Nov 11, 2026 12:00pm IST
Kumar Sanu On ‘Friendly’ Rivalry With Udit Narayan, Sunny Deol’s ‘Gentlemanly’ Behavior and And Arijit Singh’s ‘Bold’ Decision (EXCLUSIVE)
Sunny Deol-led thriller “Suryaa: Ant Se Aarambh Tak” is set to release on Nov. 20. The film’s first single “Suniyo Zara,” sung by Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan and Anupam Amod, marks the first collaboration between Sanu and Narayan in 21 years. The last time they were in the recording booth together was for “Kahaan Ho Tum” from “No Entry” (2005).
“We might not have sung together for 21 years, but we were friends throughout,” says Sanu, adding, “Udit is a great friend and has proven his talent across decades.” Addressing the perceived professional rivalry among the two, he reveals, “There was never any bad blood between us. The competition was like what’s seen within a first ranker and second ranker in a class. In the past, whatever issues were reported were fabricated by the media. Some people did try to create rifts but after a stage, we understood that people are up to mischief.”
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In fact, it’s professional courtesy and a rapport that he credits for their continuing friendship. “We always meet with a lot of love. Yes, our fans keep fighting but that’s another thing. If you revisit history, Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar never fought over songs. In fact, Kishore Kumar would reject songs saying they were more suited for Rafi Saab. Our understanding is similar,” he avers.
The singer’s association with Sunny Deol goes back to 1990’s “Ghayal” with “Sochna Kya Jo Bhi Hoga” and “Iss Tarah Aashiqui Ka” from Imtihaan (1994). Of the actor, Kumar Sanu states, “I love Sunny and the entire Deol family. In fact, I have sung for Dharam Ji [Dharmendra, Deol’s father] as well. Sunny always gives credit if he feels a singer has done an excellent job. He has maintained himself excellently to pull off action roles at this age. What I adore about him is his gentlemanly behavior and his genuineness. There are very few like him in the industry.”
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The rise of independent music has been one of the big developments in the industry of late. Sanu reveals that the thought of starting his own label never occurred to him. He says, “It is a good thing but I feel it has his pros and cons. You have creative control and complete rights to your song. However, you need to work hard to take it to the audience. Working under a label is like team work.”
Commenting on Arijit Singh’s decision to move away from the Hindi film industry and work independently, Sanu opined, “Some people tolerate politics. Some are courageous to move away and start alone. We were tolerant. I would say that Arijit is a bold, straightforward and simple person. It takes a lot of guts to do what he did. It will be great if his music label succeeds and he carves his own path.”
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