Kumar Sanu was a superstar singer of the 90s, and many of his songs remain staples in the playlists of music lovers today. He began his career in 1989 and has since sung over 20,000 songs across more than 22 languages. Moreover, Kumar Sanu holds a place in the Guinness Book of World Records; in 1993, he set a world record by recording 28 songs in a single day. Recently, he has once again made headlines after opening up about a career experience that deeply unsettled him. He recounted an incident where he had to perform at an underworld don’s private party in Dubai—a time when the underworld held significant sway over the Hindi film industry. Naturally, he was constantly plagued by fears for his safety.
When Kumar Sanu Had to Perform at an Underworld Don’s Party
During a conversation on Subhojit Ghosh’s podcast, playback singer Kumar Sanu recalled the performance he delivered at an underworld don’s private party in Dubai. The singer noted that the industry was going through a turbulent period at the time; it was an era marked by events such as the broad-daylight assassination of T-Series owner Gulshan Kumar. Consequently, while performing at the don’s party, he was deeply concerned about his safety. Sanu recalled that, back then, the idea of refusing a request from an underworld don was simply out of the question.
Pressure from the Underworld Don
When Subhojit asked if he had ever been harassed by the mafia—given how prevalent such issues were in the 90s—Kumar Sanu responded, “Look, I don’t know about the heroes, and I haven’t heard of this happening to singers very often, but it did happen to me once. However, as soon as I explained the situation, he understood immediately.” I said, “Look, we are singers. There’s no need to name names, but when I asked him, ‘Do you listen to music? How do you find the songs?’ he replied, ‘I know. I’m a huge fan of yours, but you have to do this.'” I told him, “I won’t be able to do it, Sir. You decide what you want to do.” He said, “Oh man, you’ve really made me emotional.” Later, they did end up working with me; I performed a show for them. I went to Dubai with Nadeem-Shravan and performed the show.
Kumar Sanu was scared
Kumar Sanu continues, “Look, there’s no point talking about that now; it’s all over. Things are under control now, but at the time, I did fear for my life. A lot was happening back then; there was a certain kind of system in place. Around that same time, Gulshan Kumar… well, many incidents were unfolding right before our eyes. So, there was a bit of fear—a worry that something might happen… but I used to try to reason with them. I’d think about how to explain the situation. Sometimes they’d ask me to sing somewhere, so I’d go and sing. I had to do it, but afterwards, they would become my fans and say, ‘If anyone bothers you, let us know; we’ll handle it.’ I’d just say, ‘Please, spare me.'”
Kumar Sanu in the news for his personal life
A few months ago, Kumar Sanu was also in the headlines regarding his personal life. Kunika Sadanand revealed that she had once been in a relationship with him. Since that claim, Kumar Sanu’s personal life has frequently made headlines. Meanwhile, last year—in 2025—his ex-wife, Rita Bhattacharya, leveled several shocking allegations against him. Rita made sensational accusations against not only Kumar Sanu but also her in-laws.
