Indian playback singer Alka Yagnik is incredibly melodic and versatile. She is one of the most popular playback singers in Indian cinema and has performed a number of popular songs in several languages. Some of Alka Yagnik’s songs were huge hits like Aankh Teri Chalke, Tip Tip Barsa Paani, Dil Ne Yeh Kaha Hain Dil Se.
The Hindi cinema industry is where she is most engaged. Despite her four decades in the business, the public still enjoys and finds her voice fresh. The last three decades saw her at most busiest. She has received numerous honors, including the National and Filmfare Awards.
Childhood:
Alaka was born on 20 March 1966 in a Gujarati family living in Kolkata (then Kalakatta). His father, Dharmendra Shankar, was a businessman, and his mother, Shubha, was an Indian classical singer. Alaka got her inspiration and guidance for singing from her mother.
A single mother gave him the basic education of singing since childhood. That’s what we saw in Kolkata in our Indian classical show. In 1972, when he only wanted to be there, then he suddenly started singing praises in Kolkata.
Introduction to singing:
In an interview, she related an event involving her very first theatrical performance. She recalled accompanying her mother to her singing performance in Kolkata when she was nine years old. Another singer was scheduled to appear after her mother’s performance, but he arrived late.
So, in the interim, the event coordinators instructed her mother to let her daughter sing on stage until the male performer showed up to fill the void. The audience enjoyed her song so much that they were unwilling to listen to the artist who was really supposed to be there.
Alka entered the stage once she gave her OK. She was nine years old when she performed on stage for the first time, and she sang well. During the summer break from school, her mother used to take her to Mumbai so that she could meet the music directors. She traveled to Mumbai for the same purpose with her mother when she was 10 years old in 1976.
Raj Kapoor was astonished by Alka’s singing on Akashvani at the time. Later, he invited her to a conference in Mumbai and arranged for her to meet the famous music director Laxmikant. Laxmikant was equally as captivated after hearing her speak. He offered her mother two options:
she could debut her as a female playback singer right away, or she could wait a few years and allow her voice to develop more. Her mother opted to wait and continue with her training after selecting the second alternative. The audience enjoyed her song so much that they were unwilling to listen to the artist who was really supposed to be there.
Career:
Alka made her playback singing debut in the 1980 movie Payal Ki Jhankar with the song Thirkat Ang at the age of 14. Mere Angane Mein from the 1981 film Laawaris was the second song to draw attention to her vocals. The song Ek Do Teen, which was used in the 1988 movie Tezaab, was her biggest commercial success.
Her first Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer went to this song. Following that, she resumed the list of her top songs and delivered back-to-back top hits in several languages. She sang in a variety of languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Marathi, Manipuri, and Odia.
When she recorded “Choli Ke Piche Kya Hai” with Ila Arun in 1993, it sparked controversy since some people thought the song’s lyrics had two different meanings. She did receive her second Filmfare for this song, though. She performed some of the all-time favorites during the 1990s and 2000s, including Tum Yaad Aaye, Tum Aaye, Chamma Chamma, Pardesi Pardesi, etc.
Alka has sung songs for a few government-sponsored initiatives, including Shiksha ka Suraj in 2012 for the National Literacy Mission of India, Phool Khil Jaayenge in 2014 for the government’s child health awareness campaign, and Maine li Jo Angadai in the same year for the Women’s Day campaign.
Records:
Alka and Asha Bhosle both won the Best Playback Singer Filmfare award seven times, setting a record for most wins. She performed about 2,500 songs in countless movies.
In a survey done by DesiMartini, Hindustan Times, and Fever 104, her song Taal Se Taal Mila was chosen as the song of the century. Choli Ke Piche Kya Hai, one of her songs, was chosen as the hottest song of the century in a Sanona survey.
In the music business, she has sung the most solo songs, trailing only Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.
Personal Life:
In 1989, she was hitched to Neeraj Kapoor. He is a businessman with a base in Shillong and the friend’s nephew of Alka’s mother. Due to their respective occupations, they both live apart from one another. Syesha, the daughter of the couple, once resided with Alka. Syesha is now married and resides with her spouse.
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