Anuradha Paudwal’s divine songs made her unstoppable

Anuradha Paudwal has been unstoppable ever since she made her singing debut in 1973 with ‘Abhimaan’.

Hyderabad: Although singing is not something that everyone can pursue, for some people it comes naturally. Legendary singer Anuradha Paudwal is one of them. When the singer recently visited Hyderabad for a performance, Telangana Today caught up with her for an exclusive interview.

Anuradha Paudwal has been unstoppable ever since she made her singing debut in 1973 with ‘Abhimaan’. The well-known singer strengthened her position by adding to some of the top tracks throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and soon was a popular female playback singer.

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“I travel to Hyderabad for events, and the city offers a fantastic selection of food and clothing. The people here are nice, and one of my Telugu Sai Baba songs was warmly received by the locals,” she shares.

When asked why she made the bold choice to go from film industry to private records at the peak of her career, she replies, “I don’t know how it occurred; it simply brought me to the spiritual side and I’m privileged to sing songs that are linked to god.” According to Anuradha, who grew up listening to Lata Mangeshkar songs, if it’s films, “you should wait for the success of the actors, films, etc., but private albums allow you to showcase your skill and get closer to the listeners”.

Speaking of her journey, she says, “I was never ambitious; my father wanted me to be a singer, so I pursued it. I enjoy whatever comes my way. Initially, I used to sing more for films; later, I decided to stop films songs and concentrate more on spiritual songs, and that work is something that makes me happy and keeps me busy.”

When questioned about her use of social media, she replied, “I don’t even know the password to my Facebook account; I’m not a tech-savvy person, and my daughter handles everything.” Talking about the songs from the new era, Anuradha says, “I don’t judge people, everybody has their own way of singing. I like to listen to melodic tunes most of the time.”

The singer founded the ‘Suryoday Foundation Organisation’ in addition to her musical career. Through this organisation, she has provided cardiac ambulances, over 250 personalised hearing aids, and a floor dedicated to patients with AIDS. “More people are struggling financially, so I’m simply doing what I can and I also request the government to support the NGO to make life better through this organisation,” she adds.

On the work front, Paudwal is working on Adi Shankaracharya’s ‘Soundarya Lahari’, which would be coming up soon.