Pawan Singh: The story of Bhojpuri industry’s ‘Power Star’ Pawan Singh is not limited to singing or films, but it is an explosive mix of stardom, controversies and power games of politics. When Pawan Singh says on the stage, “Power starts from this and ends on it,” she is not just a dialogue, she is a warning. Whether it is a block or district, Babua, the strength of Babua is seen everywhere, and now this Babua is shaking even the center of power in Bihar.
Pawan Singh started with an ordinary family. He was born on 5 January 1986 in Kolkata, but the real upbringing was with his uncle Ajit Singh in Ara district of Bihar, who himself was associated with music. At the age of just six, he started singing on stage, and Pawan got the real stage as soon as he performed the program in folk music circles with uncle. When his turn came late at night in childhood, uncle would sprinkle water on his face and take him on stage.
At the age of 11, his first song “Khuli Gali Humse Ab Nana Lajali Odhaniya” came. Although the song was liked locally, he did not get a major recognition. At that time, veterans like Manoj Tiwari and Ravi Kishan dominated Bhojpuri industry. But Pawan did not give up.
His life completely changed in 2008. The song ‘Lollipop Lagelu’ was released, which in the beginning no one felt special. The musicians questioned the use of English words in it, but the wind remained adamant. Six months later, the song exploded. From Bihar, Purvanchal to Delhi, Mumbai, and even Germany, the tune of this song started ringing. ‘Lollipop Lagelu’ made Pawan Singh a superstar overnight. He had now become the new face of Bhojpuri, not just a singer.
After this superhit song, Pawan Singh’s film career also started catching pace. Although he stepped into films with ‘Rangeeli Chunariya Tohra Naam’ in 2004, he became the hero of every film after ‘Lollipop’. His popularity was such that more viewers used to buy tickets in the name of Pawan Singh than the film’s story.
But where there is stardom, there are also disputes. Pawan Singh’s personal life was always in the headlines. In 2014, he married his girlfriend Neelam Singh, but Neelam committed suicide a few months after marriage. The matter remains a mystery till date. After this, in 2018, he married Jyoti Singh, but this relationship also got caught in legal controversies. Jyoti made serious allegations on Pawan like mental harassment, forced abortion and abetment of suicide. The divorce case between the two is going on in the court.
Amidst all this, Pawan Singh’s name was also associated with another popular actress Akshara Singh. Both did many superhit songs and films, but the relationship was also broken due to personal relations. Akshara alleged that Pawan assaulted her, pressurized her to marry, and damaged her career after a breakup.
Another major controversy in the industry is with Khesari Lal Yadav. Pawan Singh and Khesari’s rivalry is not hidden from anyone. The two last appeared together in the 2014 film ‘Pratigya 2’. Since then, the matter reached the threats of rhetoric, accusation and even killing between the two. Pawan Singh Rajputs are also revealed in this confrontation and often use the word ‘Babuan’ in his songs, while Khesari comes from the Yadav community and emphasizes ‘Ahir’ identity.
Meanwhile, Khesari claimed that Prabhunath Singh’s nephew Sudhir Singh threatened to kill him because of Pawan Singh. Even in a program, there was stone pelting on Khesari’s convoy, behind which Sudhir Singh’s name came up.
When stardom is at its peak, politics is not far away. Pawan Singh also tried to step into politics by taking the path of Manoj Tiwari and Ravi Kishan. In 2019, he was expected to get a BJP ticket from Howrah seat in West Bengal, but did not get the ticket. In 2024, he got a ticket from Asansol, but had to return the ticket due to controversies over old objectionable songs. He then contested the independent election from Karakat seat in Bihar. Even though he could not win, he defeated NDA candidate Upendra Kushwaha and proved that Pawan Singh has the power to change political equations, not just a film star.
Pawan Singh’s story is not like stars that climb up in a straight line. This is a saga that has conflict, controversies, confusion of relationships, and there is a popularity that echoes from Bhojpuri and resonates in the country and abroad. Whether it is ‘Lollipop Lagelu’, or Pawan Singh, the election ground of Karakat, leaves his impression like a ‘power star’ everywhere. And when he says “Power starts from here and ends here,” now it is probably not easy for anyone to take it lightly.
