Prakash Tiwari Madhur Playback Debut in Hindi Film 'Bombay' After 2,500 Shows

By Sharad Rai

Singer Prakash Tiwari Madhur’s presence on stage draws crowds in the thousands. His fans come to hear earthy, rooted songs. In addition to Hindi, he sings in Marathi, Gujarati, Bhojpuri, Chhattisgarhi, and Bagheli (a regional dialect of Madhya Pradesh). For the first time, he has lent his voice as a playback singer for a Hindi film, recently released Bombay, in a rap-style track titled “Thodi Si Pee Li Hai Aaj...” which is already garnering attention.

What was it about this week’s release Bombay and the song “Thodi Si Pee Li Hai Aaj” that made you say yes to playback singing in a Hindi film for the first time?

“Actually, I was approached directly by the film’s director, Sanjay Niranjan, for this song. He was specifically looking for a singer who could deliver it in a unique style. One journalist from Mayapuri (Sharad Rai — he even mentioned my name) played him one of my raw folk songs, and he was impressed. The song is picturized on the hero in a party scene, performed in a rap format. It was something new for me as I don’t often get to sing this style on stage. So this marked my debut as a playback singer in Hindi cinema.”

Though this may be his first Hindi film, Prakash Tiwari Madhur has already lent his voice for songs in regional films like the Marathi movie Shur Amhi Sardar, where he sang “Aamchi Dosti Kare Kamaal,” and Tapra Talkies, where he sang “Sabke Mann Ko Lubhaye Tapra Talkies.” His Bagheli-language song “O Goriya Re…” from the film Budhiya was also a big hit. “That film was in our local dialect from the areas of Satna, Rewa, Sidhi, and Bundelkhand,” says Prakash. “People here love watching my live shows on stage.”

He has a massive collection of audio-video albums sung live on stage. One of his most popular music videos was titled “Badnaam Ho Gaya.” Another hit was “More Sajna,” in which he shared screen space with singer Karishma Rao. Some of his albums have even won awards at the Los Angeles Festival.

Prakash has also sung the Sundarkand from the Ramayan in a completely unique tune. Upon its release, the rendition gained over 3 million views. “We even set a record by singing the Hanuman Chalisa continuously 100 times, each in a different tune,” he shares. Across all music platforms and his YouTube channel, he remains a fan favorite.

When asked about the striking similarity between the names Manoj Tiwari Mridul and Prakash Tiwari Madhur, he laughs and replies, “It’s purely coincidental. He is a Tiwari, so am I. He is Mridul (gentle), I am Madhur (melodious). He came from folk music, so did I. He ventured into acting, and people are pushing me in that direction too. I even model in my own videos. Of course, he is a big name and a politician — I am not.”

With his playback singing debut in Bombay, Prakash says: “Bombay has shown me the way. Bombay — that is, Mumbai — is the land of cinema. I’ve come here to live too, just like thousands of others who arrive with hope in their hearts. With the blessings of Maa Mumba Devi, I hope I continue to receive the love of my fans.”

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