Biography
Early life
Abhijeet was born in a Bengali family in Kanpur on 30 October 1958, the youngest of four siblings. He passed his matriculation from Ramakrishna Mission Higher Secondary School, Kanpur and Class XII from BNSD Inter College Chunni Ganj, Kanpur; and graduated in commerce (B.Com.) from Christ Church College, Kanpur in 1977. He started singing on stage from 1970.
Career
Abhijeet left home for Mumbai in 1981 to study Chartered Accountancy. Due to his fascination for singing and music, he decided to pursue a career in playback singing and quit Chartered Accountancy.
He received a call from Rahul Dev Burman to sing for Dev Anand's sons debut film.
In the 1990s, Abhijeet became playback singer. His songs include work from the film Baaghi, composed by Anand-Milind - Ek chanchal shokh hasina, Chandni raat hai and Har kasam se badi hai. Then in 1994 when he performed for movies like Yeh Dillagi, Anjaam, Raja Babu and Main Khiladi Tu Anari. He won the Filmfare Best Playback singer Award for Yes Boss in 1997. He went on to record for the movies Baadshah, Yes Boss, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Josh, Dhadkan, Chalte Chalte, Main Hoon Na and many others.
Abhijeet has given his voice for actors such as Mithun Chakraborty, Shahrukh Khan, Sunil Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Govinda, Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Deol, Saif Ali Khan, Bobby Deol, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Ajay Devgan, among many others.
He was a Judge in a reality show called Star Voice of India and "Ek Se Badkhar Ek". In this show, Abhijeet commented on Atif Aslam that he can not sing, for which he was criticised by the Indian public.
He also protested this phenomenon. 'Why should we allow these people into our country to perform when we are not welcome in their country?' he asked in a letter to the Government of India.
Along with bhajan singer Anoop Jalota, ghazal artiste Jagjit and playback singers Kumar Sanu and Jaspinder Narula, Abhijeet asked the government to ban Pakistani artistes from performing in India.
"We don't play cricket because our people are being killed by them. Why should we allow their singers to perform here?" he asks Associate Editor/Chief Correspondent Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
Notable songs
Year | Film | Song name(s) | Co-singer(s) |
---|---|---|---|
1990 | Baaghi | "Ek Chanchal Shook Haseena" | Solo |
1991 | Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin | "Dil Tujhpe Aa Gaya" | Anuradha Paudwal |
1992 | Khiladi | "Wada Raha Sanam" | Alka Yagnik |
1993 | Darr | "Darwaza Band Karlo" | Lata Mangeshkar |
1994 | Yeh Dillagi | "Ole Ole", "Lagi Lagi Hai" | Solo, Udit Narayan, Lata Mangeshkar |
Main Khiladi Tu Anari | "Main Khiladi Tu Anari" | Udit Narayan, Anu Malik | |
Raja Babu | "A Aa E Ee" | Solo | |
Anjaam | "Badi Mushkil Hai" | Solo | |
1995 | Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge | "Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Mein" | Asha Bhosle |
Sabse Bada Khiladi | "Bharo Meri Mang Baro" | Jyoti | |
Takkar | "Aankhon Main Base Ho Tum" | Alka Yagnik | |
1996 | Fareb | "Yeh Teri Aankhen" | Solo |
Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi | "Itna Mujhe Pata Hai" | Kavita Krishnamurthy | |
Rakshak | "Shehar Ki Ladki" | Chandra Dixit | |
Krishna | "Jhanjhriya" | Solo | |
Daraar | "Deewana Deewana Main Tere Liye", "Yeh Pyaar Pyaar Kya Hai" | Sadhana Sargam, Alka Yagnik | |
Dastak | "Tumhain Kaise Main Batoo" | Solo | |
1997 | Judwaa | "Tan Tana Tan Tan Tara" | Poornima |
Mohabbat | "Meri Jaane Jaana" | Kavita Krishnamurthy | |
Yes Boss | "Chaand Taare", "Suniye To", "Main Koi Aisa Geet" | Solo, Alka Yagnik | |
Judaai | "Mujhe Pyaar Hua" | Alka Yagnik | |
Mr. and Mrs. Khiladi | "Jume Ke Jume", "Jab Tak Rahega Samosa Main Aloo" | Poornima, Sapna Mukherjee | |
1998 | Keemat | "Koi Nahin Tere Jaise" | Udit Narayan, Hema Sardesai |
1999 | Baadshah | "Baadshah O Baadshah", "Woh Ladki Jo Saab Se" | Solo, Alka Yagnik |
Dil Hi Dil Mein | "Ae Nazneen Sunona" | Solo | |
2000 | Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani | "I'm The Best", "Kuch To Bata", "Aur Kya" | Solo, Alka Yagnik |
Chal Mere Bhai | "Chori Chori Sapno Mein" | Alka Yagnik | |
Josh | "Mere Khyaloon Ki Malika" | Jolly Mukherjee, Hema Sardesai | |
Dhadkan | "Tum Dil Ki Dhadkan" | Alka Yagnik | |
Khiladi 420 | "Dil Le Le" | Alka Yagnik | |
2001 | Asoka | "Roshini Se", "Raat Ka Nasha" | Alka Yagnik, K.S. Chithra |
Raaz | "Pyaar Se Pyaar Hum" | Solo | |
Awara Paagal Deewana | "Maine To Khai Kasam" | Sunidhi Chauhan | |
2003 | Chalte Chalte | "Suno Na Suno Na", "Chalte Chalte", "Tauba Tumhare Yeh Ishaare" | Solo, Alka Yagnik |
2004 | Main Hoon Na | "Title Song (Sad)", "Tumhe Jo Maine Dekha" | Solo, Shreya Ghoshal |
2005 | Bewafaa | "Ishq Chupta Nahin" | Solo |
Dosti | "Aisa Koi Zindagi Mein" | Alka Yagnik | |
2006 | Gangster | "Lamha Lamha" | Sunidhi Chauhan |
2007 | Kaafila | "Sandesa Aaya" | Sukhwinder Singh, Nabi Madjnun |
Om Shanti Om | "Dhoom Taana" | Shreya Ghoshal |