Sudhir Phadke, popularly known as Babuji, was a renowned music composer, singer, producer, and patriot. He faced many struggles in the early years of his life. In later years, however, he achieved great wealth, fame, and respect. A dedicated worker of the RSS, he always believed in giving back to society.

Sudhir Phadke, popularly known as Babuji, was born as Ramchandra Vinayak Phadke on July 25, 1919, in Kolhapur. His father, Vinayakrao, was a well-known lawyer, and his mother was Saraswatibai. Babuji had four siblings.

From an early age, Babuji was drawn to music. He would often imitate the singing of sadhus and bairagis he heard on the streets. Observing his keen interest and natural sense of music, his father realized that Ram had a special musical talent. He therefore took him to Padhyebuwa, a respected music teacher in Kolhapur who ran a music school.

Padhyebuwa laid a strong foundation for Ram's training in classical music and worked extensively on developing his voice. However, tragedy struck the family while Ram was still young, when his mother passed away. The family's circumstances gradually deteriorated. Vinayakrao lost interest in his legal practice, and his business also began to decline. As a result, the family soon faced serious financial difficulties.

Ram’s aunt agreed to raise one of his brothers, while another brother was taken in by the owner of a nearby eatery. This left Ram, two of his siblings, and their father in the house. Ram’s elder brother, Nana, found a job, but his income was not enough to support the family.

Ram worked very hard during this difficult period. His daily routine consisted of attending school during the day and then spending his evenings learning and teaching music at Padhyebuwa’s school.

Padhyebuwa was very pleased with Ram’s progress. Ram had an exceptional ability to write down the musical notes of any song he heard. Once, at a music conference, young Ram wrote down the complex notes sung by some of the great singers and then reproduced them immediately. This demonstrated that Padhyebuwa’s faith in Ram’s musical ability was well founded.

Later, Dr. Bhajekar from Mumbai heard Ram sing and was impressed by his talent. He took Ram to Mumbai for further education. There, Ram studied at the Aryan School and also began learning music at Baburao Gokhale’s Maharashtra Sangeet Vidyalaya. He trained in various styles of classical singing. While studying there, he won first prize in a classical music competition. Alongside his studies and music training, he also went to the gym and took up physical exercise.

After some time, Ram had to leave Dr. Bhajekar’s house and return to Kolhapur. By then, the family’s financial difficulties had become even more severe. He therefore took up a job as a music teacher at a local class and also began giving private music lessons.

It was during this period that he met the poet Shri N. N. Deshpande. Deshpande gave him the name ‘Sudhir’, by which he came to be known for the rest of his life as Sudhir Phadke.

Around this time, in 1936, his father passed away. Ram then went to Pune to work as a music teacher. However, the music school there did not do well, and he eventually moved to Mumbai. There, he got an opportunity to become a radio artist. He sang classical music on All India Radio once a month and earned ten rupees a month.

In Mumbai, he initially lived at the RSS office. Later, he had to leave the office, and his life became a period of intense struggle. He faced extreme poverty and had no permanent place to live. He wandered around the city during the day and, at night, slept in gardens, railway stations, or on footpaths. If he had money, he would buy something to eat; otherwise, he would drink water from public taps to fill his stomach.

He spent many days in this manner, without proper sleep, food, or any stability in his life. The hardships began to affect his health. On the advice of his friends, he finally decided to leave Mumbai. He then travelled across India for nearly two years.

He travelled through places such as Indore, Agra, Jhansi, and Gaya. Wherever he went, he performed music whenever he found an opportunity, earning small amounts that were barely enough to survive. Sometimes he found opportunities to perform; at other times, he did not. He faced insults on some occasions and received respect on others. Destiny seemed to test him at every step. At times, he became so despondent that he even felt like ending his life. Yet, each time, destiny seemed to offer him another chance to live.

During this period, he listened carefully to the records of Hirabai Barodekar and Balgandharva and tried to sing in their styles. He regarded both of them as his gurus. Later, he listened to the records of Kundanlal Saigal and studied his singing style as well. In this way, he learned from all three indirectly, much like Eklavya.

Eventually, he reached Calcutta (now Kolkata), where he met a friend named Shukla, who was a manager at HMV. Through him, Ram got an opportunity to record a song for HMV. However, before the recording could be completed, his elder brother fell ill, forcing Ram to return to Kolhapur. A few days later, he received a letter from HMV informing him, “The recording is complete. There is no need to come to Calcutta for the time being.”

Once again, the question of what to do next confronted him. Meanwhile, his friend Madhav Patkar approached him and asked him to compose music for one of his poems, ‘Daryavari Naach Kari, Hodi Chaale Kashi Bhiribhiri’. Ram composed a tune for the poem, but Patkar was unable to sing it. He therefore took Ram to HMV, where Vasant Kamerkar was an official. Ram sang the tune for Kamerkar and G. D. Madgulkar. They were impressed and the song was recorded.

This marked an important turning point in Ram’s life. The young Ram, now known as Sudhir Phadke, began to gain recognition as both a singer and a music composer.

Soon afterwards, he got a job at HMV. This brought him into contact with the film industry and opened a new chapter in his life. From that point onward, there was no looking back.

In 1946, Sudhir Phadke composed music for the Hindi film Gokul. In the same year, he co-directed the music for the Marathi film Rukmini Swayamvar along with Snehal Bhatkar. In 1948, he independently composed the music for the Marathi film Jivacha Sakha. From then on, his success continued to grow.

It would be fair to describe the period from 1946 to 2002 as the golden era of Babuji’s career. He sang numerous film songs and also made a mark with devotional songs, Bhavgeet, Powadas, and many other forms of music. He received several honours and awards during his long career. As both a composer and a singer, he excelled in both roles.

Babuji could effortlessly handle a wide range of musical styles, from classical music to Kothi music. He insisted that singers should sing with clear diction and remain in tune. His own singing was marked by clarity of words and meaning, deep emotional expression, and energy where the song demanded it. At other times, he used a soft and melodious voice with great sensitivity. These became some of the defining features of his singing. His career spanning more than four decades is widely regarded as the golden age of Marathi film music.

Marathi audiences have always shared a deep emotional connection with Babuji’s music. His voice has continued to resonate with generations of Marathi listeners. Yet Babuji himself would often say, “My music is not merely Marathi. It carries influences from Punjabi, Bengali, Rajasthani, and North Indian folk music. My gurus—Hirabai Barodekar, Balgandharva, Padhyebuwa, and Saigal—also had a profound influence on my music.”

Babuji composed music for numerous lyricists and worked with many male and female singers. Alongside Marathi films, he also composed music for several Hindi films. The trio of Babuji, G. D. Madgulkar, and Raja Paranjape dominated an entire era of Marathi cinema and music.

Geet Ramayan is widely regarded as the highest point of Babuji’s career. In 1955, the Pune station of All India Radio was launched, with Sitakant Lad serving as its coordinator. He conceived the idea of a long-running musical programme for radio, which eventually led to the creation of Geet Ramayan. G. D. Madgulkar wrote the songs, while Babuji composed the music. The programme was broadcast for 56 consecutive weeks, with one new song presented every week.

Babuji’s contribution, however, was not limited to music. He was deeply conscious of his social responsibilities and took an active part in several social causes. He played an important role in the liberation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and made a significant contribution to relief efforts for the victims of the Koyna earthquake. In 1967, during this period, he suffered an attack of facial paralysis. Yet he did not allow his own health to come in the way of his commitment. He continued to perform at numerous programmes to raise funds for the earthquake victims. His dedication to the causes he believed in was remarkable.

Babuji was a devoted follower of Swatantryaveer Savarkar, and one of his cherished dreams was to make a film on Savarkar’s life. To fulfil this dream, he established the Savarkar Pratishthan Nidhi and began collecting funds from the public. He raised money by organising music programmes at various places. The long delay in completing the film led to criticism, but Babuji remained determined. Eventually, the film was released and received an overwhelming response from the audience.

Babuji received titles such as ‘Swargandharva’. Yet, despite his fame and achievements, he remained a simple and humble person. Humility, simplicity, and a gentle nature were among his defining qualities. He had a warm and affectionate personality and felt a deep connection with people from all walks of life. His calm and cheerful nature brought respect and affection in everyone who met him.

Throughout his career, his wife, Lalitabai, stood by him with love and devotion. She was a talented singer herself, but after marriage, she chose to devote her life to her family and child. She remained a constant source of support for Babuji and stood firmly beside him in everything he undertook.

After a lifetime of hard work, Babuji’s gradually grew tired. Eventually, he had to be admitted to hospital. Having lived a long and deeply fulfilling life, he breathed his last on July 29, 2002. With his passing, the Marathi community and the Marathi film industry lost one of their most precious gems.