Neeraj Shridhar is an Indian singer, songwriter, music composer, best known as the lead singer of the Indian pop rock band Bombay Vikings. In the 21st century, Neeraj Shridhar came into the limelight for his covers of old Bollywood hits like Kya Soorat Hai, Woh Chali and Chod Do Anchal.
Wiki/Biography
Neeraj Shridhar was born on Friday, June 23, 1978 (45 years old in 2023) in Jalandhar, Punjab. As Neeraj was born into a family with a musical background, he developed an interest in music at a very young age. In an interview, he said:
There was a lot of mehfil in the house. My mom sang and my dad played the tabla. My parents recognized the musical talent in me when I was three or four years old.”
At the age of eleven, he was given a bongo drum and a guitar. After that, he isolated himself from the world and played guitar all day. Later, in 1992, his parents decided to send him to Sweden, Europe. In an interview, he said:
I started playing guitar for eight hours a day. Slowly, I closed off from the world… just the music and me. I made so much noise at home that my parents decided to send me to Sweden.”
Although he was homesick in Sweden, he began playing guitar in a school band and later with professional bands. By the age of nineteen, he was a full-fledged musician and was making a living in Sweden.
appearance
Height (approximate): 5′ 6″
Hair color: Black
Eye color: Black
Family and Race
Neeraj Shridhar was born into a Punjabi family.
Parents and siblings
Neeraj Shridhar’s father is a producer at All India Radio.
Relationships, Wife and Children
Neeraj Shridhar married Nikila Shridhar on Sunday, July 1, 2012. Neeraj Shridhar’s son is named Nevan Shridhar.
Neeraj Shridhar with his wife and son
Profession
Neeraj Shridhar started his musical journey in 1994 when he formed the music group Bombay Vikings. Neeraj formed Bombay Vikings in Stockholm, Sweden with his fellow Swedish musicians Oscar Söderberg and Mats Nordenborg. Neeraj was the lead vocalist and backing guitarist. Mats Nordenborg was a jazz expert and played the saxophone. Thereafter, Mats Folke and Johan Folke joined the band as keyboard experts. Later, Morgan joined the band as a drummer, Par as a bass controller, and Staffan as a lead guitarist. Soon, Bombay Vikings gained great popularity in live performances in Sweden and Norway. After a few years, most of the band members disbanded, but Neeraj chose to retain the band name. Later, he formed another band with the remaining members and released his debut music album Kya Soorat Hai in 1999.
Indian music companies were skeptical about whether these songs, which were heavily influenced by English and Western, would be successful among the Indian masses and therefore wanted to modify the songs accordingly. After a delay of nearly four years, Sony BMG Records Entertainment finally agreed to produce the music album “Kya Soorat Hai” intact in India. The album contained eight tracks, all of which were covers of old Indian songs. The album received great recognition in India and introduced western music to India. In 2000, after the success of “Kya Soorat Hai”, Neeraj released another music album “Woh Chali” which brought him huge stardom. In 2002, Bombay Vikings released another successful album “Hawa Mein Udati Jaaye” in which Neeraj collaborated with guest singers Linnea Spores and Falguni Pathak to create songs. In 2004, “Chhod Do Aanchal” was another notable music album released by Bombay Vikings.
In 2003, Neeraj started his career as a dubbing singer and made his Bollywood debut with the song “Pyar Ke Naam Pe” from the movie “Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula”. Since then, Neeraj has had a glorious journey in Bollywood with hit songs like “Ticket To Hollywood” (2007), “Heyy Babyy” (2007), “Bhool Bhulaiyaa” (2008), “Race Saanson Ki” (2008), “Ragupati Raghav” (2013), etc.
Awards/Honors
- Nominated for the Stardust Award for Best New Artist (Male) for the song “Ticket To Hollywood” in 2008
- Nominated for the Stardust Award for New Music Sensation (Male Singer) for the song “Bhool Bhulaiyaa” in 2008
- Nominated for the IIFA Award for Best Male Vocalist in 2008 for the song “Bhool Bhulaiyaa”
- In 2010, he was nominated for Best Male Vocalist at the Silver Screen Awards for the song “Tum Mile”
Favorite things
- Rock bands: Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple
Facts/Trivia
- In 2000, Neeraj recorded another successful music album, Woh Chali, which included the song Main Chali by Indian pop singer Lata Mangeshkar. Lata Mangeshkar was so impressed by the cover that she invited Neeraj to perform at her birthday party.
- He holds Swedish nationality.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education