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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Jalgaon grandpa, 75, sets Karaoke singing world record

Jalgaon:  Age may be just a number, but for retired banker-cum-singer, Ramchandra D. Patil, his platinum jubilee year (75) has catapulted him into setting a world record.   The lifelong singing enthusiast from Jalgaon has officially entered the India Book of Records for the “Longest Live Singing on Karaoke Platform by a Septuagenarian,” performing continuously for 92 minutes in a program on September 25, 2025.   The achievement has thrilled the grandpa - who retired (2008) after 38 years’...

Jalgaon grandpa, 75, sets Karaoke singing world record

Jalgaon:  Age may be just a number, but for retired banker-cum-singer, Ramchandra D. Patil, his platinum jubilee year (75) has catapulted him into setting a world record.   The lifelong singing enthusiast from Jalgaon has officially entered the India Book of Records for the “Longest Live Singing on Karaoke Platform by a Septuagenarian,” performing continuously for 92 minutes in a program on September 25, 2025.   The achievement has thrilled the grandpa - who retired (2008) after 38 years’ service with the Peoples Cooperative Bank, Jalgaon - to set a target a higher and longer-lasting record.   “Music has been my passion since schooldays, specialising in songs of Mukesh as my voice closely resembles his. I have been singing for over six decades now… It's my life…” he smiled in a free-wheeling chat with  The Perfect Voice .   Despite lacking formal training in vocal music, Patil began performing at school annual gatherings and later joined local orchestras while studying at M.J. College in the 1960s.   Later, he nimbly balanced his main banking career and crooning, ensuring none suffered whether he worked in his staid office cabin or under the arc lights on the stage.   Patil became a coveted, popular and familiar name during Ganeshotsav, Navratri, weddings or special events, his fame took him all over Maharashtra and even Odisha, Madhya Pradesh to perform on live stage.   Over the years, the musical career bloomed, he earned a good side income plus a name in the entertainment world, though he admits that ‘creating a world record never crossed my mind’.   Meanwhile, in 1967, the first of the modest Karaoke machines was invented, it became sophisticated by 1971, and in the next couple of decades, became a global sensation.   In India, Karaoke (meaning, ‘empty orchestra’) started trending around 2015, proving both a boon and bane for live performers, vocal and instrumental, but Patil embraced it heartily.   “Karaoke allowed me to perform solo with the original background music. It afforded me the freedom to explore a wider range of songs and programs. Plus, practising and rehearsals became easier, especially for new numbers that I took up,” Patil explained.   At the same time, it has increased competition, with ordinary home-folk also belting out numbers backed by Karaoke, compelling singers like Patil to slash rates, but the market opportunities have vastly increased.   Unmatched joy While “the joy of performing live remains unmatched”, he said the brainwave of attempting a potential world record came almost by chance.   “In the past, I have sung continuously for over three hours many times, even at this age. We first checked out if anyone had attempted an official record in my age group, and found that there was none,” Patil recalled, of the Sep. 25 feat.   He humbly acknowledges that “the recognition is not merely a personal triumph, but a heartfelt tribute to all my musical idols”.   “Mukesh has always been my inspiration. But I also perform songs by Manna Dey and Mohammed Rafi, and lately, I’ve added a few Arijit Singh numbers too, which audiences love,” he said, hoping to expand his vocal horizon to more contemporary playback singers.   When asked about his favorite genre, Patil doesn’t hesitate: “The golden era of Bollywood music - the 1950s - will always be my favorite.”   Family backed the passionate singer Patil’s doting family, comprising his wife Nita, their son Girish, daughters Swati Patil, Jyoti Patil-Deshmukh and Geeta Patil-Bhaskar have stood firmly behind him and his singing passion.   “We’ve grown up listening to him. Our mother Nita supported him throughout. His passion for music runs in our family now,” they declared, as Girish reached out to India Book of Records and Guinness World Records for their stamp of approval.   While Guinness’ confirmation is awaited, the India Book of Records verified and awarded Patil’s feat, presenting him with a certificate, medal, and badge.   Even at 75, the senior singer’s enthusiasm shows no signs of fading and he is now planning for more performances and possibly another record attempt, to make himself immortal in the timeless world of music.

Rattled, Thackeray says ‘do not rely on lies’

Updated: Mar 21

Thackeray

Mumbai: Shaken by the sudden spotlight on the Disha S. Salian death case, Shiv Sena (UBT) President and ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya Thackeray appeared at a loss for words to react to the development, but said ‘lies’ should not be relied upon.


In a relief of sorts, a ruling ally Shiv Sena MLA came out in open support of the beleaguered Thackerays and the ex-CM expressed his gratitude.


The five-year-old incident concerning the unexplained death of Bollywood celeb manager Disha rocked the Maharashtra Legislature afresh with the ruling MahaYuti and Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi allies hurling accusations at each other.


“There is no substance in these allegations… The matter is in the court…let them say it there,” dared Thackeray, who served as the MVA CM from November 2019-June 2022 when the case had blown up.


“I am confident that the case would boomerang on them in the court,” Thackeray declared dismissively, with Aditya beside him.


Thackeray wondered “why the issue keeps cropping up only during the Legislature sessions”, and said there is nothing new in this.


“Every time the Legislature comes into session, this matter is raised… Why did it not come in the past couple of sessions… I am surprised. It keeps coming up but there is nothing new to it. Whatever Satish Salian’s lawyer claims, he should say it in the court,” said Thackeray sharply.


“Many generations of our family are in front of the public. We have no connection with this case at all. But if politics is being twisted and taken in the wrong direction, everyone will suffer. When you rely on lies, it will also backfire on you,” warned Thackeray.


During a brief interaction with the media earlier in the day, Aditya Thackeray said that “since the matter has gone to the court, I shall also submit whatever I have to say before the court”.


“For the past five years they have been trying to defame me. But they were exposed on all counts… Now, the matter has gone in the court… I will respond there,” said Aaditya, a former minister in the MVA regime.


“It is clear… The Aurangzeb issue has backfired on them… To come out of it, the Disha Salian issue has been raked up now… There is some kind of ‘power’ working behind the petitioner,” contended SS (UBT) Chief Spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut.


Training guns on the Mahayuti government, Thackeray said that who is responsible for the farmers’ pyres burning continuously (suicides), and their families, women, daughters and sisters are suffering.


There have been many killings like that of Beed Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, his children are also demanding justice, asking: “What is the government doing to stop all this?”


Against the badgering from the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, a ruling Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad threw his weight behind the Thackeray father-son duo and Uddhav even thanked him publicly for the gesture.


Sparking a sensation, Satish Salian has filed a plea in the Bombay High Court on Monday, seeking a fresh CBI probe into the death of his daughter, Disha, 28, who died under mystery circumstances in Malad on June 8, 2020.


Five days later, on June 14, one of her celeb clients, Sushant Singh Rajput was found hanging at his Bandra rented home.


Salians were initially ‘satisfied’ with cops

It may be recalled that a few years ago, the Salian couple had said that they were satisfied with the police and other agencies’ probe plus pleaded publicly that the media and politicians should stop hounding or defaming their family. In March 2022, Satish and his wife Vasanti had written to the President of India, complaining that the (then) Union Minister Narayan Rane and his son Nitesh Rane (now, Maharashtra Minister), are ‘liars and virtually driving them (the Salians) to suicide”.


Drawing parallels with the Nirbhaya rape-cum-murder case of Delhi over a decade ago, the Salians pointed out that till now, that victim’s identity has not been revealed, but “Rane is blatantly taking my daughter’s name” repeatedly and saying that she was raped. Displaying signs of desperation, the Salians asked “whether the law of the land is not applicable to the Union Minister”, and pointed out how even after registering a (police) complaint against them, the “liars” Rane duo did not stop maligning the family’s name.


The Salians had made the same appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, (then) Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, BJP’s (then) Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and Bombay High Court Chief Justice, “to stop a few politicians from maligning our daughter’s name”.

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