Sulochana Kadam

Sulochana Chavan was a renowned Indian singer known for her mesmerizing lavanis in Marathi. She was born March 13, 1933, in Fanas Wadi, Bombay. Her illustrious career began at a young age, and she actively participated in local dramas, even portraying the role of Krishna in garbas when she was just six or seven years old. She later ventured into acting in Gujarati theater and worked in Hindi-Urdu plays, Punjabi films, and Tamil films. Her introduction to music director Shyambabu Pathak, through makeup artist Shubam Dandekar, opened doors for her in the music industry.

At the age of 11, she started her professional singing career and lent her voice to the movie Krishna Sudama (1947), where she was credited as K. Sulochana. One of her notable lavanis was Naav Gaav Kashyala Pustat? Aaho Me Aahe Kolhapurchi, Mala Ho Mhantat Lavangi Mirchi from the film Rangalya Raatri Asha (1962), composed by Vasant Pawar and written by Jagdish Khebudkar. She went on to sing numerous lavanis in Marathi and Hindi films and also performed on stage. Sulochana Chavan received several prestigious awards and honors for her exceptional contributions to the art of lavani. In March 2022, she was honored with the Padma Shri by the Government of India.

She was also bestowed with the title of Lavani Samradhni (Lavani Queen) by Marathi littérateur Pralhad Keshav Atre in 1952. Additionally, she received the Lata Mangeshkar Award in 2010, instituted by the Government of Maharashtra, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2012. In her personal life, Sulochana Kadam married Shamrao Chavan, the director of the film Kalgitura (1955), and became known as Sulochana Chavan. She credited her husband for teaching her the basics of pronunciation and stress. Sulochana published her autobiography titled 'Maaze Gaane Maaze Jagane' (My Singing My Life). She passed away on December 10, 2022, at the age of 89 in Girgaon, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.