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Rekha Bhardwaj Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 6, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth23 January 1964

Age61 Years

BirthplaceDelhi, India

ProfessionSinger

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseVishal Bhardwaj

FamilySon - Aasmaan

Rekha Bhardwaj Biography

Rekha Bhardwaj is an Indian playback singer known for her distinctive voice and blend of classical and folk influences. Born and raised in Delhi, she built

Early life and background

Rekha Bhardwaj was born on 23 January 1964 in Delhi, India. Raised in a musical household, she took to singing very early and was encouraged by family gatherings where Hindustani classical songs and ghazals were often performed. Her parents shaped her early practice: her father wrote in Urdu while her mother emphasized Hindi diction, and regular home rehearsals became part of her upbringing.

Rekha studied music formally for many years. She trained at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Delhi under teachers including Shri Vasant Thakar, Pandit Vinay Chandra Mudgal and Shri Madhup Mudgal. Beginning in 1982 she became a disciple of Pandit Amarnath and learned gharana-style singing; after his death she continued study with his disciple Amarjeet Kaur. She completed a B.A. in Music (Honours) from Hindu College, Delhi.

Personal details from her early life also reflect a lively, tomboyish college phase: she has recalled traveling home with friends and enjoying simple street-food and monsoon memories around India Gate and Feroz Shah Road.

Career

Rekha Bhardwaj's professional work spans albums and playback singing in multiple Indian languages. Her first album was titled Ishqa Ishqa (2002). Her entry into Bollywood playback singing came with the song "Ek Woh Din Bhi" for the film Chachi 420. She later sang in Marathi, Bengali and Malayalam films, including "Unn Matlabi" for the Marathi film Kuni Mulgi Deta Ka Mulgi (2012), "Swapno Bheja Alo" for the Bengali film Doshomi (2012) and "Doore Doore" for the Malayalam film Carbon (2018).

Her breakthrough in mainstream Hindi cinema came with the song "Namak Ishq Ka" from Omkara (2006), a film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. That success was followed by several notable songs in Hindi films, including "Sasural Genda Phool" (Delhi-6), "Phoonk De" (No Smoking), "Raat Ke Dhai Baje" (Kaminey) and "Phir Le Aaya Dil" (Barfi). Her repertoire shows a strong grounding in classical technique while also embracing folk and contemporary idioms.

Awards and recognition

Rekha Bhardwaj has been recognized with major awards for her playback singing. She won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the song "Badi Dheere Jali" from Ishqiya in 2011. She received Best Female Playback Singer for "Sasural Genda Phool" from Delhi-6 in 2009, and shared a Best Female Playback Singer award with Usha Uthup for the song "Darling" from 7 Khoon Maaf in 2011.

Public profile

Rekha is married to filmmaker and composer Vishal Bhardwaj; they met while at college in the mid-1980s and married in 1991. The couple has a son named Aasmaan. Her upbringing in Delhi, formal training and long apprenticeship contributed to a gradual rise: early promises of collaboration from figures in the industry took time to materialize, and Rekha spent years developing her craft before her wider recognition in film music.

She has spoken about periods when she sought spiritual growth, including time spent at the Osho ashram in Pune, where she learned practices such as whirling and zikr that she later incorporated into stage performances.

Latest updates

Rekha's recorded output includes work across languages and formats through the 2010s, with noted film songs up to at least 2018. Her career continues to be defined by a blend of classical training and expressive, folk-inflected delivery.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Rekha Bhardwaj, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Doore Doore

Playback song for the Malayalam film Carbon

2018
Swapno Bheja Alo

Playback song for the Bengali film Doshomi

2012
Unn Matlabi

Playback song for the Marathi film Kuni Mulgi Deta Ka Mulgi

2012
Ishqa Ishqa

Album release

2002
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Career Highlights

  1. Breakthrough with the song "Namak Ishq Ka" from Omkara (2006)
  2. National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for "Badi Dheere Jali" (Ishqiya) in 2011
  3. Best Female Playback Singer for "Sasural Genda Phool" (Delhi-6) in 2009
  4. Shared Best Female Playback Singer award for "Darling" (7 Khoon Maaf) in 2011
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Rekha Bhardwaj born?

Rekha Bhardwaj was born on 23 January 1964.

What is Rekha Bhardwaj known for?

Rekha Bhardwaj is known for singer.

What is Rekha Bhardwaj’s marital status?

Rekha Bhardwaj's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Rekha Bhardwaj married to?

Rekha Bhardwaj is publicly listed as married to Vishal Bhardwaj.