Only a few playback singers can claim to have been the voice behind two of Indian cinema’s biggest blockbusters released on the same day. Udit Narayan, is one of them having lent his vocals to both Lagaan and Gadar: Ek Prem Katha in 2001.
As both the films mark their silver jubilee today, Narayan says, “I cant believe it’s been 25 years. I still see the madness and nasha for both films. I feel lucky to be part of both films that created history at the box office, they are musical blockbusters.”
Narayan won his first National award for Mitwa from Lagaan, while Gadar delivered evergreen hits like Main Nikla Gaddi Leke, Musafir Jaane Wale and Udd Jaa Kaale Kaava, “Even today people request songs from both films at my shows. Their popularity keeps increasing each year, ” he adds.
The credit he says goes to the entire team behind both films. “One had AR Rahman’s music, the other had Uttam Singh’s. One had Javed Akhtar’s writing, the other had Anand Bakshi. One had Aamir Khan, the other Sunny Deol. It feels like a dream,” says Narayan, calling it “God’s blessing” to have contributed to both classics
Gadar: Ek Prem Katha was a romantic action drama set during the 1947 Partition of India. It followed Tara Singh, a Sikh truck driver, who saves and marries Sakina, a Muslim woman from a wealthy aristocratic family. Their peaceful life shatters when she gets stranded in Pakistan, forcing Tara to cross borders to rescue his family.
Set in 1893 during British colonial rule, Lagaan told the story of an impoverished Indian village burdened by crippling taxes (lagaan) and a prolonged drought. When an arrogant British officer challenges the villagers to a game of cricket, a young farmer named Bhuvan rallies his people to play in exchange for the cancellation of all taxes.