Abhijeet Bhattacharya's Struggle Before Baaghi Made Him a Star

Abhijeet Bhattacharya's journey to stardom was anything but smooth. Known today for songs like 'Badi Mushkil Hai' and 'Tum Dil Ki Dhadkan Mein', the singer once dreamed of a career in accountancy rather than music.

Born on October 30, 1958, in Kanpur, into a Bengali family, Abhijeet was academically inclined from childhood. He completed his B.Com from Christ Church College and then moved to Mumbai in 1981 to take up the chartered accountancy course.

Music, however, had already taken hold of him. Once in Mumbai, he found his focus shifting entirely towards singing. Realising that playback singing was his real dream, he abandoned his CA studies and devoted himself to the struggle of becoming a singer.

Life in Mumbai was financially difficult. He lived in small guest houses and tiny rooms and worked several odd jobs, including as a clerk, to sustain himself. Many times he felt defeated and returned to Kanpur, yet the attraction of music always brought him back.

He spent much of his time outside recording studios, hoping to meet composers such as R.D. Burman, Bappi Lahiri and Rajesh Roshan. Rather than visiting their homes, he waited for hours outside studios. Support came from composer Ravindra Jain, who gave him accommodation and helped him connect with the film world.

Gradually, he began singing chorus parts for songs by Rajesh Roshan and Jagjit Singh. Two years of relentless effort later, R.D. Burman recognised his talent and cast him in 'Anand Aur Anand' (1984), giving him his first major break alongside Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.

The film's box office failure, however, cut short the momentum. Work dried up, and his career was pushed back once again.

After six to seven years of hardship, he recorded tribute versions of Kishore Kumar's songs for Gulshan Kumar and T-Series, and performed Kishore Kumar's songs on Doordarshan, gaining recognition in households across India.

The real breakthrough came in 1990 when the composer duo Anand-Milind cast him in Salman Khan's 'Baaghi'. The songs 'Ek Chanchal Shokh Haseena' and 'Chandni Raat Hai' became blockbusters, turning Abhijeet into an overnight star and ending a nine-year struggle.