Somehow I feel that this topic itself is a biased one. Udit Narayn has ruled Bollywodd for close to a decade now and has sung probably for all lead stars of this generation. His presence in industry has been for a good 15 years and that itself is a great achievement. In sch a case, if not 20, the list should be of at least 10.
I myself am not a great fan of new Hindi songs, but this man has got a vouce that is simply mesmarising. It’s the purest voice that has been heard in Bollywood in last 3 decades. So my list will mostly comprise of his popular numbers as I lack the depth in modern music.
Papa Kehte Hain
Film: Qayammat Se Qayammat Tak
Year: 1988
Music: Anand Milind
Actor: Aamir Khan
This is the song with which Udit Narayan came to reckoning in Bollywood. The newness in his voice and the youthful excitement brought with itself a promise to fill the void that was left after the death of Kishore Kumar. The promising Aamir Khan with the Promissing Udit Narayan seemed like the trend of the future and both of them have surpassed their contemporaries in quality.
Ghar se Nikalte Hi
Film: Papa Kehte Hain
Year: 1993
Music: Rajesh Roshan
Actor: Jugal Hansraj
We normally see, songs from films, where the movie is a hit, the songs also get popular. The same was not the case with this particular number. Faced with stiff competition from Didi tera dewar(Hum Aapke…) and Mast Mast(Mohra), still this managed to be in the top 3(including no.1) for several week. Again, it was the freshness in the voice of Udit Narayan that did the trick. I think from this movie onwards, Udit Narayan has not looked back.
Jaadoo Teri Nazar
Film: Darr
Year: 1994
Music: Shiv Hari
Actor: Shahrukh Khan
The early ninties were dominated by the voice of Kumar sanu, who entered as a clone of Kishore Kumar. The less said about his singing talents the better. Still he was heading the popularity charts. At such a stage, Jaadu Teri Nazar was a phenomenal song, sung in a wide range of the voice, where it goes from a very low pitch to a very high pitch. In my opinion, this is the best song of Udit Narayan. From a very silent romantic tone to a fearful voice of a stalker, the song achieved them all!
Chaand Chhupa Badal Mein
Film: Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
Year: 1999
Music: Ismail Durbaar
Actor: Salmaan Khan
The musical masterpiece of Ismail Darbar saw the voice of Udit Narayan being tried to newer varieties. This soft romantic number was sung to perfection by Udit Narayan and I am sure, any great of Indian music must have been proud to see the way he sung it.
Mitwa
Film: Lagaan
Year: 2001
Music: A.R. Rehmaan
Actor: Aamir Khan
Udit Narayan has often been criticized for not singing at a high pitch. Let them here Mitwa from Lagaan. He has managed to take his voice to a very high level and has achieved the perfect motive for this song: to boost the morale of the men in the team. This song is highly inspiring and is perfectly picturised also. Udit Narayan’s voice has been a continuous partner of Aamir Khan and I feel great to start and end the list with this duo.