Sudhir Phadke was a legendary Marathi singer-composer from India. He was regarded as an icon of the Marathi film industry and Marathi Sugam Sangeet for five decades. Apart from Marathi, Phadke sang and composed songs in several Hindi films as well. Phadke's nickname was Babuji.
Brief biography
Sudhir Phadke was born in Kolhapur on 25 July 1919. His birth name was Ram Phadke, but he later changed his name to 'Sudhir' when he composed a song for HMV. Phadke acquired his primary tutelage in vocal classical music from the late Vamanrao Padhye in Kolhapur. After beginning his career with HMV in 1941, he joined the Prabhat Film Company as music director in 1946. During his long career, he composed music for many Marathi and Hindi films. He was also an immaculate playback singer. Phadke married his fellow singer Lalita Deulkar. Their son Shridhar Phadke is also a composer and singer. Geet Ramayana, based on poet G D Madgulkar's verses, is one of Phadke's most popular works. The programme ran on All India Radio for a year, 1955–56. Stage performances of the program continue to draw huge crowds even today. Phadke set to music all 56 songs, and they were sung by different singers for radio. All 56 songs were also recorded in Phadke's own voice. In last days of his life, Phadke was involved in producing a Hindi film on the life of the Indian freedom fighterVinayak Damodar Savarkar. The movie Veer Savarkar was funded by public donations. Sudhir Phadke last sang and composed music for this movie. He was also actively involved with Goa Freedom Movement and in post freedom fight of India Phadke was connected with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for over 60 years. He was the main inspiration and founder member of India Heritage Foundation in the United States.
Filmography
Sudhir Phadke has 111 films to his credit as a music director, 21 of which are in Hindi. He extensively worked with famous Indian singers such as Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar.
Composed and renditioned 'Geet Ramayan', 56 songs written by Madgulkar. Geet Ramayan, collection of songs is summary of Indian epic of Ramayana in chronological sequence. The first of Geet Ramayan by Sudhir Phadke was broadcast by All India Radio Pune on Friday 1 April 1955 on the auspicious day of Raam Navami. From 1 April 1955 for 56 weeks, every Sunday a new song of Geet Ramayana was broadcast. It was one of the most popular programs of that time. Geet Ramayan has been translated in 9 Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, English, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, Sindhi, Telugu and Oriya.
As a composer
Jyoti kalash chalke, a song based on Raga Bhupali sung by Lata Mangeshkar
Maratha Sphurti Geet the regimental song of Maratha Light Infantry, was composed and arranged for the military band by Sudhir Phadke. The lyrics were written by G. D. Madgulkar.
Chahiye Ashish Madhav a homage to Second Sarsanghchalak Shri R S Golwalkar of the RSS.
Other major creations of Phadke include: Ashi pakhare yeti, Dev devharyat nahi, Daav mandun mandun modu nako, Vikat ghetla shyam, Tujhe geet ganyasathi sur labhu de, Toch chandrama nabhaat.
He died in Mumbai on 29 July 2002 at 10.30 AM after suffering a brain haemorrhage. His body was kept at Veer Savarkar Memorial at Dadar in central Mumbai, where many admirers came to pay their last tributes. A Flyover which goes over the railway line and Dahisar river in the Mumbai suburb between Borivali and Dahisar connecting east and west was named after him.
