Anuradha Paudwal as a student of Xavier's college participated in the college's
cultural programmes. She later married Arun Paudwal who was the music arranger of S. D. Burman. Anuradha Paudwal
started her singing career in Bollywood with the film Abhiman starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri Bachchan for which
the music director was S. D. Burman.
In 1976 Anuradha got her big break with the film Kailcharan starring
Shatrughan Sinha and Reena Roy. This Subhash Ghai film had music by Rajesh Roshan. Her first solo number was for the film
Aap Beeti starring Hema Malini and Shashi Kapoor and the music was by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Anuradha Paudwal got some good numbers
from the duo who were churning out hits one after the other. She also sang intermittently for other music directors such as
Rajesh Roshan (Des Pardes), Jaidev (Dooriyan, Laila Majnu), Kalyanji-Anandji (Kalaakar, Vidhataa) and Usha Khanna (Souten,
Sajan Bina Suhagan). Meanwhile her husband Arun Paudwal in the pair of Anil-Arun gave many hit numbers in Marathi films for
which Anuradha sang some.
Anuradha Paudwal became a singer to reckon with when she rendered some
exceptional numbers for the film Hero, music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. She had success with songs from the films Tezaab, Aashiqui,
Meera Ka Mohan and Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin etc. She won her first Filmfare award
in 1985 for her song Mere Mann Bajaa Mirang Utsav. Anuradha won three Filmfare
awards in a row for Nazar Ke Samne in Aashiqui 1990, Title song of Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin 1991 and Dhak Dhak Karne Laga from
Beta 1992.
At her peak Anuradha Paudwal announced that she would exclusively sing for T-series
only. This stand benefited Alka Yagnik who just zoomed to the top with her newfound association with Nadeem-Shravan and Anu
Malik, who had stopped composing for Gulshan Kumar due to some differences. As she stopped singing songs for films and concentrated
more on devotional and cover-version albums, she harmed her immensely successful career. For almost five years, Anuradha Paudwal
did not sing for many films and for any other music company. After the brutal murder of Gulshan Kumar, her hold over
T-series diminished.
Anuradha Paudwal has now started singing outside T-series again. She has had a
few hits like Kismat Se Tum Hmko Milay Ho from Pukar, Akeli Hai Yeh Miss
Khiladi from Mr & Mrs Khiladi, Zara Aankhon Mei Kajal Laga Lo from Hum Aapke Dil Mei Rahte Hain and Chaahaa
Hai Tujhko from Mann.
Her career is on the comeback
trail. She has sung one of the biggest hits of 2004, ‘Intezaar’ for Paap. She has also sung the beautiful
‘Zindagi is tarah’ (Murder) and ‘Hum tumse dil lagaa baithe’ (Julie) besides in Aan, Muskaan and Ab
Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyon.