One of the popular singers in Bollywood is Roop Kumar Rathod. He has created a special niche in the musical world with his ghazals and playback singing. He has sung the award winning song 'Sandese aate hain' in the movie 'Border'.
He is the son of the late Pandit Chaturbhuj Rathod who groomed singer Manhar and Kalyanji - Anandji. He carried on his father's legacy and got trained in playing the tabla. He played with Anup Jalota and Pankaj Udhas. His elder brother Shravan Rathod of Nadeem-Shravan duo took music composing while his younger brother Vinod Rathod is into playback singing.
In Shyam Benegal's 'Discovery of India', Roop Kumar Rathod played the tabla. He also played for Qawaalis, ghazals and bhajans by Lata Mangeshkar. He has also sung in Laxmikant Pyarelal's Sur Sangam.
Playing the tabla is his first love which he gave up in 1984 and started singing. His area of specialization remains ghazals and he has soon carved a niche for himself. He then established himself as a successful playback singer. Roop Kumar Rathod experimented with fusion music and gave music concerts with Gurtu.
To him learning is a never-ending process and he still learns the tones of ghazal singing from Ustad Niyaz Ahmed Khan. In the movie Angaar (1992) Roopkumar Rathod was introduced by Laxmikant - Pyarelal as a playback singer. Later filmmaker Shashilal Nair told Laxmikant that he would like Roop Kumar Rathod to sing for his movies.
Impressed by this young singer, both made him the main singer in movies like Bhairavi ('Om Namah Shivaye' and 'Moh Maaya Ko'), Mohabbat Ki Arzoo ('Raha Jo Dil Mein'), Tejaswini and Gumraah ('Duniya Kismat Aur Khuda)'. In 'Barsaat Ke Mausam Mein' (Naajayaz) his voice was used by Anu Malik.
He established himself in 1997 with his songs 'To Chalun' and award winner 'Sandesein Aate Hain'. He has sung under numerous composeres in movies like Vishal's Hu Tu Tu (all songs for Nana Patekar) and Godmother, Raamlaxman's Hum Saath Saath Hain, Anand - Milind's Dahek, Anu Malik's Hero, Hogi Pyar Ki Jeet, Kareeb ('Tum Juda Hokar Hamein') and Hindustani. He also sung in Champion (Anu Malik), in Aashiq for Sanjeev Darshan and Censor (a qawwali) for Jatin - Lalit.
Some of the well known songs of Roop Kumar Rathod are 'Kho Diye Jitne Lamhe' (Vinashak), 'Khamosh Raat' under A. R. Rahman for Thakshak, Jatin - Lalit's 'Zindagi Maut Na Ban Jaye' (Sarfarosh) and 'Yeh Zameen Hai Rehguzar' (Dillagi).
Other accomplishments include the title song of 'Nanhi Si Muskaan' from Aashirwaad. In television series he has sung in Badaltey Rishtey, Discovery of India and Rishtey.
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