Suresh Wadkar met wife Padma when she was 8: ‘Why shouldn’t I marry her?’

Veteran playback singer Suresh Wadkar recently opened up about his love story with wife Padma Wadkar, sharing how a chance prediction by spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba eventually led to their marriage. The singer revealed that Padma had known him since childhood and later became one of the biggest pillars of support in his life, especially during a difficult period marked by health issues.

Speaking to Filmfare, Wadkar recalled first meeting Padma when she was a young girl accompanying her mother.

“Padma was around eight or nine years old when her mother first brought her to me. Even before that, she had sung many jingles for me. She was very young then.”

The singer said their bond grew stronger after he underwent bypass surgery, during which Padma stood by him and cared for him.

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How Padma stood by him during a health crisis

“When I underwent bypass surgery, the way this girl looked after me and cared for me was remarkable. Around that time, the topic of my marriage also came up. I should share this now—our Swami Sathya Sai Baba told me after the operation, ‘You are now first class. You will live a long and healthy life. I will get you married to a girl from here.'”

According to Wadkar, his sister and Padma were present when Sathya Sai Baba made the remark.

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“At that moment, didi was sitting there and Padma was there too. When we came back, she started crying. I asked her what had happened. She said, ‘Swami said you will marry a girl from here.'”

Why Suresh Wadkar decided to marry Padma

The singer admitted that the incident made him think seriously about his future and the kind of life partner he wanted.

“By then, she had become a teacher. I thought to myself, where would I find someone from my own field who was so devoted and caring? At the age of 43, where would I go looking for a partner? And according to me, I wouldn’t find someone of my age who would be the right fit. By that stage in life, people already have a very fixed mindset, and how could I change that?”

Wadkar said one reason he felt comfortable with the idea of marrying Padma was that he had seen her grow up over the years.

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“She had grown up in front of me. She grew up watching me. So I thought, why shouldn’t I marry her? God blessed me with a good and intelligent woman. What greater blessing could there be in my life?”

The couple eventually married in 1998, when Padma was 24, and have since built a life centred around music and family. Reflecting on their journey together, Wadkar also spoke about their daughters, Ananya and Jiya.

“Then she gave me two gifts—my daughters, Ananya and Jiya, who are 26 and 16 years old. Both of them sing very well.”

When Suresh Wadkar addressed rumours about Madhuri Dixit

Interestingly, Suresh Wadkar has also been linked to a long-standing rumour involving actor Madhuri Dixit. During an appearance on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa in 2023, host Aditya Narayan brought up reports that the actor’s parents had once approached Wadkar with a marriage proposal for their daughter after her early films failed to make an impact.

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When asked about it, the singer smiled and glanced at his wife Padma, who was seated beside him. Rather than directly confirming the story, he said he was grateful to have found “a Madhuri named Padma” in his life. His response prompted surprise from fellow judges Anu Malik and Himesh Reshammiya, who appeared to interpret it as confirmation of the long-circulating rumour.

Madhuri Dixit’s career later took off with films such as Tezaab and Ram Lakhan. She went on to become one of the biggest stars of the 1990s and married US-based cardiovascular surgeon Dr Sriram Nene in 1999.