Sudhir Phadke

Infobox Person
name=Sudhir Phadke
birth_date=birth date|1919|7|25|df=y
other_names=Babuji
birth_place=Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
death_date=death date and age|2002|7|29|1919|7|25|df=y
death_place=Mumbai
occupation = singer and composer
spouse=

Sudhir Phadke ( _mr. सुधीर फडके, July 25, 1919 - July 29, 2002) was an accomplished Marathi singer-composer from India. He was regarded as an icon of the Marathi film industry and Marathi "Sugam Sangeet" (light music) for five decades. Apart from Marathi, Phadke sang and composed songs in several Hindi films as well.

Phadke was affectionately known as "Babuji" (an honorary title given to respected gentlemen in India).

Brief biography

Sudhir Phadke was born in Kolhapur on July 25, 1919. His birth name was Ram Phadke, but he later changed his name to 'Sudhir' when he composed a song for HMV because he thought 'Sudhir Phadke' sounded more 'weighty'. Phadke acquired his primary tutelage in vocal classical music from the late Vamanrao Padhye in Kolhapur. After beginning his career with HMV in 1941, he joined the Prabhat Film Company as music director in 1946. During his long career, he composed for many Marathi and Hindi films. He was also an immaculate playback singer. Phadke married his fellow singer Lalita Deulkar. Their son Shridhar Phadke (born 1951) is also a composer and singer.

"Geet Ramayana", based on poet G D Madgulkar's verses, is one of Phadke's most popular works. The programme ran on All India Radio for a year, 1954-55. Stage performances of the program continue to draw huge crowds even today. Phadke set to music all 56 songs, and they were sung by different singers for radio (Manik Verma, Lata Mangeshkar, Phadke himself, Vasantrao Deshpande etc). All 56 songs were also recorded in Phadke's own voice.

In last days of his life, Phadke was involved in producing a Hindi film on the life of the Indian freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The movie "Veer Savarkar" was funded by public donations. Sudhir Phadke last sang and composed music for this movie.

Phadke was connected with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for over 60 years [cite web
url=http://www.bjp.org/leader/dream4.html#music
title=Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, The Man of India's destiny
accessdate=2006-09-14] . He was the main inspiration and founder member of India Heritage Foundation in the United States.

Filmography

Sudhir Phadke has 111 films to his credit as a music director, 21 of which are in Hindi. He extensively worked with famous Indian singers such as Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar.

As a composer

"(Partial filmography)" [ [http://www.downmelodylane.com/composers_s2.html Down Melody Lane..::..Composers - Shyam Sundar, Snehal Bhatkar, Sudhir Phadke, Timir Baran & V. Balsara ] ] [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0679593/ Sudhir Phadke ] ]

* "Gokul" (1946)
* "Aage Badho" (1947)
* "Sita Swayamwar" (1948)
* "Apraadhi" (1949)
* "Jai Bheem" (1949)
* "Maya Baazar" (1949)
* "Ram Pratiggya" (1949)
* "Sant Janabai" (1949)
* "Shri Krishna Darshan" (1950)
* "Maalti Madhav" (1951)
* "Murli Wala" (1951)
* "Pehli Taarikh" (1954)
* "Ratna Ghar" (1954)
* "Shevgyachya Shenga" (1955)
* "Devghar" (1956)
* "Sajni" (1956)
* "Gaj Gauri" (1958)
* "Gokul Ka Chor" (1959)
* "Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan"" (1961)
* "Pyar Ki Jeet" (1962)
* "Ekati" (1968)
* "Aadhar" (1969)
* "Daraar" (1971)
* "Sher Shivaji" (1981)
* "Sher Shivaji" (1987)
* "Rukmini Swayamwar"
* "Aamhi jaato amuchchya gaava" (Marathi)
* "Pudhcha Paaul" (Marathi)
* "Jagaachya paathivar" (Marathi)
* "Suvasini" (Marathi)
* "Prapanch" (Marathi)
* "Mumbaicha jawai" (Marathi original of Basu Chatterjee Hindi language film "Piya ka ghar")

Popular songs

Geet Ramayan

* Composed and renditioned 'Geet Ramayan', 56 songs written by G. D. Madgulkar.

As a singer

* "Dehachi Tijori" ("Amhi Jaato Amuchya Gaava") is his most popular and melodious song in Marathi, composed by himself.

As a composer

* "Jyoti kalash chalke" ("Bhabhi ki Chudiyan"), a song based on Raga Bhupali sung by Lata Mangeshkar

Others major creations of Phadke include, ashi pakhare yeti,daaw mandun mandun modu nako,wikat ghetla shyam, tujhe geet ganyasathi sur labhu de, akashi jhep ghe re pakhara.

Awards

Phadke won numerous awards, including:
* Rashtrapati Award in 1963 for "Ha Maaza Marga Ekala".
* Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1991
* "Sahyadri Swara Ratna Puraskar" in April 2002, an award presented by DD Sahyadri

Passing away

He died in Mumbai on July 29, 2002 at 10.30 AM after suffering a brain hemorrhage. His body was kept at Veer Savarkar Memorial at Dadar in central Mumbai, where many admirers came to pay their last tributes.

A Flyover in the Mumbai suburb of Borivali (West) was named after him.

References