Alka Yagnik - Profile

Free Web Hosting Provider - Web Hosting - E-commerce - High Speed Internet - Free Web Page

Alka Yagnik
Winner of 4 Best Female Playback Singer, Filmfare Awards

Profile

Background
Alka Yagnik is the daughter of Shubha Yagnik (pronounced Yaaj - nik in actuality) who is a trained classical singer who could not move ahead professionally due to a throat problem. They are Gujaratis who were based in Calcutta, and it was Alka's mother's wish that her daughter reach where she could not. Alka too had a flair for music, and would need a radio to help her sleep from the age of five or so. Alka thus underwent rigorous music training from a very early age under a series of teachers. At the age of eight, Alka was already an All India Radio artiste in Calcutta. She won a Sugam Sangeet competition in Calcutta at the age of 11.

Struggle And Rise
Alka's mother brought her to Mumbai to try her luck in films as a child - singer. Music directors Kalyanji and Anandji did take her under their wing but advised them to wait till her voice matured and try for a career only as an adult singer, as Alka was just ten then. On a subsequent visit, she got a letter of introduction to Raj Kapoor from his Calcutta distributor. Raj heard the girl and sent her with a letter to Laxmikant. Impressed, Laxmikant gave her two alternatives - an immediate start as a dubbing artist, or a later break as a full - fledged singer. The Yagniks settled for the latter.

It was in early 1979 that Alka got to sing a few lines in Rajshri's Payal Ki Jhankar. Her first full - fledged song was 'Hum Tum Rahenge' for Rajesh Roshan in Hamari Bahu Alka, a Basu Chatterjee comedy, and was a duet with Amit Kumar. However the film was delayed and her first release proved to be the super - hit 'Mere Angne mein', the folk song adopted by Kalyanji - Anandji in Laawaris (1981). Filmlore has it that Alka was told to sing the song Bachchan had already recorded as a lark, imagining that she was singing it for Rakhee. After she did, Kalyanji - Anandji congratulated her on recording her first song for them! Around this time, Alka recorded her first song for Laxmikant - Pyarelal too, 'Jaldi Se Aa', in Jeevan Dhara (1982) with Anuradha Paudwal and Kavita Krishnamurty. She also recorded songs for Rajesh Roshan in Sannata and Kaamchor (the hit 'Tumse Badhkar Duniya Mein' with Kishore Kumar), Usha Khanna (aHotel and other films), R. D. Burman (Namkeen) and many more songs for Kalyanji - Anandji (Itni Si Baat, Yeh Rishta Na Toote, Khush Naseeb, Taqdeer, Nastik) and Laxmikant - Pyarelal (Badle Ki Aag, aTeri Maang Sitaron Se Bhar Doon, aCoolie.

All through the 80's, Alka did keep singing regularly in films for most of the top music directors and also past - their - peak veterans like Shankar, Ravi, Chitragupta and newcomers like Anu Malik and Anand Milind. But hits eluded her even as she sang for films like Loha, Mera Jawaab, Pighalta Aasman, Ghar Dwar and others. It was in 1988 that she got her breakthrough with the song that was to launch Madhuri Dixit and rank among the greatest and most evergreen cult songs - 'Ek Do Teen Char' (Tezaab/Laxmikant - Pyarelal).

The same film's 'So gaya Yeh Jahan' and the song of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, which had Alka as the only female singer, finally established her as a front - ranker. In 1989, she sang in Eeshwar, Rakhwala, Suryaa, Elaan - E - Jung and other films, excelled in 'Gali Gali Mein Phirta Hai' and 'Gajar Ne Kiya Hai Ishara' (Tridev) and sang the memorable 'Thare Vaaste Re Dola' (Batwara).