Ranu Maria Mondal is an Indian singer who used to sing songs at a railway station in Ranaghat, West Bengal. She became an overnight internet sensation after her video, in which she was seen singing the song “Ek Pyaar Ka Nagma Hai,” went viral on social media.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Ranu Mondal was born on Saturday, 5 November 1960 (age 62 years; as of 2022) in Krishnanagar, West Bengal. [1]India Today She spent most of her childhood at her paternal aunt’s place in Ranaghat, West Bengal, as her parents had passed away when she was just six months old. Her zodiac sign is Scorpio. Ranu has a passion for music since her childhood and she has been listening to the songs of the Indian legend singers like Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, and Lata Mangeshkar. She got married at the age of 19 and relocated to Mumbai along with her husband in search of work.
Physical Appearance
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family, Caste & Husband
Ranu Mondal belongs to a Christian Family. Her father, Aditya Kumar, was a hawker. Not much is known about her mother. She got married to her neighbour, Bablu Mondal (cook) when she was 19 years old. She has a daughter, Elizabeth Sathi Roy and a son from Bablu Mondal. Bablu Mondal had passed away in 2009. Ranu has got married twice. She also has a son and a daughter from her second husband.
Ranu Mondal with her daughter, Sathi Roy
Career
Ranu Mondal started her career by doing odd jobs in Mumbai. She, then, started singing for a club in Mumbai. Ranu left the job after a while, as her husband, Bablu, did not approve of the same. She returned to her hometown, Ranaghat, after the demise of her ex-husband and lived there alone in poverty. Mondal started singing songs at the railway station in Ranaghat to earn her living. She came into the limelight after a video showcasing her singing the song “Ek Pyaar Ka Nagma Hai” went viral on social media.
A women working Ranaghat station in West BengalWhat a voice, felt in love with this voice 😊#krishaandaszubu
BarpetaTown The place of peace ಅವರಿಂದ ಈ ದಿನದಂದು ಪೋಸ್ಟ್ ಮಾಡಲಾಗಿದೆ ಭಾನುವಾರ, ಜುಲೈ 28, 2019
Subsequently, she was invited for a guest performance on the reality TV show “Superstar Singer.” After listening to her rendition of the song “Ek Pyaar Ka Nagma Hai” in the show, the Bollywood musician, Himesh Reshammiya, asked her to sing a song for him.
Ranu Mondal made her singing debut in 2019 with the song ‘Teri Meri Kahani’ in the Bollywood Film “Happy Hardy and Heer.” Reshammiya shared a short version of the song, while it was being recorded by Ranu, through his Instagram handle.
Controversies
Ranaghat’s Amra Shobai Shoitaan club row
In 2019, Ranu Mondal’s daughter, Sathi Roy, alleged that the members of Ranaghat’s Amra Shobai Shoitaan club, who were looking after her mother, were not letting her meet her mother. They were not even allowing Sathi to talk to her mother on the phone. She also accused Atindra and Tapan (club members) of threatening her.
Insulting Lata Mangeshkar
In February 2023, she was heavily criticised by netizens for insulting Lata Mangeshkar in a video that went viral on social media. In the video, Ranu Mondal could be heard referring to the legendary singer as “Lata Fata.” She said,
Yeh jo gaana ga rahi, yeh toh koi Lata Fata ka nahi hai. This is not of Lata ji. The voice of the one I sang is also good. It was good, it is good.” [2]Jansatta
Favourites
Singers: Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar
Facts
- Her hobby is singing.
- Ranu was born into an economically backward family in West Bengal.
- When Mondal used to sing at a local club in Mumbai, she earned the name of ‘Ranu Bobby.’
- Her ex-husband, Bablu Mondal, used to work as a cook at Feroz Khan’s house.
- In 2019, a 26-year old engineer, Atindra Chakraborty, who first heard Mondal singing a Lata Mangeshkar‘s song at the Ranaghat Station in West Bengal, shared her video on Facebook.
Ranu Mondal with Atindra Chakraborty and his friend
- The video which was posted on the Facebook page ‘BarpetaTown The Place of Peace’ went instantly viral on the social media. It collected over four million views within a few days of its posting.
- While sharing the details of his encounter with Ranu, Atindra Chakraborty said-
I was hanging out with my friends at a tea stall on platform No 6. A Rafi song was playing in the radio aloud. Suddenly I heard the lady humming to the tune, as she sat on the platform floor. I asked her if she could sing something for us. She sang a song and I recorded it on my mobile. We were surprised how melodious she was.”
- After Ranu’s video went viral on the Internet, many people volunteered to provide her food.
- Mondal also received a free makeover by a local salon.
Ranu Mondal at the salon for a makeover
- Mondal’s fame caught the attention of the district administration too. The local Block Development Officer (BDO) of the West Bengal Government felicitated her on 14 August 2019 as part of the West Bengal Government’s Kanyashree Divas celebrations. He even assured her assistance from the government.
- Ranu considers Lata Mangeshkar as her inspiration.
- After coming into the limelight, she has earned the moniker of “Lata of Ranaghat.”
- When Mondal appeared on the show “Superstar Singer,” the host of the show, Jai Bhanushali, asked her the reason for singing songs at the railway station. After which, Ranu replied that she didn’t have a home to live and used to sing songs to earn her living. She further told that sometimes people used to give her biscuits, some food, or money after listening to her songs.
- Reportedly, she has received Rs. 6-7 lakhs from Himesh Reshammiya for singing her first Bollywood song.
Ranu Mondal and Himesh Reshammiya at the recording studio
- It is also speculated that Salman Khan has gifted her a house after getting impressed by her singing skills.
- Ranu told in an interview that she was able to meet her daughter, Sathi Roy, after almost a decade due to the video that went viral. She even said that this was her second life and she would try to make it better.
Ranu Mondal and her daughter
- Mondal’s story is parallel to the success story of the now-famous American voice-over artist, philanthropist, author, and sportscaster Ted Williams. Like Ranu, he also gave a demonstration of a promo for a radio advertisement. His video got tremendous attention and he became a viral sensation.
Ted Williams
- When Lata Mangeshkar was asked about Ranu Mondal’s claim to fame, she expressed happiness but with reservations. She said,
Agar mere naam aur kaam se kissiko bhala hota hai toh main apne-aap ko khush-kismat samajhti hoon (If anyone benefits from my name and work, I feel fortunate). But I also feel imitation is not a reliable and durable companion for success. By singing my songs or Kishoreda’s (Kumar), or (Mohd) Rafi Saab’s, or Mukesh Bhaiyya or Asha’s (Bhosle) numbers, aspiring singers can get short-term attention. But it won’t last.”
- Ranu’s daughter, Elizabeth Sathi Roy, was highly criticised on social media for abandoning her mother for almost a decade. However, her daughter claimed that she didn’t know that her mother used to sing on Ranaghat Railway Station as she was not able to visit her regularly. She also said that contrary to the rumours that she had united with her mother only after her mother got fame, she was always in touch with Ranu.
- In November 2019, a video of Ranu Mondal went viral on social media. In the video, she was seen objecting to her fan for touching her inappropriately.
Really sad we all twitterati supp her when her station vala video came see her behaviour after becoming celebrity
Such insult of any fan is pathetic #RanuMondal @singh_harmeet84 https://t.co/8rQHcEijau— Nandini Idnani 🇮🇳🚩 (@nandiniidnani69) November 4, 2019
References
| ↑1 | India Today |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Jansatta |
