A Son’s Tribute to His Legendary Father: Aditya Narayan’s Emotional Ode to Udit Narayan

On the occasion of Father’s Day a year ago, Aditya Narayan, the son of renowned singer Udit Narayan, paid a heartfelt tribute to his father on the Indian Idol show. Drawing inspiration from his father’s own words, he said, “Papa often spoke about his father, but today I want to speak about mine.” He began his tribute in Hindi, saying:

“I want to say a few words about my father.”

“When people remember my father or mention his name, they often say, ‘Learn to sing with a smile, just like Udit Narayan.’ I say, that’s a wonderful thing. But there’s much more to learn from him.

If you want to learn something from my father, learn this: when someone is praising you, smiling and saying ‘thank you’ is easy. But when someone is speaking ill of you, criticizing you, or mocking you—when they say things like, ‘Go back to your village or look for a job as a watchman,’ or ‘There are dozens of singers in Bombay; when will it ever be your turn?’—it’s how you smile in the face of such discouragement that you should learn from my father!

During his tough days in Bombay, competing with so many talented singers, my father faced a lot of harsh words, both behind his back and to his face. But if you want to learn how to compete while still maintaining grace and a positive spirit, learn it from my father!

After achieving every award and honor that the music industry could offer, if you still want to learn how to remain humble and grounded, learn it from my father!

But more important than all this, after achieving so much, my father still says, ‘Oh, Aditya, if only I could get one more fantastic song this year, I would sing my heart out.’ If you want to learn this ‘hunger’ for work and this relentless drive, learn it from my father!”

As Aditya Narayan, who was hosting the musical reality show, delivered this moving tribute to his father, who was a special guest, the audience applauded with great respect. Udit Narayan, visibly moved and wiping away tears, responded emotionally, saying, “I am a person who never cries, but today my son has made me cry.”