Anup Jalota is an Indian singer and musician, widely regarded for his contributions to bhajan (Hindu devotional music) and ghazal singing. He rose to prominence in the early 1980s and is popularly referred to as the Bhajan Samraat ("King of Bhajans") by sections of the Indian press and his admirers.
| Full name | Anup Jalota |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 July 1953, Nainital, Uttar Pradesh (now in Uttarakhand), India |
| Father | Purshottam Das Jalota (classical and devotional singer) |
| Genres | Bhajan, ghazal, Hindustani classical, film playback |
| Instruments | Vocals, harmonium |
| Active since | 1970s |
| Notable honour | Padma Shri (2012), Government of India |
| Known for | Aisi Lagi Lagan, Jag Mein Sundar Hain Do Naam, Chadariya Jhini Re Jhini |
Anup Jalota was born into a family with strong roots in Hindustani devotional and classical music. His father, Purshottam Das Jalota, was a respected exponent of bhajan singing in the Sharanaagat tradition, and provided his initial training. Jalota was raised largely in Lucknow, where he was exposed to the Bhatkhande school of musical learning. He later trained in Hindustani classical music and refined his style by drawing from both the bhakti traditions of north India and the lighter classical idioms used in ghazal performance.
Jalota began his career as a chorus singer at All India Radio (AIR) before stepping into solo recording in the late 1970s. His early work concentrated on devotional compositions sung to the accompaniment of harmonium and tabla, presented in a clean, melody-led style accessible to a wide audience.
His album featuring the bhajan Aisi Lagi Lagan (a composition rooted in the Mira Bai tradition) brought him widespread recognition in the early 1980s and remains among his signature pieces. Around the same period, he popularised the bhajan Jag Mein Sundar Hain Do Naam, which became a staple of devotional concerts and television music programmes.
Alongside his devotional repertoire, Jalota built a parallel career as a ghazal singer, often performing in concerts with contemporaries such as Pankaj Udhas and Talat Aziz. The trio toured together at various points, contributing to the popularisation of mainstream ghazal in India during the 1980s and 1990s. He has also recorded film songs and lent his voice to compositions in Hindi cinema and television serials with religious themes.
Jalota has appeared as a judge and mentor on several Indian music-based reality programmes. In 2018, he participated as a contestant on the reality show Bigg Boss (Season 12) on Colors TV, which broadened his recognition among younger viewers.
Jalota's bhajan style is characterised by clear diction, a moderate tempo suited to community singing, and an emphasis on lyrical meaning over heavy ornamentation. He has drawn extensively from the poetry of Kabir, Mira Bai, Surdas, Tulsidas and other saint-poets of the bhakti movement. His recordings have helped sustain the commercial market for devotional music on cassette and, later, digital platforms in India.
Jalota is based in Mumbai. He has been married more than once and has a son, Aaryaman Jalota, who has also been associated with music production. He has spoken in public interviews about his personal devotion to Lord Krishna, which informs much of his repertoire.
Anup Jalota is considered one of the principal figures responsible for bringing bhajan singing to mainstream commercial audiences in late twentieth-century India. By presenting devotional poetry in a polished concert format and recorded album form, he influenced a generation of devotional and semi-classical performers, and helped position the bhajan as a stand-alone musical genre in the Indian recording industry.