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Suneel Lodhi’s Devotional Folk Voice Finds Bollywood Breakthrough
Suneel Lodhi is a singer from Bundelkhand who performs traditional devotional songs.
He is visually impaired and sings while playing a simple tambura.
For many years, he performed mostly at local religious events and on regional trains.
Videos of his music eventually reached many people online.
One Hanuman song received more than 29 million views.
Filmmaker Pankaj VRK then helped him record songs in a Mumbai studio.
One of those songs was used in the film Hanuman Ansh.
The small film became a surprise hit, and Lodhi’s voice became an important part of its success.
Suneel Lodhi, a 25-year-old visually impaired Bundelkhandi folk singer, features on Hanuman Ansh with the hymn “Maine Tere Hi Bharose.”
Lodhi spent more than a decade performing at religious gatherings, village congregations, and regional trains across Bundelkhand.
His online breakthrough came when “More Sankat Ke Kataiya” surpassed 29 million views on a local cultural channel.
Filmmaker and producer Pankaj VRK brought Lodhi to Mumbai’s Sai Baba Studio to record traditional hymns with his tambura.
Hanuman Ansh rose from a ₹10 lakh opening day to more than ₹50 crore, while Lodhi’s song helped drive its grassroots momentum.
- Who
- The story focuses on 25-year-old folk singer Suneel Lodhi, with filmmaker-producer Pankaj VRK and director Vishal Chaturvedi’s team involved.
- What
- Lodhi’s traditional Hanuman hymn “Maine Tere Hi Bharose” became part of the film Hanuman Ansh and helped fuel its grassroots popularity.
- Where
- Lodhi comes from the Bundelkhand region and recorded the hymns at Sai Baba Studio in Mumbai.
- When
- Hanuman Ansh entered theatres in August; Lodhi’s breakthrough followed the online spread of his music and the film’s subsequent box-office rise.
- Why
- His unvarnished devotional style matched the film’s need for traditional devotional texture, while the film’s word-of-mouth success brought wider attention to his music.
Key facts
- Film
- Hanuman Ansh
- Singer
- Suneel Lodhi, a 25-year-old visually impaired Bundelkhandi folk artist
- Featured song
- “Maine Tere Hi Bharose,” a traditional Hanuman hymn
- Viral song
- “More Sankat Ke Kataiya” surpassed 29 million views
- Production budget
- Approximately ₹2 crore
- Opening day
- ₹10 lakh
- Reported box office
- More than ₹50 crore
Sources
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