Babul Supriyo

Early life

Supriyo was born and brought up in Uttarpara, a suburb town of Kolkata on the banks of the Hooghly River in West Bengal. His parents are Sunil Chandra Baral and Sumitra Baral. Babul comes from a musically inclined family and was greatly influenced by his grandfather, Banikantha NC Baral, a Bengali vocalist and composer. He won several inter-school and inter-college music compositions, and had performed in All India Radio and Doordarshan. He attended Don Bosco School during which he became an "All India Don Bosco Music Champion" in 1983, and "The Most Enriching Talent" in 1985. He completed his bachelor's degree in commerce from Serampore College in 1991.

When he entered the entertainment industry, he changed his birth name Supriya Baral to Babul Supriyo.

Personal life

Supriyo was introduced to Riaa at a Shah Rukh Khan concert in Toronto. They got married in 1995. Their first child Sharmilee was born in 1996. Supriyo and Riaa divorced in October 2015. He remarried on 9 August 2016 to Rachna Sharma, an air hostess of Jet Airways.

Political career

An ardent admirer of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi, Supriyo was introduced to Bharatiya Janata Party in March 2014. In 2014 Indian general election, he was nominated by the party as their candidate for Asansol, West Bengal and won it by defeating Dola Sen. He was inducted to Narendra Modi's government as the Union Minister of State, Ministry of Urban Development; and Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation on 9 November 2014. He became the youngest minister. He served in these ministries till 12 July 2016, after which his portfolio was changed to Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

In the 2019 Indian general election, Supriyo again won from the Asansol as a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate defeating Moon Moon Sen by 1.97 lakh votes, and securing a total of 6.32 lakh votes. In May 2019, he became Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Member of Parliament

On 19 September 2019, Supriyo was attacked by students after he was invited to attend an event at Calcutta's Jadavpur University.

On 13 August 2019, Supriyo Babul, accused the state government of not giving food for the cyclone affected people in Fazarganj for 5 days.

In the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, Babul Supriyo ran from Tollyganj (Vidhan Sabha constituency) as the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate and lost by more than 50,000 votes. Probably stung by an unexpected defeat, Supriyo stated that Bengal had made a 'historic mistake' by voting for TMC. However the Facebook post was later deleted.

On 31 July 2021, Babul Supriyo announced on social media his decision to quit politics and also resign as a Lok Sabha MP. However, days later he decided to complete his tenure as MP. He then edited his Facebook post deleting the "won't join any party" remark raising speculations. On 18 September 2021 he joined TMC in presence of Abhishek Banerjee.

On 16 April 2022 he was elected as a Member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from Ballygunge Assembly seat.

Singing career

After a brief work at the Standard Chartered Bank, Supriyo chose singing as a full-time career. He moved to Mumbai in 1992 to make a career in Hindi cinema. Kalyanji gave him a break, and took him to perform abroad at their live shows. In 1993 he toured Canada and USA with Amitabh Bachchan. He also toured US with Asha Bhonsle in 1997 and 1999. Besides playback singing, he has also done several stage shows.{{cite news | url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/straight-answers/articleshow/34345940.cms

His breakthrough came with "Dil Ne Dil Ko Pukara" in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai in 2000, the debut film of Hrithik Roshan.

Albums

• Monoroma Tilottama (1997)
• Hoyto Tomari Jannya (1999)
• Sochta Hun (2003)
• Kuch Aisa Lagta Hai
• Untitled - Babul Supriyo (2008)
• Kotobaaro Bhebechhinu (Rabindra Sangeet) (2009) - Asha Audio
• Jodi Jantem (Rabindra Sangeet) (2010) - Asha Audio
• Babul Baul (2014)
• Mone Robe (2011, Rabindra Sangeet album comprising 10 songs sung by Babul Supriyo & Alka Yagnik)
• Just Tomake
• What The Folk
• Timeless
• Suna Pharua (2016, Odia)

Discography

As a playback singer

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Bengali songs

Kannada songs

Odia songs

Supriyo sang Phaguna re Phaguna in Mohammad Mohsin's movie Santana which made him a household name in Odisha. Subsequently, he sang many songs in Odia.

Marathi songs

Awards and honours

• 2002: Honorary citizenship by the State Council of Atlanta.
• 2002: Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards: Best Male Playback for Tak Jhal Mishti
• 2003: Kalakar Awards – Best Playback Singer for Kasautii Zindagii Kay
• 2004: Kalakar Awards – Best Playback Singer for Mayer Anchal
• 2006: Bengal Film Journalists' Association – Best Male Playback Award for Subho Drishti.
• 2007: Zee Gold Awards – Best Playback Singer for Kasautii Zindagii Kay
• 2016: Walked at Grande finale show of Indian Federation for Fashion Development's India Runway Week season 6 for designer Agnimitra Paul

Criticism

Babul Supriyo has been criticised for his communal politics before joining Trinamool Congress.

He frequently made derogatory remarks on Rohingyas and Muslim minorities of India.

References

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References

1. (19 September 2021). "2 months after he was dropped at Centre, BJP MP Babul Supriyo joins TMC". The Indian Express.
2. "Sixteenth Lok Sabha Members Bioprofile: Baral, Shri Babul Supriya (Babul Supriyo)". Lok Sabha Secretariat.
3. "Babul Supriya (Babul Supriyo) Baral". National Portal of India.
4. (19 October 2021). "babul supriyo formally resigns as MP - The Hindu".
5. (Apr 17, 2022). "bjp: BJP draws a blank in 5 bypolls across 4 states {{!}} India News - Times of India".
6. "Babul Supriyo, Till Recently A Union Minister, Joins Team Mamata".
7. (9 November 2014). "From now on I will be known as a minister's mother: Babul Supriyo's mother". Diligent Media Corporation Ltd..
8. "Babul Supriyo: Small-Town Boy, Banker, Playback Singer and Now Minister". NDTV.
9. "Minister of State for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation". Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation.
10. "Babul Supriyo: From Singer To BJP Poster Boy To Mamata Banerjee's Minister".
11. "BABUL SUPRIYA BARAL (BABUL SUPRIYO) : Election profile".
12. "News headlines". Daijiworld.
13. (1 June 2006). "Split wide open". The Times of India.
14. (9 August 2016). "Narendra Modi attends Babul Supriyo Racha Sharma Marriage". India Today.
15. "200 days of Modi govt: First-time BJP MP Babul Supriyo may be PM's point person for West Bengal". The Economic Times.
16. (8 March 2014). "Singer Babul Supriyo is BJP Candidate from Asansol for Lok Sabha Polls". news.biharprabha.com.
17. (12 July 2016). "Najma Heptulla, G M Siddeshwara resign from Modi Cabinet". [[India Today]].
18. (13 July 2016). "Why Najma Heptulla, G M Siddeswara were forced to quit Modi Cabinet". [[Business Standard]].
19. (23 May 2019). "Asansol election result: Babul Supriyo plays the right notes, defeats Moon Moon Sen". [[The Economic Times]].
20. "Asansol Election Result 2019: BJP's Babul Supriyo wins against TMC's Moon Moon Sen". [[Business Today (India).
21. (31 May 2019). "PM Modi allocates portfolios. Full list of new ministers". [[Live Mint]].
22. (19 September 2019). "Held up for hours, Babul Supriyo leaves Jadavpur University with Bengal governor". [[The Times of India]].
23. (20 September 2019). "Unrest At Jadavpur University After Students Clash With Babul Supriyo". The Wire.
24. (13 November 2019). "বাইকে চড়ে দুর্গত এলাকায় বাবুল, ৫ দিন ধরে খাবার না দেওয়ার অভিযোগ যাচ্ছে মোদীর অফিসে". [[Anandabazar Patrika]].
25. (2 May 2021). ""Voted For Cruel Lady": BJP's Babul Supriyo On Trinamool's Big Bengal Win". [[ndtv]].
26. (2 May 2021). "The Hindustan Times".
27. (31 July 2021). "Ex-Minister and BJP MP Babul Supriyo announces decision to quit politics". [[The Hindu]].
28. (2 August 2021). "The live mint- will continue as MP".
29. (31 July 2021). "The Hindustan Times".
30. "Babul Supriyo: Meteoric rise for a small town boy". The News Minute.
31. Ashok Chatterjee. (28 November 2002). "The rise and rise of Babul Supriyo". [[The Times of India]].
32. "Babul Supriyo: Artist, Singer".
33. "69th & 70th Annual Hero Honda BFJA Awards 2007".
34. সেনগুপ্ত, সুমন. (March 27, 2022). "দলবদলেই সাত খুন মাফ! কোন দিকে এগোচ্ছে বাংলার রাজনীতি?". prohor.in.
35. (January 4, 2020). "Muslim student wants Babul Supriyo to apologise for his 'will pack off to your country' remark". [[The Indian Express]].
36. Banerjie, Monideepa. (January 5, 2020). "Student's Reply After Babul Supriyo Says "Pack Off To Your Country"". [[NDTV]].