CelestaWolf314 at 13:07, 30 January 2026

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{{Short description|Indian musician, singer and theatre actor}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Shekhar Sen
| image = INI2242.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1961|2|16}}
| birth_place = [[Raipur]], Madhya Pradesh now [[Chhattisgarh]], India
| alma_mater = [[Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya]]
| occupation = Chairman of [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]] (2015–present)
| mother = [[Dr. Aneeta Sen]]
| father = [[Dr. ArunKumar Sen]]
| spouse = [[Shweta Sen]]
| children = [[Kritarth Sen]]
| awards = [[Padma Shri]](2015)
| website = {{url|www.shekharsen.com}}
| years active = 1979–present
}}

'''Shekhar Sen''' is a singer, a music composer, a lyricist, and an actor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64iW7rgaWRA&list=PLYHIz9V30Iv9e2bMbq-IkZoJvzXx8yO_W |title=Shekhar Sen - 200 Videos on YouTube.com |date=12 April 2017 |website=YouTube.com |access-date=12 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNxGNPHTma4&list=PLYHIz9V30Iv94YLjdG-q93CvhmCbxmmaE |title=Shekhar Sen - 247 Videos on YouTube.com |date=12 April 2017 |website=YouTube.com |access-date=12 April 2017}}</ref>

Sen is famous for his monoact musical plays that he researched, written, composed, enacted, and directed: "[[Tulsidas|Tulsi]]", "[[Kabir|Kabeer]]", "[[Swami Vivekananda|Vivekanand]]", "Saahab" & "[[Sur (poet)|Soordas]]".<ref>{{cite web|author=Vinayak Sinha|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/NM20/Shekhar-Sen-One-man-theatre-team/Article1-185161.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023133938/http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/NM20/Shekhar-Sen-One-man-theatre-team/Article1-185161.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 October 2013 |title=Shekhar Sen: One-man theatre team |publisher=Hindustan Times, India |date=4 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Jaideep Shenoy |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/Shekhar-Sen--a-renowned-singer-music-composer-and-actor-performed-this-musical-monologue-The-musical-monologue-contained-rich-content-with-moving-dialogues-and-harmonious-music-/articleshow/17889185.cms |title=Shekhar Sen – a renowned singer, music composer and actor performed this musical monologue. The musical monologue contained rich content with moving dialogues and harmonious music. |newspaper=The Times of India |date=4 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Shalini Narang|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/CaliforniaDiary/Shekhar-Sen-s-Kabeer-enthrals-viewers/Article1-30626.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023133936/http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/CaliforniaDiary/Shekhar-Sen-s-Kabeer-enthrals-viewers/Article1-30626.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 October 2013 |title=Shekhar Sen's Kabeer enthrals viewers |publisher=Hindustan Times, India |date=27 February 2013}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Sen was born in 1961 and raised in a Bengali family in [[Raipur]], [[Chhattisgarh]]. His father, the late Dr. Arun Kumar Sen, who was the Vice-Chancellor at [[Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya]], [[Khairagarh]], and mother late Dr. Aneeta Sen, were both renowned classical singers of [[Gwalior Gharana]] and [[Musicologists]]. He learned music from his parents, moved to Mumbai in 1979 to become music composer, and began singing in 1984. He started doing research oriented musical programs, such as Dushywant Ne Kaha Tha 1984 (ghazals of Dushyant Kumar), Madhya Yugeen Kaavya 1985 (sang medieval poets like [[Raskhan]], [[Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana|Raheem]], Lalitkishori, [[Kavi Bhushan|Bhooshan]], [[Bihari Lal|Bihari]], [[Kabir]], [[Tulsidas]], [[Sur (poet)|Sur]] Pakistan ka Hindi Kavya1986 (Hindi Geet, Dohe written in Pakistan), Meera Se Mahadevi Tak 1987 (Hindi songs by Poetesses) & many more innovative programmes.

[[File:Shekhar Sen i.jpg|thumb|Shekhar Sen performing as Kabir]]
== Career ==
Sen started his career in Mumbai in 1979, with the objective of becoming a music composer.<ref>Sankhayan Ghosh Indian Express [http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/man-of-many-avatars-2/ Man of Many Avatars] 17 June 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2014</ref> He was contracted by [[Saregama|His Master's Voice]] as a ghazal singer. He soon realized that his true talent lay in composing bhajans so he shifted to that, rendering more than 200 Bhajan Albums since 1983 as singer, a lyricist, and a composer. He sang and composed for many TV serials and films. He has performed more than 1200 concerts, singing all over the world.

Since 1998, as a playwright, actor, singer, director and composer, Sen has created one man musical plays and performed more than 1000 shows of his Mono Act Musical Plays, "Tulsi", "Kabeer" "Vivekananda" "Sanmati", "Saahab" & "Soordas".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-05-30|title=‘I want to make you hungry about your own culture’|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/i-want-to-make-you-hungry-about-your-own-culture-shekhar-sen-sangeet-natak-akademi-5755497/|access-date=2021-01-20|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> His performances received great acclaim in India as well as abroad such as US, England, [[Belgium]], [[Suriname]], Singapore, [[Jakarta]], Hong Kong, [[Johannesburg]], [[Sharjah (city)|Sharjah]], [[Mauritius]], and [[Trinidad]].<ref>Timeout Ayesha Venkataraman. [http://www.timeoutmumbai.net/music/features/one-all Shekhar Sen gives Time Out the scoop on his one-man show, Soordas.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407103658/http://www.timeoutmumbai.net/music/features/one-all |date=7 April 2014 }} Retrieved 5 apr.2014</ref>

Sen's play, a mono-act "Soordas", premiered at [[National Centre for the Performing Arts (India)|NCPA]] Mumbai on 14 June 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncpamumbai.com/event/soordas-shekhar-sen |title=Soordas By Shekhar Sen|publisher=NCPA}}</ref> Sen told Timeout Mumbai, "Initially, I was very apprehensive about whether to portray a blind person for two hours – a very tough task. But when I started writing [the play] I realised that people with sight can only see the world [in a 180-degree view], while those without sight are able to see the world [in] 360 degrees".<ref>Timeout Ayesha Venkataraman, [http://www.timeoutmumbai.net/music/features/one-all Soordas] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407103658/http://www.timeoutmumbai.net/music/features/one-all |date=7 April 2014 }}. Retrieved 5 apr.2014</ref> In 2015, he received the [[Padma Shri|Padma Shri Award]], and was appointed to be the Chairperson for Sangit Natya Academy by Indian Government.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2015-01-29|title=Shekhar Sen named chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/shekhar-sen-named-chairman-of-sangeet-natak-akademi/article6835134.ece|access-date=2021-01-20|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==Awards and accolades==
* Chair Person of [[Sangeet Natak Academy]] since 2015<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-05-30|title=‘I want to make you hungry about your own culture’|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/i-want-to-make-you-hungry-about-your-own-culture-shekhar-sen-sangeet-natak-akademi-5755497/|access-date=2021-04-22|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Padma Shri Awards (2010-2019)|Padma Shri Award]] in Art field by Indian Government, 2015<ref name=pdma>{{cite web|title=Padma Awards 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128022143/http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=114952|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=114952|publisher=Press Information Bureau|access-date=25 January 2015|archive-date=28 January 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
* [[Sangeet Natak Academy]] [[Uttar Pradesh]] felicitated him with "Safdar Hashmi Puraskaar, 2001" for the contribution in the field of theatre
* Performed "[[Kabir|Kabeer]]" at [[Lok Sabha]] on 4 May 2005
* [[V.Shantaram]] Samman of Maharashtra Rajya Hindi Sahitya Academy, 2008
* Performed "[[Swami Vivekananda|Vivekanand]]" at [[Rashtrapati Bhavan]] on 27 April 2013
* Performed "[Mono Act on life of Soordas]" at [[Rashtrapati Bhavan]] on 11 April 2015
* Performed in [[World Hindi Conference]] at [[Paramaribo]], [[Suriname]] on 6–9 June 2003
* Served as expert committee member of [[Ministry of Human Resource Development (India)]] for 2 years
* Performed in [[World Hindi Conference]] at [[Johannesburg]], South Africa on 22–24 September 2012
* As member of [[Central Board of Film Certification]] for 4 years

==Discs and albums==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:80%"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Album
! rowspan="2"|Language
! colspan="2"|Role
! rowspan="2"|Other notes
|-
! Singer
! Composer
|-
| Samnarpan
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| Shekhar Sen,
|-
| Amrit Wani
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| Shekhar Sen,
|-
| Durga Sapt Shati (edited)
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Anuradha Paudwal]],
|-
| Sangeet Sandhya
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| Shekhar Sen,
|-
| Aaj Tera Jagraata Maa
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Sonu Nigam]], [[Alka Yagnik]]
|-
| Bhajanodaya
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Udit Narayan]]
|-
| Bhajan Vatika
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Udit Narayan]]
|-
| Chalisa Sangrah
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Anuradha Paudwal]]
|-
| Gayatri Maha Mantram
| Kannada/Tamil/Telugu
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]]
|-
| Hey Mahavir (Dhun)
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| Shalini Shrivastava
|-
| Jay Sai Ram Jay Sai Shyam
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| Ravinder Bijur
|-

|-
| Maago Anandomoyee
| Bangla
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Anuradha Paudwal]]
|-
| Aami Ek Probashi
| Bangla
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
|-
| Maha Mrityunjaya Mantram
| Telugu
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]]
|-

| Mahima Mahakal Ki
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Anuradha Paudwal]]
|-
| Mahima Mata Chhinnmasta Ki
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| Priya Bhattacharya & Soham
|-
| Naman
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Nitin Mukesh]]
|-
| Nehanjali
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Nitin Mukesh]]
|-
| Paawan Haridwar Mahakumbh
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Anuradha Paudwal]], Babla Mehta
|-
| Ram Shyam Gungaan
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Ronu Majumdar]]
|-
| Samarpan
| Hindi
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
|-
| Shakti-Maa Kaali Bhajans
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Anuradha Paudwal]]
|-
| Shirdi Wale Saibaba Ki Kahani(2 Volumes)
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Nitin Mukesh]], [[Anuradha Paudwal]]
|-
| Shiv Aaradhana
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Anuradha Paudwal]]
|-
| Shivganga
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Anuradha Paudwal]]
|-
| Shree Durga Stuti Vol. 1 To 4
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Anuradha Paudwal]]
|-
| Shree Ram Charit Mala
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Anuradha Paudwal]]
|-
| Shreemad Bhagavad Geeta (Vol. 1 To 4)
| Sanskrit
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Anuradha Paudwal]]
|-
| Shri Ganapati Sahastranamavali
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Anuradha Paudwal]]
|-
| Shubh Deepavali
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Anuradha Paudwal]], [[Hari Om Sharan]], [[Sukhwinder Singh]], Kavita Paudwal
|-
| Tulsi Ramayan Vol. 1 To 8
| Hindi
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| [[Anuradha Paudwal]], Babla Mehta
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{official|http://www.shekharsen.com}}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Art}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sen, Shekhar}}
[[Category:Indian male singers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:People from Raipur district]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts]]
[[Category:Musicians from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Male actors from Maharashtra]]

Shekhar Sen - Revision history

CelestaWolf314 at 13:07, 30 January 2026