya over allegations that he and his family deprived her of food and basic necessities during her third pregnancy.

“We will ensure that malicious attempts to defame him are met with the full force of the law to protect his dignity, legacy and family honour. No individual or media platform has the right to malign a father’s honour or trade his family’s respect for sensationalism,” his lawyer Sana Raees Khan said in a statement on Thursday.

Rita had said in an interview on Saturday: “He denied them milk. He denied them medical care. You don’t know how much this man has tortured my children. The milkman told me he’d been told not to come over anymore, but he still gave me milk. Same with the doctor who delivered all three of my sons.” She also said she was given only Rs. 100 during the divorce and had to sell her jewellery to survive.

Kumar Sanu (67) married Rita in 1980 and divorced in 1994 after a turbulent marriage. During that time, Kumar was also linked to actor Kunickaa Sadanand. He later married Saloni Bhattacharya in 2001, with whom he has two daughters.

A couple of months ago, singer Akriti Kakar collaborated with veteran singer Usha Uthup for a single, titled Golemale. And now, she has collaborated with singer Kumar Sanu for a track. Titled Sohbatein, the number has an ’80s vibe and it has been composed and sung by Akriti.

Ask if the reason behind such collaborations is a way to do something out of the box, and she says, “Collaborating with veterans isn’t a strategy. It’s what I think is a perfect fit and justifies not just the song, but also the presence of that legend. When Sohbatein was made, I could hear Sanu da’s voice and darte-darte I approached him. He said yes immediately. The same happened with Usha ji.”

But such experiments may or may not land well with the audience. Does she think of streaming numbers when making music? “I should, but I don’t,” responds the composer-singer, adding, “I do everything with my heart. I’ve learnt that music will either get picked up immediately and give you joy, rewards and money, or may not work at all. In both cases, you learn. There also may be a third scenario where someone someday discovers your song and it might go viral. But it’s not fair to strangle our dreams as artistes with the fear of not getting millions of views.”

Why a song with the ‘80s vibe, we ask, and Akriti says, “I’ve always been a sucker for melody. The moment I received the lyrics from Geet Sagar, I wanted to make it into a retro colour melody. I wanted it to be about love from the time of no mobile phones or internet. The idea was to make the listeners time travel with us. Another reason to take this route was to simply not do the cliche.”

Sharing the experience of being in the studio with Kumar Sanu, the singer says, “Despite being a legend, he’s a stickler for punctuality. He wrote the song in Bengali and learnt it properly. He gave so much respect and was happy to give options for lines, too. He was so quick on the mic, cracked jokes and yet made sure the job was properly done. I learnt so much from him.”

In his career spanning almost four decades, Kumar Sanu has sung around 22,000 songs in 26 languages. And recently, he also recorded an English number, 9 to 5, with his daughter Shannon K. In a conversation with us, the Aashiqui singer spoke about his initial struggles, the challenges he overcame in the music world, and the joy in collaborating with his daughter.

I didn’t dream of becoming a singer. I was a tabla player and a good painter. However, circumstances changed my decision. I was around 16 years old when I started doing stage shows in Kolkata. My desire to become a singer grew, and I began singing in hotels there. When I came to Mumbai, I sang in hotels and saved money to make a demo cassette that I’d play for music directors. Jagjit Singh ji discovered me and introduced me to Kalyanji-Anandji. I would do covers of Kishore Kumar’s songs. Later, for Jaadugar, they made Amitabh Bachchan listen to my songs, and he agreed to have me as the playback singer. That’s how it all began. I struggled for around 18 years in Mumbai before I became a name.

After Aashiqui became a hit, things changed. Mere upar ilzaam tha ki main Kishore da ka nakalchi tha, but Aashiqui gave me the opportunity to get rid of that. Uss picture ke gaano ko log tees saalon ke baad bhi bhule nahin. After Aashiqui, I kept getting offers. It went from, ‘theek hai, gawa le isse’, to ‘Sir, please mera gaana gaa dijiye’. I’ve seen it all.

Films flop miserably despite makers spending crores on them. They should understand that they have to pay close attention to the story and the music and give a free hand to the music director. I believe that music logon ko theatre tak kheench ke laata hai.

Yeh politics hamaare legendary singers ne bhi jheli hai, hum bhi jhel rahe hain, aur future singers bhi jhelenge. It’s not new, but the industry wasn’t as cruel earlier. People were kind-hearted. But I believe you can’t stop talent. With the help of politics, you may get fame temporarily, but only real talent will last for years. I also feel songs have changed. Earlier, there were more melodies, great lyrics and Urdu shayari, but abhi halkapan hai. It may change again in the future.

Recently, Kumar Sanu and his daughter Shannon, an independent singer who began her Bollywood career with Happy Hardy and Heer recorded an English song.

Ask him about the experience, and he says, “Initially, I didn’t want to sing the song because there was a portion in English. Shannon ki accent ke wajah se main darr raha tha (laughs). My younger daughter Annabelle is a songwriter and she insisted that I sing this song. Now, I am glad I did it.”

Talking about collaborating with her dad, Shannon shares, “He was very concerned about the diction. He wanted to make sure that he justified the language and would keep asking me how to pronounce certain words. It was fun for me, I’m not sure about him!”

The young singer says that her father is her inspiration in every way. “I admire his positive attitude towards life. It is so easy to fall prey to negativity around, but dad’s positive spirit, way of looking at life, and attitude are things that I really admire and hope to emulate,” she says.

Despite leaving listeners spellbound for decades, Kumar Sanu’s vocals have been few and far between of late. In fact, Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) was the last big Hindi film he sang for.

Sanu recently returned to India after a host of live shows in the United States. He’s been performing regularly at concerts, so why haven’t we heard him recently in films?

The singer replies, “Mera journey abhi tak bahut achcha raha hai, everybody respects me in the industry. Log respect toh dete hain, pyaar dete hain, humara gaana bhi sunte hain [but] I don’t know why they aren’t using my voice for more songs in Hindi films.”

The 66-year-old goes on to elaborate, “Yeh question mann mein hota hai — they show [me] so much love when I am in front of them, why not let me sing too?”

Even so, Sanu asserts that the voices of his generation are still relevant. “I am doing sold out shows. Public demand hain. I am also bringing another set of live shows in October and November. Industry wale samajh jaayein toh achchi baat hai, nahi toh unka durbhagya hai,” he wraps up.

Following in the footsteps of celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff, now Kumar Sanu is seeking legal assistance against the misuse of AI voice duplication. Sanu spoke to the Bombay Times and expressed his concerns about AI voice cloning and how all singers should safeguard their vocal rights.

“I am seeking legal protection against AI voice cloning. I want my voice patented, and so I have begun the legal process to get it done. In fact, I had been thinking of doing this for a while, and now I have taken a concrete step. I believe that AI kaafi hadd tak khatarnak hai, but also AI ke wajah se sahuliyat bhi hai. I am getting my voice copyrighted,” the singer said.

Sanu emphasized that his colleagues in the music industry should also consider taking similar steps. “Actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, and Jackie Shroff have already done this. AI ka zamana hai, it is everywhere and in everything. I have heard some songs that have been made using AI that sound exactly like me… perfect nakal ki hai meri. That is what I want to prevent,” he said.

In recent times, AI has also been used to recreate the voices of legendary singers like Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar. Sanu says, “This is totally wrong. If you want to listen to legendary singers, you can just pick up their recordings and hear them. Why do you need to replicate their voice using AI? Why not listen to the original? Nothing can beat that. They will always be alive in the songs they have already sung. We don’t need AI to recreate their voices,” he asserted.

When asked about other details and legal proceedings Sanu refused to comment saying, "I can't talk about all this."

Tujhe Dekha Toh from the 1995 romcom Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was voted the UK’s favourite ’90s Bollywood song by the BBC, recently. But Lalit Pandit, one half of the track’s composer duo Jatin-Lalit, has a bone to pick with its singer, Kumar Sanu.

“The fact that Kumar Sanu didn’t acknowledge Anand Bakshi, who penned Tujhe Dekha To’s lyrics, and us, Jatin-Lalit, who composed the music for it — was upsetting. It is not good on his part to keep saying, ‘Mera gaana hai, mera gaana hai’,” Pandit told Bollywood Hungama.

When we reach out to Sanu, who is currently in the US for live shows, he acknowledges Bakshi and Jatin-Lalit’s contribution in the song as monumental. “The credit therefore goes first to Jatin-Lalit ji and Anand Bakshi sahab. Agar music aisa nahin hota toh yeh gaana hit nahin hota. Ditto for the lyrics. It was teamwork,” the 66-year-old says, adding, “Jatin-Lalit are such music directors that every song has something special. They took forward the legacy of good music after Pancham da (composer RD Burman).”

Is there a misunderstanding, then? “Kuchh nahin hai. When we meet, we’ll talk it out. Jatin-Lalit ji shouldn’t think like this; I’ve always respected them and will continue to, woh mujhe kuchh bhi kahein,” he says.

The result of a recent musical poll confirmed what many of us growing up in the ’90s already believed—that Tujhe Dekha Toh, the track from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), was the defining song of the decade. The BBC Asian Network invited listeners to choose The Ultimate ’90s Bollywood Song from a list of 50 contenders, and Jatin-Lalit’s composition, featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, emerged as the winner last week.

Such a title would be a reason for any composer to celebrate. However, Lalit Pandit laments that not only were they not interviewed after the win, but they also weren’t credited in the story or by singer Kumar Sanu.

Expressing his disappointment, Pandit highlights that a song is always a collaborative effort. “The writers and composers create the song, and it doesn’t belong to [one person]. A singer is always picked by the composers. It’s only fair that a singer acknowledges and thanks the composer for choosing him. We could have made anyone sing it. When a song is created, discussions about it take place with the producers and directors. The singer is not even in the scene; he is the last link. Kumar Sanu has been [harping] about it being his song. Even his fans have called him out, [asking him to] acknowledge lyricist Anand Bakshi saab, and Jatin-Lalit,” says Pandit.

The composer is equally displeased by Sanu’s claims in the interview. “He says he sang the song in 30 minutes. There’s not a word of truth in that. No singer can sing our song in such a short period. Jatin’s voice dubbing technique was superior. We ensured that the singer delivered the song precisely how we desired. He sang the song very well; no one takes that away from him.”

Making music is a creatively fulfilling experience. Looking back at the track, Pandit says he cherishes the moments he spent with Lata Mangeshkar. “In her last decade of singing, Lata ji sang the most for our compositions because she loved our work,” says the composer, whose Panchayat track, Thame Dil Ko, is being talked about. 

Ahead of the upcoming season of Indian Idol that sees Kumar Sanu, Vishal Dadlani, and Shreya Ghoshal on the judges’ panel, Dadlani addresses the question that’s on the lips of every audience member: ‘Where do the popular singers go after the show ends?’ His answer makes it evident that in 2023, an entrepreneurial spirit is just as important as one’s skill to enjoy a lasting career. Edited excerpts from the interview.

The music business has come to a place where a singer is his own opportunity. In the past, a singer’s career was dependent on the composer. It was dependent on the films he was singing for. That is no longer the case. [The participants of] the past five editions of Idol have vast YouTube and Instagram followings. Their shows on tours are [booked out] and they perform all over the world. A singer’s career depends on the legwork that they are willing to put in—whether that’s about meeting composers or creating and releasing their own music. Now, every singer understands that they also need to be a composer, just like, [until] a few years ago, every composer understood that they also needed to sing. You need to be an artiste and promote your own artistry. And if someone follows them, they usually enjoy the [work of the] artiste for life. A platform like Indian Idol gives these kids that head start, which is [significant] right now. The number of eyeballs that you command is your currency in 2023. 

Many of them. Right from season one, you could see that there were some people who promoted themselves, and who are, today, doing far better, economically, than the others who didn’t. They may not have even been the winners. That is the reality of life. You have to understand that music, art and entertainment are in the public sphere. You can’t [achieve anything] without the public. Your equity is how many people love you or the work you put out. Take [A R] Rahman as an example. He has never marketed himself. But, his first few soundtracks were so ground-breaking that people automatically began to admire him. Another example is Neha Kakkar, who is one of the most popular people on Instagram in the world. She’s built that following by actually constantly treating her Instagram followers as her friends and family. She puts her life out there. It’s something that I couldn’t do, but I admire that she can. And people connect with her on that basis. 

Most artistes today are known for their style of singing. In the past, either Sanu da [Kumar Sanu] or Udit ji [Udit Narayan] would sing every song in an album. That [approach] doesn’t work anymore. Now, it’s about specialists. Every singer has, and is known for one style. That’s also a more organic way of [approaching music]. Before, there was one voice for the hero; now a hero can have six voices. Songs don’t matter, what matters is how the singer serves the song. In Idol, they go through all sorts of training. To begin with, they are very accomplished. To get through the auditions, you have to be pretty good. Once they are among the top 15 contestants, they go through grooming sessions. There are [classes on] voice culture. For instance, if they have been trained in classical music, they are also taught to have an understanding of playback singing. They also need to learn how to pull back while singing. Grooming sessions help them add a certain subtlety and nuance to their delivery.

It was over a casual interaction at the Pandits’ home that Raahul Jatin and Shannon Sanu decided to collaborate on a number. Son and daughter of musicians Jatin Pandit and Kumar Sanu respectively, the young duo’s next, Chand Mere, is a romantic offering that they felt they could do justice to.

“Shannon is an easy person to work with. This is a song with a traditional Bollywood vibe. I came up with the hook, and thought it would be a winner. Thereafter, we worked around it and allowed the lyrics to decide how the song should turn out. This is how most of my songs are made,” says Raahul, adding that though he pens a few of his numbers, he wouldn’t choose to refer to himself as a songwriter, just yet. 

Coming from a family of legacy, he admits, has its advantages. “Things become more convenient. [Those without knowledge] may not understand how a song can evolve. People may create the first edition and think that [it] could be the final product. They may not understand that a song can evolve and improve with time, and that is something that a person with experience can comprehend. For instance, for the making of a film like Avatar, a young [associate] would have failed to understand the director’s vision of creating all characters in blue. But, someone who has worked on a similar project would have been able to understand how to bring that vision to life. Belonging to a family [that has worked in the industry] offers this advantage.”

The youngster — who has also worked on Jaago, a track inspired by Michael Jackson’s Heal The World — minces no words while confessing that though he has been dabbling in the indie space, his goal is to create music for Bollywood. “That’s a good place to move towards,” he signs off.

'Shilpa acting kar sakti hai' — this is the perception that developed of actor Shilpa Shirodkar after she starred in Aankhen. The film, she admits, changed her life: “Every Friday gives birth to a new star. That Friday was a changing point in my career. I signed many good films, worked with lovely directors. And I started charging more money!”

Her song Angna Mein Baba is popular even today. However, not many know that her part in the film was offered to actor Juhi Chawla, initially.

“I am glad whoever was approached said no, because I got a chance to do it,” says Shirodkar, whose character enters only in the second half of the film. Did that bother her, though?

“I was never such a big actor. For me, working with a producer like Pahlaj (Nihalani) ji, a director like David Dhawan and being cast opposite Govinda... It didn’t matter whether I came before the interval or after it. I just hoped ki aage jaake unke saath aur kaam mile,” she confesses.

While marking the completion of 35 years in the industry as a musician, Kumar Sanu makes a pertinent point. If the music of this day and age had the ability to draw large audiences, he asks, “Why do you think we are so busy then?”

Referencing the decade of the ’90s, he says, “[At the time], when a director gave a composer the task of creating music, the composer would be trusted entirely. There wouldn’t be any interference in his work, and due to that, there would be creativity in music. The songs not only had variation, but were also aligned with the narrative. There is a lot of interference now. Today’s listener also likes the music of the ’90s. It is only the producers who don’t understand this. Why do you think [musicians like me] are so busy today? It is because of the [dearth] of good music, and the lack of good-quality lyrical writing today.”

Young composers, he says, will be better served by creating a brand identity. “They should create singles for brand awareness. It is important to note that if a film flops, the music flops too. So, it is ideal that one does not depend on [film music] alone.”

He busts popular notion when highlighting that film music isn’t the ideal means to make money, as was once believed. “People don’t make money in Bollywood. I don’t think that’s how money is made today. Many people work for free to avail the opportunity to sing for [their favourite composers]. The system of money-making that was once there is no longer prevalent.”

Although a familiar face on singing reality shows, Sanu says he isn’t convinced of the fact that they can “churn out good singers”.

“I don’t believe they can. They sing our songs, not their own. They also [replicate] the way we rendered it, so, there is no individuality or identity. They want to mimic the popular singers, but they don’t establish their own identity.”

Apart from highlighting that lyric-writing in the film industry needs attention, he also laments the tendency to depend on vulgarity to grab eyeballs. “The CEO of a popular music-streaming site told me that the age group of consumers listening to my music ranges from 16 to 32. Can you believe that? People think young individuals don’t want to listen to our music. In the garb of catering to the young generation’s tastes, they are selling vulgar music. They don’t desire that.”

Singer Kumar Sanu enjoyed recording songs such as Neend Churai Meri and Kaise Kahoon Kaise Ho Tum from the 1997 hit. “Ishq’s songs are timeless. They will continue to live on for the next 100 years. Aaj kal aise gaane bante nahin hain jahan lyrics, composition aur voice sab perfect ho,” he says.

Sanu credits composer Anu Malik for his way of working. “An interesting thing about working with Anu ji was that we would always have arguments. Neend Churai Meri, which was a huge hit, was no exception. Whenever I found some parts tough, I’d request that he alter them, but he wouldn’t oblige. I felt the arguments were very healthy, and those challenges were fun to overcome. It was not an easy song to record. It was very well written, and every singer’s part stood out. The moment the song was wrapped up, I knew it would create magic,” Sanu shares.

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The ’90s music scene would be incomplete without Kumar Sanu’s voice reverberating over speakers. We last witnessed his soulful voice in the Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar-starrer Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) and when he recreated his hit numbers Aankh maare for Simmba (2018) and Mirchi lagi toh for Coolie No 1 (2020).

Born and raised in Kolkata, the playback singer claims that he has lost touch with his roots after leaving the City of Joy in 1986. To reignite his “enthusiasm”, Sanu is now planning to organise his first ever Durga puja in Andheri, this year. “I remember celebrating Durga puja with excitement, but after moving out of Kolkata for work, I never experienced the same emotions that I did as a child. To bring those emotions closer to the city I now call my home, I have decided to organize a grand Durga puja for the first time in 36 years,” says the singer.

The festivities, in tandem with Mumbai Bengali Cultural Association (MBCA), will kickstart on September 30 and go on until October 5. “Our main motto is to promote Bengali art, culture, and heritage on a grand level,” he says, adding that the celebration will be different from what people have been witnessing across Mumbai over the years. “[There will be] huge idols of Goddess Durga and her children. The pandal will be based on a theme and [we will serve] authentic Bengali food. This puja will be open for everyone,” he elaborates.

Sanu, in his bid to pay back to the society, took to politics twice. However, unable to juggle his work commitments with that of his political duties, he took a back seat and found other ways to contribute to the society. Ask him if he ever plans to go back in to the arena, and he says, “I am an artiste, and I cannot live without singing, hence I left. Right now, performing for charity events and running a school for underprivileged children is all that I am doing for people in need. [As for joining politics], it is not something I have thought of.”