Kalpana Patowary, also credited professionally as Kalpana, is an Indian folk and playback singer and politician from Assam. She has recorded songs and folk music in several Indian languages, with Bhojpuri being the major genre. Due to her contribution to Bhojpuri music, she is often referred to by the moniker "Bhojpuri Queen".
Patowary embarked on her career at the age of 4 and received further training from Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan ,Dipen Roy and Shikha Dutta for Sangeet Bisharad in Hindustani Classical Music at Bhatkhande Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya, Lucknow. She has sung in more than 32 languages, including Bhojpuri, Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, and English, throughout her solo musical journey.
Early life and background
Patowary was born in a Yogi-Nath Rudraja Brahmin family of Natha Sampradaya community in Barpeta district in Assam. A graduate in English literature, Patowary is an alumnus of Cotton College of Guwahati. Trained in Kamrupiya and Goalporiya folk music by her folksinger father Sri Bipin Nath Patowary, Kalpana started to publicly perform at the age of 4 with her father and is also trained as Sangeet Visharad in Indian classical music from Bhatkhande Music Institute University, Lucknow. She sings many forms of Bhojpuri folk music including Purvi, Pachra, Kajri, Sohar, Vivaah geet, Chaita, and Nautanki.
Patowary has worked exclusively on the lost traditions of Bhikhari Thakur in Bihar and has released several songs reinventing and commemorating his life and work.
Career Patowary holds the distinction of being the inaugural Bhojpuri singer to introduce the age-old Khadi Birha tradition to international platforms.
In 2013, Patowary featured in the documentary film Bidesia in Bambai, released on 8 December. The documentary provides a perspective on Mumbai through the eyes of migrant workers and their music.
She received an invitation to perform during a 15-day tour across four Latin American countries, arranged by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to commemorate Indian Arrival Day.
Patowary's pioneering accomplishment as the first woman was to record and sing in the Chhaprahiya Purvi style, a genre previously dominated by male artists.
Patowary marked her acting debut in the Bhojpuri movie "Chalat Musafir Moh Liyo Re," portraying the character of Janki alongside co-star Dinesh Lal Yadav.
In September 2025, Patowary was awarded the Bihar Kala Samman(National Award) 2023–24 by the Government of Bihar for her contribution to Bhojpuri music and arts. In August 2026, Patowary was honoured with the Pandit Rajkumar Shukla Kala Shikhar Samman by Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary for her musical travelogue Champaran Satyagraha, featuring the song "Tinkathiya Neel Kheti."
Political career On 12 July 2018, Patowary became a member of the BJP in a ceremony graced by the presence of its president, Amit Shah, and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi in Patna.
On 9 October 2020, Patowary affiliated herself with the Asom Gana Parishad during an event conducted at the party's headquarters in Guwahati.. She also served as the cultural chairperson of the party from November 2020 during the election campaign. In the 2021 Assam Assembly election, Patowary contested as a candidate representing the Asom Gana Parishad from the Sarukheri constituency, where the incumbent MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar defeated her.
Discography
Denotes films that have not yet been released
Bhojpuri film songs Year Song Film Composer Co-singer2005 "Mehangaai Jaisen" Mai Re Kar De Bidai Humar"Dulha Milal Dildar"Dulha Milal DildarUdit Narayan"Ab Ta Ehe Armaan" "Chal Chal Kahi Pyar Kare""Lel Lel Ae Raja Ji"2006"Aise Je Saj ke Sawar ke"Rangli Chunariya Tohre NaamPawan Singh"Tani Aaja Kurta Khol Ke"2025""Lawang Latiya"RishteyKhesari Lal Yadav
Hindi film songs Year Song Film Composer Co-singer2007 "Ek Sapna (Remix)" StumpedDhrubajyoti Phukan 2007 "Tere Layee" Fool & FinalHimesh ReshammiyaKunal Ganjawala2007"Uncha Lamba Kad"Welcome Anand Raj Anand Anand Raj Anand2009"Billu Bhayankar"Billu Ajay Jhingran, Raghuveer2009"Hotty Naughty (Remix)"De Dana Dan Pritam2010"Tikhi Tikhi Mirch (Folk Version)"Mirch Monty Sharma2010"Isak Se Meetha Kuch Bhi"AakroshPritam Ajay Jhingran2010"Shakira" No ProblemMaster Saleem, Hard Kaur2010"Babe Di Kripa" Vikrant Singh2010"Aila Re Aila"Khatta Meetha Daler Mehndi2013"Gandi Baat"R... RajkumarMika Singh2016"Mona Ka Tona"Dhara 302Sahil Multy Khan2016"Dono Aankho Ka Shutter"Khel Toh Ab Shuru HogaAshfaque2017 "O Re Kaharo" Begum Jaan Anu Malik Altamash Faridi2017 "Pyar Ka Test" Running Shaadi Abhishek-Akshay Bappi Lahiri2018 "Jeans Pant Aur Choli" Ishqeria Papon Papon2018 "Yaadein" Ishqeria Papon Papon
Marathi film songs
Year Song Films Composer Co-singer2016"Kalana"Taleem Praful Karlekar, Nitin Madhukar Rokade
Assamese film songs
Year Song Films Composer Co-singer2000"Soku Lotokere" Asene Kunuba Hiyat Manuj SarmahZubeen Garg2002"Neela Neela"KanyadaanZubeen Garg2004"Priya O Priya" (Sunday Holiday Closing Day)Antaheen JatraDr. Hitesh BaruahZubeen Garg, Sagarika2013"I am Sexy"RananganNipon ChutiaSolo2015"Nonsense Hridoye" AhetukPoran Borkatoky (JoJo)2016"Maatal Ei Rati" Bahniman Jatin Sharma Zubeen Garg
Bengali film songs
Year Song Films Composer Co-singer2007"Dhukupuku Buk"Minister Fatakeshto Jeet GannguliSolo2010"Jhum Jhum Ja"TargetJeet GannguliJeet Gannguli2010"Ki Je Aagun"TargetJeet GannguliSolo2011"Koka Kola"Faande Poriya Boga Kaande ReSamidh MukerjeeSamidh Mukerjee2012"Madhubala"Macho MastanaSamidh MukerjeeSolo 2015 "Chain Kahan Prabhu Bina" Har Har Byomkesh Bickram Ghosh2016"Aata Geche"AngaarAkassh2016"3G"Hero 420 Savvy Gupta Nakash Aziz
Kannada film songs
Year Songs Films Composer Co-singer2003"Sweetu Rasagolla"Lankesh Patrike Babji-Sandeep 2007 "Magalu Doddavaladalu" Ee Preethi Yeke Bhoomi Melide R. P. Patnaik C. Ashwath, Prem 2010 "Jarthaari Seere" Jothegara Sujeeth Shetty Udit Narayan
Filmography Films + Year Film Role Language Co-star Director Notes Ref 2006 Chalat Musafir Moh Liyo Re Janki Bhojpuri Dinesh Lal Yadav Manoj Ojha Lead, credited as Kalpana 2013 Bidesia in Bambai Self Bhojpuri, Hindi Surabhi Sharma Documentary 2015 Har Har Byomkesh Singer Bengali Arindam Sil Special appearance
Television Year Title Role Platform Notes Ref. 2008 Junoon - Kuchh Kar Dikhaane Ke Contestant NDTV Imagine Reality show
References 41.https://mid-day.com/buzzfeed/article/kalpana-patowary-honoured-with-pandit-rajkumar-shukla--kala-shikhar-samman-2026--10754
External links