Vinod Rathod is an Indian playback singer associated primarily with Hindi cinema. Active largely from the late 1980s through the 1990s and into the 2000s, he is known for a versatile voice that has been used for romantic ballads, dance numbers and devotional compositions. He is the younger brother of singer Roop Kumar Rathod and the son of classical vocalist Pandit Chaturbhuj Rathod.
| Name | Vinod Rathod |
|---|---|
| Profession | Playback singer |
| Languages | Hindi, and other Indian languages |
| Genre | Hindi film music, ghazal, devotional |
| Father | Pandit Chaturbhuj Rathod (classical vocalist) |
| Brother | Roop Kumar Rathod (singer) |
| Active period | Late 1980s onwards |
Vinod Rathod was trained in Indian classical music under the guidance of his father, Pandit Chaturbhuj Rathod, who belonged to a tradition of classical singing. His early exposure to khayal and devotional music shaped his approach to playback singing, and he later moved into film work in Mumbai.
Rathod gained wide recognition in Hindi film music during the 1990s, a period in which he recorded songs for several leading music directors of the era, including Anand–Milind, Nadeem–Shravan, Anu Malik, Jatin–Lalit and Aadesh Shrivastava. His voice was used for a range of leading actors of that decade.
Apart from playback singing, Rathod has recorded ghazals, bhajans and devotional albums, performing on stage in India and abroad. He has also collaborated with his brother Roop Kumar Rathod on devotional and concert projects.
His singing combines a classical foundation with the pop-influenced arrangements common in 1990s Hindi film music. He is considered part of a generation of male playback singers — alongside Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan, Abhijeet Bhattacharya and Sonu Nigam — who dominated Hindi film soundtracks in that period.
Rathod's career is often cited as an example of the transition of singers from classical lineages into mainstream Hindi film playback work during the 1990s. His film recordings remain part of the popular soundtrack catalogue of that decade, while his devotional and ghazal output reflects his classical training.