Suresh Wadkar Biography: Net Worth, Age, Parents, Wife, Songs, Children, Height, Wikipedia

Suresh Ishwar Wadkar is an Indian playback singer celebrated for his work in Hindi and Marathi cinema. Born on August 7, 1955, in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, he is currently 70 years old.

Wadkar grew up in a modest household in Girangaon, Mumbai, where his father worked in the cloth mills. He trained in classical music from childhood under Jialal Vasant and went on to earn the “Prabhakar” certificate from the Prayag Sangit Samiti, a qualification equivalent to a BEd that allowed him to teach music professionally.

His breakthrough came in 1976 when he won the Madan Mohan Best Male Singer Award at the Sur-Singar competition, a victory that opened the door to playback singing.

Since his 1977 debut with Briste Pare Tapur Tupur in Paheli, Wadkar has lent his voice to some of Hindi cinema’s most enduring soundtracks, including Masoom, Sadma, Ram Teri Ganga Maili, Chandni, Parinda, Dil, Lamhe, Rangeela, Maachis, Satya, and Haider. He has also recorded extensively in Marathi, Bhojpuri, Konkani, and Odia, and is a trained classical and devotional vocalist.

Wadkar is married to classical singer Padma Wadkar, and the couple has two daughters, Ananya Wadkar and Jiya Wadkar, both also singers. He runs music schools in Mumbai and the United States through his Ajivasan Music Academy.

His honours include the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer (2011), the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2018), the Padma Shri (2020), and the Lata Mangeshkar Award (2023).

Suresh Wadkar
Wiki Facts & About Data
Real Name:	Suresh Ishwar Wadkar
Stage Name:	Suresh Wadkar
Born:	August 7, 1955 (age 70 years old)
Place of Birth:	Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
Nationality:	Indian
Ethnicity:	Marathi
Education:	Prabhakar Certificate, Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad
Height:	5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 8 inches (160 cm-173 cm)
Religion:	Hinduism
Parents:	Ishwar Wadkar, Mrs. Wadkar
Siblings:	1 Brother, 4 Sisters
Spouse:	Padma Wadkar (m. 1988)
Children:	Ananya Wadkar, Jiya Wadkar
Occupation:	Playback Singer, Music Teacher, Music Director
Net Worth:	$3.4 million-$4.6 million

Early Life & Education

Suresh Ishwar Wadkar was born on August 7, 1955, in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. His zodiac sign is Leo.

He was born into a Marathi family and is Hindu by religion, in keeping with the predominant ethnic and religious background of his native Maharashtra.

His father, Ishwar Wadkar, worked in the cloth mills, while his mother, Mrs. Wadkar, cooked food for mill workers to support the household. The family later moved from Kolhapur to Girangaon in Mumbai.

Suresh Wadkar grew up with one brother and four sisters in a middle-class home that placed strong emphasis on discipline and physical fitness, an influence traced to his father, who also wrestled and trained at the Talwalkar gym alongside him.

Wadkar began classical music training at the age of eight under Jialal Vasant. In 1968, at 13, he was encouraged by his teacher to pursue the “Prabhakar” certificate from the Prayag Sangeet Samiti in Allahabad, a qualification considered equivalent to a BEd degree that certified him to teach music professionally.

He completed the certificate and went on to teach at Arya Vidya Mandir in Mumbai before his singing career took off.

Career

Suresh Wadkar entered the film music industry after winning the Madan Mohan Best Male Singer Award at the Sur-Singar competition in 1976, a contest judged by leading composers of the Indian film industry.

One of those judges, Jaidev, was impressed enough to offer him the song Seene Mein Jalan for the film Gaman (1978), which became his breakthrough as a playback singer. Before that, he had already made his playback debut with Bristi Pare Tapur Tupur in the Rajshri Productions family drama Paheli (1977).

Through the 1980s and 1990s, Wadkar became one of Hindi cinema’s most sought-after voices, lending his classically trained tenor to soundtracks such as Masoom (1983), Sadma (1983), Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), Chandni (1989), Parinda (1989), Dil (1990), Patthar Ke Phool (1991), Lamhe (1991), Parampara (1992), and Aaina (1993).

He continued working steadily into later decades, appearing on the soundtracks of Rangeela (1995), Maachis (1996), Satya (1998), Vivah (2006), 7 Khoon Maaf (2011), and Haider (2014), and more recently contributed to Fighter (2024).

Alongside his Hindi film work, Wadkar built an extensive career in Marathi cinema and music, collaborating with directors and composers including Pt. Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Sudhir Phadke, Shrinivas Khale, Shridhar Phadke, Vasant Desai, and Ashok Patki.

In 2011, he won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for Hey Bhaskara Kshitijavari Ya from the Marathi film Mee Sindhutai Sapkal. His repertoire extends beyond film music into Bhojpuri films, Konkani cinema, Odia albums, devotional bhajans, ghazals, and Hindustani classical music.

Beyond performing, Wadkar has maintained a parallel career as a music educator. He taught at Arya Vidya Mandir in Mumbai early in his career and later founded the Ajivasan Music Academy, which operates schools in Mumbai and in New Jersey and New York in the United States.

He also launched SWAMA, an online extension of the academy offered under Ace Open University. His contributions have been recognized with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2018), the Padma Shri (2020), and the Lata Mangeshkar Award (2023), along with earlier honours including the Lata Mangeshkar Puraskar (2004) from the Madhya Pradesh government and the Maharashtra Pride Award (2007).

Social Media

• Wikipedia: Suresh Wadkar
• Instagram: Suresh Wadkar (@sureshwadkarofficial)
• IMDb: Suresh Wadkar
• Facebook: Suresh Wadkar (@SureshWadkarOfficial)
• YouTube: Suresh Wadkar Official

Personal Life

Suresh Wadkar is currently 70 years old.

He is married to classical singer Padma Wadkar, with the wedding having taken place in 1998. This is his only known marriage, and no prior marriages are on record.

The couple has two daughters together, Ananya Wadkar and Jiya Wadkar, both of whom have followed their parents into singing. Suresh Wadkar has no sons.

Sources differ on his height, with figures ranging from 5 feet 3 inches (160 cm) to 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) reported across different profiles; the exact figure is not consistently confirmed.

Wadkar’s dating history prior to his marriage is not publicly documented.

Net Worth

Suresh Wadkar has an estimated net worth of INR 30-40 crore (approximately $3.4 million to $4.6 million).

His wealth comes primarily from a playback singing career spanning over four decades, live performances, and the Ajivasan Music Academy, the music school he founded with branches in Mumbai and the United States.

Discography

Hindi Film Playback

• Paheli (1977) – Bristi Pare Tapur Tupur
• Gaman (1978) – Seene Mein Jalan
• Prem Rog (1982)
• Masoom (1983)
• Sadma (1983) – Ae Zindagi Gale Laga Le
• Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985)
• Chandni (1989)
• Parinda (1989)
• Dil (1990) – Tumse Milke Aisa Laga
• Patthar Ke Phool (1991)
• Lamhe (1991)
• Parampara (1992)
• Aaina (1993)
• Darr (1993)
• Rangeela (1995)
• Maachis (1996)
• Satya (1998)
• Vivah (2006)
• 7 Khoon Maaf (2011)
• Haider (2014)
• Fighter (2024)
• Bhakt Prahalad (upcoming)

Marathi Film Playback

• Mee Sindhutai Sapkal (2010) – Hey Bhaskara Kshitijavari Ya, National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer

Regional and Devotional Albums

• Daryachya Deger (1996), Konkani album by Rajendra Talak, featuring Channeache Rati alongside Asha Bhosle
• Additional recordings across Bhojpuri films, Konkani cinema, Odia albums, devotional bhajans, and ghazals

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