Richa Sharma

Richa Sharma (born 29 August 1980) is an Indian film playback singer as well a devotional singer. In 2006, she sang Bollywood's longest track, the bidaai song, in film Baabul (2006)

Richa Sharma was born in Faridabad, Haryana, the youngest of seven children of a temple priest. Her father Pandit Daya Shankar Upadhyaya and mother Manorma Devi taught young Richa the art of singing bhajans, particularly Mata Ke Jagran, which became popular when she was young.

While music was at its peak in Richa’s life, academic education had to be sacrificed and without any backing with a dream to make it big in the music world, Richa landed in Mumbai in 1994. She sang cover versions and bhajans in order to ensure she had her bread and butter and simultaneously continued her struggle in Bollywood. She made her debut in Bollywood with Sawan Kumar’s Salma Pe Dil Aa Gaya in 1996 and followed it up by a number of films until the big hit came by in the form of Taal where she sang for A.R. Rahman.

Thereafter a spate of hits followed, Zubeidaa, Saathiya (A.R. Rahman); Hera Pheri (Anu Malik); Khakee (Ram Sampath); Tarkeeb (the song "Duppatte Ka Palu"), Baghban (Title Song for Aadesh Shrivastava); Soch (the song "Nikal Chali Be" for Jatin-Lalit); Rudraksh, Kal Ho Naa Ho (Sad version of the title track for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy); Gangajal (Sandesh Shandilya); Popcorn Khao Mast Ho Jao (Vishal-Shekhar), Saawariya (Monty Sharma), and Om Shanti Om (Vishal-Shekhar) and the most popular song for Kaante ("Mahi Ve" for Anand Raaj Anand).

The versatile playback singer has also done quite a few albums to showcase her talent. Albums like Ni Main Yaar Nu Sajda Kardi, Piya and Winds of Rajasthan (for Times Music released early 2004) have brought out the classiness and grace in Richa’s voice and her variety as a singer.