Famed Lavani singer Sulochana Chavan passes away at 91

Mumbai, December 10

Renowned Lavani singer and actress Sulochana Kadam-Chavan, 91, passed away at her home here on Saturday morning, a family member said. An exponent of Lavani singing — a Marathi style of folk music and dance — Chavan was honoured with the Padma Shri this year. She was also a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2012) and Lata Mangeshkar Award (2010).

Starting her career at the young age of 16, Sulochana Kadam was associated with the local theatre and garba groups. She also performed roles in Punjabi and Tamil films. Accompanying her mother to the famed Rajkamal Studios of the legendary film-maker V Shantaram, she started taking singing lessons that helped her get the first professional assignment when she was barely 11 years old.

Later, she started singing Lavani, a Marathi folk dance and music style, and came to be acknowledged as the ‘Queen of Lavani’, a title given to her by eminent litterateur Acharya PK Atre. Sulochana married film-maker S Chavan of Marathi film ‘Kalgitura’ fame and came to be known as Sulochana Chavan. — IANS