When Anuradha Paudwal's Mom Said 'Who Gets Padma Shri For Singing?'

Anuradha Paudwal, the renowned Indian playback singer and Padma Shri awardee, has been fascinating audiences with her soulful voice since her debut in 1973. While she initially rose to fame for her Bollywood melodies, she has also touched countless hearts with a number of devotional albums. In a recent interview, this veteran artist spoke about her journey in the entertainment industry and revealed her mantra for staying relevant in the evolving music industry. Additionally, she shared a funny and interesting anecdote about her mother’s surprised reaction when she was honoured with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award.

During the interview with Hindustan Times, Anuradha said, “I remember my sister telling my mother that I got the Padma Shri. She reacted, ‘What for?’ My sister was like ‘Because she sang songs, no?’ Mom said, ‘But who gives Padma Shri for singing songs?’ So that simplicity was there. Sar pe chadha ke (mom never spoiled us), like we see in today’s world.”

When questioned about how her parents viewed her once she became a renowned singer, Anuradha Paudwal shared that her father had passed away early in her film industry career. Initially, her mother was a bit cautious and didn’t make a big deal about her celebrity status. However, her mother’s pride and happiness were evident when she was awarded a D. Litt (Doctor of Literature) degree.

Talking about staying relevant among the new generation of singers, she said, “I have been in the industry for 50 long years. We have delights like Asha Ji and Lata Ji who have been singing into their 90s. So we have no excuse, we have to get up all the time. Music is in our blood. It’s going to be there till our last breath. Of course, I have to practise my skills even today, maybe not a lot but it’s a must. You see, the music scenario has changed completely.”

Discussing the trend of actors and influencers mimicking lines for Instagram reels, Anuradha Paudwal expressed her discomfort with this modern approach. She looks back to an era when legendary artists like Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar and Hemant Kumar maintained a low profile. She finds the trend of men imitating women’s voices and vice versa on social media platforms to be quite shocking.

On World Deaf Day celebrated on September 24, Anuradha Paudwal released a short film titled Silent Chaos. This film aims to raise awareness and show support for the deaf community.