Legendary Gujarati film singer and composer Purushottam Upadhyay passed away today (11th December) at his residence in Bombay. He was 90.
Purushottam Upadhyay was honoured with the Padma Shri and the Gujarat Gaurav Puraskar. He had scored music in more than 20 films. Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned his demise and said, it was an irreparable loss to the world of art.
Upadhyay moved to Bombay from Gujarat after his education, but faced so many difficulties in trying to make a career in music that he was forced to return home. He then started performing in theatre companies. His golden moment came when actor Ashraf Khan noticed him while he was singing a song originally rendered by Noor Jehan, on stage. After that, he collaborated with famous singers and artistes and also bagged a contract with All India Radio, Bombay. Purushottam Upadhyay also managed music events at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Bombay.