Singer Abhay Jodhpurkar has received the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for his Marathi song ‘Navasachi Gauri Mazi’ from Gharat Ganpati at the 72nd National Film Awards. The ceremony was held at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, where President Droupadi Murmu presented the Rajat Kamal to this year’s winners. The event marked the first time in more than seven decades that the National Film Awards ceremony was held outside Delhi.
For Jodhpurkar, the recognition holds personal significance as ‘Navasachi Gauri Mazi’ is rooted in the Gauri-Ganpati tradition that he has grown up celebrating with his family. Receiving the honour for a song in Marathi, his mother tongue, added another dimension to the achievement.
The award also marks another milestone in Jodhpurkar’s career, which has seen him work across several Indian languages and film industries. He began his playback career at the age of 21 with A.R. Rahman’s ‘Moongil Thottam’ from Mani Ratnam’s Kadal. He later lent his voice to projects in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and Marathi cinema. His Hindi playback debut came with ‘Mere Naam Tu’ from Zero, composed by Ajay-Atul.
While the National Film Award was announced earlier this year, receiving it at the ceremony made the recognition more tangible for the singer.
Speaking about the honour, Abhay says, “I am still trying to soak in this moment. It is honestly quite overwhelming and still feels like a dream. When I heard the news, I cried, and even now, a few days later, I don’t think I have completely processed it. To stand there and receive the National Award, especially for a Marathi song that is so close to my heart, was something I could never have imagined when I started singing. There was a lot of emotion because I felt I wasn’t just receiving an award for a song; I was representing my mother tongue and something that has been such a big part of my upbringing. To be awarded the National Award by President Droupadi Murmu ma’am made the moment even more surreal. It reminded me that dreams really can come true, no matter how far-fetched they may seem. I feel invincible and deeply humbled at the same time. More than anything, it gives me a sense of responsibility to become a better artist and create work that can bring about a positive change in the people I reach. All the hard work, the constant effort to get better at my craft and the resilience through all the hardships feel truly worthwhile today.”
The Gujarat venue also held personal significance for Jodhpurkar. Born in Badwani and raised near the Narmada, he attended the ceremony with the memory of his parents in mind. Reflecting on the experience, he says, “Coming to Ekta Nagar to receive the National Award felt like a homecoming with my mom and dad. I was born in Badwani and grew up right by the Narmada. So to be standing there, receiving one of the biggest honours of my life, with my parents in my heart, was incredibly emotional. Knowing that I am only the third singer after Lata Mangeshkar ji and Kishore Kumar ji to receive this honour from Niwad, Madhya Pradesh, made it even more special. It’s a great matter of pride and honour for any artist, and to receive something like this at a place with so much history made it even more meaningful. At the same time, I don’t know where I have reached yet. I still have a lot to learn in my journey and so much more work to do. This is such a big honour in itself, and it only makes me want to keep working harder and become better at my craft. It felt like everything had somehow come full circle.”
The National Award adds another chapter to Jodhpurkar’s career, which spans more than 300 projects across 16 languages. His Hindi work includes songs such as ‘Mere Naam Tu’ from Zero, ‘Saare Jag Mein’ from Aap Jaisa Koi, ‘Rasiya (Climax Version)’ from Brahmastra, ‘Duniya’ from Almost Pyaar with DJ Mohabbat, ‘Ek Boond’ from Doctor G and ‘Jara Jara Man Khulavate’ from Gandhi Talks.
Alongside his Hindi work, Jodhpurkar has continued to contribute to Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bangla, Gujarati, Punjabi and other regional cinema. With the National Film Award now part of his journey, the singer aims to continue exploring different musical styles and languages while developing his craft further.
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