Sudha Malhotra

• Birth Date: 30 Nov 1936
• Birth Place: Delhi

Artist Information

Renowned singer Sudha Malhotra, is counted among the top most singers in the country.Sudha started her musical career at the young age of five. Sudha’s parents saw Sudha’s devotion to music and they discovered the great talent in her. She was discovered in Lahore by the famous music director, Ghulam Haider, who saw her holding a gathering of about sixteen thousand spellbound, when she sang in a programme in Ferozepur in aid of the Red Cross.

Thenafter she performed in All India Radio, Lahore. And, there was no looking back.Sudha gained new heights by joining film singing at the age of eleven. Sudha Malhotra had her grooming in Indian classical music, under the guidance of Ustad Abdul Rehman Khan and Pandit Laxman Prasad Jaipurwale. Singing has always been the first love for Sudha and in this field, with her very first break as a playback singer in the film Aarzoo, under the baton of Anil Biswas, with an evergreen song ‘Mila Gaye Nain’; she showed promise of a competent voice.

She sang in the films Aarzoo, Dhool Ka Phool, Ab Dilli Door Nahin, Girl Friend, Barsat Ki Raat , Didi , Kala Pani, Prem Rog, Dekh Kabira Roya , Gauhar, Dil e Nadan, Babar and many more. Sudha’s versatility led to more films and different kinds of songs. Each time it was a challenge that gave her listeners another treat. During the making of the film Didi, the music director N. Dutta fell ill and the track was needed urgently. Young Sudha was the singer. Always ready to rise to the challenge, Sudha stepped in and took over. She composed the song ‘Tum Mujhe Bhool Bhi Jao’, recorded it and made the delivery on schedule time. It was but naturally, a hit. Besides singing in Hindi films, Sudha has sung in many regional languages.

Success comes from within and Sudha was determined. Her musical achievements included a lot of stage performances around the world. She had the good opportunity of singing under the able guidance of many music directors, like Roshan, S.D. Burman, Ghulam Mohammad, N. Datta, Madan Mohan and a number of others, which established her voice with versatility to render any type of composition. Her bhajan in Kala Pani ‘Na Main Dhan Chahun’ became immensely popular. She sang the famous qawwali ‘Ishq Ishq’ in the film Barsat Ki Raat. This song was recorded for a period of twenty-nine continuous hours. She was awarded the Kala Bhushan award by Giani Zail Singh, the then president of India. She was also felicitated by Rajeev Gandhi for Dandi march.

It takes an extraordinary person to give up unlimited potential for fame and glory and settle for the anonymity of marital harmony. Once again it was her conviction that helped Sudha. Sudha’s spirit has always been irrepressible. Success comes from within and Sudha was determined. So Sudha sang bhajans in her family mandir and a new devotion was born. She has come out with a number of bhajan cassettes. Besides, she has many LPs of ghazals and bhajans. She has sung the famous shlokas, ‘Mano Buddhi Hankar’, for the Chinmayanand Mission, which thereafter was repeated by many other singers. Ghazals have also been her forte’. She has sung under the direction of Jagjit Singh, Khayyam, and Jaidev etc. and has cut many discs. Today Sudha’s zest for life is as unconquerable as ever.