Kumar Sanu and Udit Narayan, the two playback voices most closely associated with Hindi cinema’s 1990s soundtrack boom, are back in the same studio after 21 years. The vehicle is “Suniyo Zara”, the first song from Sunny Deol’s upcoming thriller Suryaa: Ant Se Aarambh Tak. The Anu Malik composition also features Anupam Amod and arrives before the film’s November 20, 2026 theatrical release.
A studio gap, not a friendship gap
In an interview with Variety, Sanu addressed the long-running perception of rivalry between the two singers. He said their professional schedules kept them apart in the recording studio, but the personal equation did not change: “We might not have sung together for 21 years, but we were friends throughout.”
Sanu was more direct about reports of friction. “There was never any bad blood between us,” he said. He described the competition as similar to the one between a first-rank and second-rank student in a class, and said past reports of differences were fabricated. Once the two understood that some people were trying to create rifts, he said, the mischief stopped mattering.
Why the reunion lands
For audiences who came of age on 1990s film music, a Sanu-Udit collaboration is shorthand for an era when a handful of playback voices carried entire soundtracks. Both singers often recorded for the same heroes and composers, which is precisely what made the rivalry narrative easy to sell.
Sanu drew a comparison with an older generation. Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar never fought over songs, he said; Kishore Kumar would occasionally decline a track because it suited Rafi better. “Our understanding is similar,” Sanu said, even if fans still argue over their favourites.
The Deol connection
Sanu’s link to Sunny Deol goes back to “Sochna Kya Jo Bhi Hoga” from Ghayal (1990), and he later sang “Iss Tarah Aashiqui Ka” from Imtihaan (1994). He said he has also sung for Dharmendra, Deol’s father. Praising Deol, Sanu said the actor gives credit when he believes a singer has done well, has maintained himself for action roles, and brings a gentlemanly behaviour that is rare in the industry.
Independence has a price
Sanu also weighed in on independent music and artists who start their own labels. He welcomed the creative control and ownership such a model offers, but said it comes with the responsibility of promoting the song and building an audience. Working under a label, he suggested, is teamwork. Starting his own label, he added, had never occurred to him.
- 21 years: the gap since Sanu and Narayan last recorded together.
- “Suniyo Zara”: the Anu Malik composition that reunites them, with Anupam Amod.
- November 20, 2026: the release date for Suryaa: Ant Se Aarambh Tak.
Source: The Times of India
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