Background and career
Abhijeet Bhattacharya (born 30 October 1958), professionally known as Abhijeet, is an Indian playback singer who primarily sings in the Hindi film industry. As well as Hindi, he has sung in his native language Bengali and in other languages including Marathi, Nepali, Tamil, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, and Odia, in both West Bengal and Bangladesh.
Abhijeet was born in Uttar Pradesh to a Kanpur-based Bengali Brahmin family the youngest of four to news editor Dheerendranath Bhattacharya and his wife Kamla Bhattacharya in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He graduated in commerce (B.Com.) from Christ Church College, Kanpur in 1977. He started singing on stage from 1970. He left home in 1981 to pursue a career in singing in Bollywood.
He was launched by R. D. Burman in a Bengali film with a duet song with Asha Bhosle.He did stage shows as a singer with R. D. Burman in his starting career. He has been deeply influenced by the singer Kishore Kumar. Movies he sang in 90's include Baadshah, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Rakshak, Darr, Josh, Dhadkan, Raaz, Pyar To Hona Hi Tha, Khoobsurat, Na Tum Jano Na Hum, Kaho Na Pyar Hai, Tum Bin, Dillagi, Jodi No. 1. He was in Khiladi, Mr. and Mrs. Khiladi, Khiladi 420, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Sabse Bada Khiladi, and Dhadkan. His 2000s career included Red Chillies Entertainment's first film Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, Dhadkan, Josh, Asoka. Following with Dhoom's Dilbara ,Gangster's Lamha Lamha with Sunidhi Chauhan, Om Shanti Om's Dhoom Tana Na with Shreya Ghoshal. Later he sang for Ranbir Kapoor in film Besharam. The song was Dil ka jo haal hai with Shreya Ghoshal. In May 2019, Abhijeet Released Chakde Fatte which is the Cricket World Cup Song for 2019. The song was well appreciated by listeners. Many of his iconic songs are now being remade by new age composers, such as Tan Tana Tan from Judwaa 2, Ole Ole from Jawaani Jaaneman where the actor was himself Saif Ali Khan, Mai Khiladi Tu Anadi from Selfiee, Husnn Hai Suhana from Coolie No. 1, Sheher Ki Ladki from Khandaani Shafakhana and many more in the list. His Salman Khan duo famous song Chunnri Chunnri was recreated by famous South Korea band BTS in 2020 and it became very famous in reels from Instagram. In 2020 his first released song came for the Movie Shukranu, a 70s feel like song "Khwaab hai ya haqeqaat" duet with Indian Idol fame Krishnakali Saha released from Zee Music Company. In September 2021 Abhijeet is judged 'Sangeet er Moha Juddho', a reality show airing on Colours Bangla Channel along with other judges Jeet Ganguli, Ustad Rashid Khan.
In his early career he recorded an album with tribute songs to Kishore Kumar. The name of the album was A Tribute To Kishore Kumar, distributed by Gulshan Kumar and T-Series. His show was aired on Doordarshan was a massive famous among Indian homes which was a tribute to the legend Kishore Kumar. Playback singer Anuradha Paudwal also recorded duets opposite Abhijeet in some duet songs. He released the Yaadein series where he sang many of the songs of Kishore Kumar along with singers Kumar Sanu and Vinod Rathod. He has recorded many non-film pop music Albums. He released two albums, Main Deewana Hoon and Tapori No.1 in the early 1990s.He with other singers launched Dil Vil Pyar Vyar as a tribute to R. D. Burman and his compositions to Kishore Kumar. Other singers contributed including Kumar Sanu, Hariharan, Shaan and Kavita Krishnamurti. Later he launched Aashiqui.In early 2000s Abhijeet Bhattacharya released an album Salute To Legends singing the iconic songs of singers Manna Dey, Hemant Kumar, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh distributed by T-Series.In 2000s era he released pop albums like, Bandhan(Bengali), Tere Bina in (2003), Lamahe(2006) and Mai Deewana Hoo (2016). Tere Bina opened the career of Divya Khosla Kumar with the song Kabhi yaadon mein Aao.
Abhijeet was on the panel of judges of reality show Ek Se Badhkar Ek with choreographer Ahmed Khan anchor was Ravi Kishan in 2008 on Zee TV.The show was based on bringing several talents together. Abhijeet was on the panel of judges of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs in 2009 with music director, singer Bappi Lahiri and playback singer Alka Yagnik on Zee TV and anchor was Shaan. Abhijeet then was on judges panel with his Baaghi co-singer Kavita Krishnamurti on Zee Bangla TV for Saregamapa Lil Champs Bangla 2010.The reality show was based on the bringing talented singer kids from districts of WB. His comeback as a judge was in 2020 with reality show SuperSinger on Star Jalsha. Then with Sangeeter Mahayuddho in 2021 on Colors Bangla channel.The other judges included singer Ustad Rashid Khan and Aashiqui 2 composer Jeet Ganguly.He attended as special guests in Indian Idol 2022, Saregamapa Zee TV on 2023.Recently attended Indian Idol 2024 on Sony TV in his honor of contribution in the Film Industry.
On 6 May 2015, when sessions court in Mumbai sentenced actor Salman Khan to five years in jail in connection with the 2002 hit-and-run case, Abhijeet came out in support of Salman by tweeting "Roads are meant for cars and dogs, not for people sleeping on them." This raised anger among several Twitter users as well as in popular media for making insensitive remarks as well as opening himself to criticism by members of media or others that Abhijeet is equating homeless people with dogs. Abhijeet said to a news channel, "Nobody should die on the roads as dogs." He further stated that the death of the poor man was a loss to his family members and by not sleeping on the roads such deaths can be and should be avoided. He said and so did other people on the same news channel program that sleeping on the roads/pavements is dangerous as the roads are extremely busy. Many members of the public and media want the government to do more to help avoid such preventable incidents. A large number of people sleep overnight on the roads in cities in India due to the lack of means to buy or rent a house while they eke out a living doing menial labor. In July 2016, Abhijeet was arrested by the Mumbai police and released later on bail, for allegedly abusing journalist Swati Chaturvedi Online on Twitter. The arrest was at the complaint of Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon with Mumbai's BKC Cyber Cell. According to the Indian Express, the FIR for the online abuse was filed on charges of public obscenity and outrage of modesty. Abhijeet Bhattacharya's Twitter account (@abhijeetsinger) was suspended on 23 May 2017, after he posted a series of 'offensive tweets', especially against women. Sonu Nigam also deleted his account after Abhijeet's account was suspended. On 29 May, Abhijeet re-joined Twitter with a new account(@singerabhijeet). But by evening, the new account was also suspended.
