Usha Uthup deserves credit for elevating pop singing to a new level in the Bollywood film industry. She was easily distinguished from the other singers due to her powerful voice.
She gave many such songs in Bollywood, and people are still forced to dance to them today. Along with this, her appearance in the Kanjeevaram sari, with a big round bindi, Usha Uthup has created a distinct identity by wearing a gajra of flowers in her hair.
Few people know that Usha’s path to Bollywood was not easy; she used to make a living by singing in nightclubs. Today, on the occasion of Usha Uthup’s birthday (8 November 1947), learn how she rose from a nightclub to become Bollywood’s pop singing queen.
Usha Uthup was born in Bombay as ‘Usha Vaidyanath Someshwar Sami Iyer’ (now Mumbai). Scorpio is her astrological sign. She attended St. Agnes High School in Mumbai for her education.
She is from a Tamil Brahmin family. Vaidyanath Someshwar Sami, her father, was a Deputy Commissioner in the Bombay Police. She has three sisters, Uma Pocha (doctor), Maya Sami (singer), and Indira Srinivasan (travel industry executive), as well as a brother, Shyam Iyer.
Ramu Iyer was her husband. After Ramu’s untimely death, she married Jani Chacko Uthup for the second time (businessman).
She has a son named Sunny Uthup and a daughter named Anjali Uthup (radio jockey) (event manager).
She began her career in a nightclub
The incident occurred when Usha Uthup was 20 years old. She began singing in a small nightclub in Chennai while dressed in a saree. She went on to perform in a number of major nightclubs in Mumbai and Calcutta. But then he started singing in the Delhi Oberoi Hotel, and his fortunes changed.
Shashi Kapoor gave a chance in movies
Shashi Kapoor noticed Usha Uthup’s voice while singing a song at the Oberoi Hotel. He was so taken with her voice that he summoned Usha and invited her to sing a Bollywood song for him.
voice recognition that is distinct
Usha performed an English song in the 1970 film Bombay Talkies. Usha sang ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ with Asha Bhosle in the film ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna.’ Following that, he was given the opportunity to sing in a number of films. On the one hand, he was achieving success, but on the other hand, he was being mocked. Because of the heaviness of her voice, she became known as a woman with a masculine voice. Usha, on the other hand, was solely concerned with her career.
Usha Uthup has appeared in movies such as ‘Shalimar,’ ‘Shaan, Vardat,’ ‘Armaan,’ ‘Disco Dancer,’ ‘Pyaar Dushman,’ ‘Arman,’ ‘Daur,’ ‘Bhoot,’ ‘Joggers Park,’ and ‘Hattrick.’ His sung songs were well received.