Renowned singer Anuradha Paudwal, who gained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s with her hit songs and devotional music, became a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday, 16th March, in New Delhi. Anuradha Paudwal expressed her happiness at joining a party with a “strong bond with Sanatan Dharma.”
“I am happy that I am joining the party which has a deep connection with Sanatan (Dharma). It is my good fortune that I am joining the BJP today,” she stated while addressing a press conference. Upon being asked if she would be contesting in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the seasoned singer responded, “I don’t know yet, (I will follow) whatever suggestion they give me.”
#WATCH | Famous singer Anuradha Paudwal joins the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi pic.twitter.com/SBFSVLjVU8
— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2024
Anuradha Paudwal is a multilingual singer who has sung hundreds of bhajans and thousands of songs. She was born in Karwar, Karnataka and made her singing debut at the age of 19 in the popular film “Abhimaan,” in which she gave her melodious voice to Shiv Stuti “Omkaram Bindu Sanyuktam.” SD Burman, whom she would later collaborate with on multiple occasions, composed it.
Paudwal’s smash hit song “Tu Mera Hero Hai” from the Jackie Shroff-Meenakshi Sheshadri starrer ‘Hero’ established her reputation in Bollywood in 1983. She went on to win the first of her four Filmfare Awards three years later for “Mere Man Bajo Mridang” in Girish Karnad’s film Utsav. Her career peaked in the 1990s when her soundtracks for Aashiqui, Sadak, and Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin mesmerised music fans.
Anuradha Paudwal concentrated mainly on spiritual music throughout the 2000s. She is recognised for her charitable endeavours as well. Anuradha Paudwal established the Suryoday Foundation in 2016 to help those in need of healthcare.
The recipient of several accolades, including a National Film Award, four Filmfare Awards (winning consecutively during 1990–92) and two Odisha State Film Awards, she has been honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri, the country’s fourth-highest civilian honour for her contribution in the field of arts. She was given the Mother Teresa Award in 2011 in recognition of her impressive work.
