Famous Bollywood singer Udit Narayan mesmerised a 3,000-strong crowd at his concert at Mega Star Arena KL recently.
An award-winning performer of more than 25,000 songs in various Indian languages, Udit was the playback singer for Shah Rukh Khan (SRK), Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan in the 1990s and 2000s.
The Dec 28, 2024 concert began at 7.30pm with local singers such as Kilafairy and Syamel performing Udit’s songs before he took the stage at close to 9pm to the audience’s delight.
The singer arrived on stage in style via a platform raised from below, appearing in a shiny gold blazer and maroon outfit amid a colourful light show.
Despite his grand entry, Udit’s opening song Papa Kehte Hain – from Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, which starred Aamir Khan – regrettably did not meet the crowd’s high energy.
His choice of a slow song – one not very well known in Malaysia (though it made him famous in India) – was a bit of a letdown, considering he could have picked any dance track from SRK’s movies.
However, he quickly captured the hearts of the audience with his next song, the fast-paced Rukh Jaa Dil Deewane from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which made up for the slow opening number.
Then, the singer crooned romantic ballads like Pehla Nasha, receiving thunderous applause. His soulful voice and impeccable delivery were absolute treats for fans.
Cinematic journey
For the first hour, Udit sang tunes mostly from Aamir Khan’s movies, such as Tinak Tin Tana (Mann), and performed duets with singers Deepa Narayan (his wife) and Sana Arora.
Most impressively, he reenacted the movie heroes’ dance moves for each song.
In between, Udit interacted in English, praising Malaysia as a beautiful country. He asked the audience if they were enjoying the show and received a resounding “yes”.
The singer shared some light moments in Hindi, thanked the audience for keeping him in their hearts over the years and spoke a few words in Malay, such as “Apa khabar?”
Near the end, Udit made the smooth transition from the Aamir Khan movies to the SRK ones.
Udit, whose career spans four decades, sang crowd favourites from the movies Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Ghum and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
He also belted out Jaadu Teri Nazar (Darr), even mimicking SRK’s famous stutter of “K...K... Kiran” from the start of the song.
Every time he sang a SRK tune, the crowd predictably erupted in applause and cheers.
The audience were on their feet for Mere Mehbooba Mere Sanam (Duplicate), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dil To Pagal Hai and Bole Chudiyan (Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum). But we wished Udit sang fan favourites like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in full instead of inserting it into a medley with other songs.
For Mein Yahaan Hoon (I am here) from the movie Veer Zaara, Udit kept gesturing towards his heart as if to say that “I am here in your hearts”.
Language was no barrier for the multilingual Udit, as he even sang a song in Tamil titled Sahana Saral (from the movie Sivaji: The Boss, starring Rajinikanth).
Udit’s last song of the night Om Shanti Om had the audience with their hands up in the air and swaying to the rhythm.
Concluding the concert, the down-to-earth singer thanked his musicians. Then he simply told the audience, “Sudah habis,” and left the stage with a smile.
Still the king at 69
Dubbed as the “King of Melody”, 69-year-old Udit displayed tremendous versatility on stage, easily tackling different musical styles and movie soundtracks.
His golden voice transported the audience back to the 1990s, when his songs topped the music charts. Despite the passing of decades, Udit’s performance feels remarkably fresh, clearly satisfying concertgoers who came for an unforgettable experience.
