Mail News Service
Ghatshila, Dec 15: Bollywood filmmaker, Iqbal Durrani will provide a new identity to the once famous and now languishing in the darkness of nonentity, Santali singer, Simal Tudu who once housed himself in the hearts of music lovers in Jharkhand, Odisha and Bengal. Simal Tudu is a resident of Banalopa in Mosabani. Among other popular Santali songs, Simal Tudu was the voice of super-hit Santali song, “Ego champa bahar…” He met Iqbal Durrani on Wednesday.
Tudu narrating his musical journey to Durrani said that he had recorded Santali’s first song album that earned him a huge fan following especially in Odisha, Bengal and Assam.
During the discussion, Simal Tudu said that Gulshan Kumar, the famous T Series company owner of T offered him two chances to record his songs under the company’s banner. Simal said that on the first occasion Gulshan Kumar called him for a meeting at the Guwahati airport but since he was performing at a programme at Kakrajhor in Assam, the meeting could not materialize. On another occasion when Gulshan Kumar was in Ranchi, he sent a call to Simal Tudu but due to unavoidable circumstances, the singer could not meet him.
Simal Tudu narrated that at a time when his singing career was at a peak, he became a drug addict that led to his downfall. His two wives deserted him and that was when he gave up singing. Iqbal Durrani listened to him and said that he is was scouting for different artistes from Jharkhand to whom he would provide a chance in his next film “Ghatshila.” He told Simal Tudu, that he was a very good singer and would pull him out from the pit of nonentity and provide him with a new identity.
Singer Simal Tudu has recorded a dozen cassettes till date and his songs are available on wynk music, gaana.com,jio saavan like platforms.