Mukesh (singer)

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Mukesh
Background information
Birth name Mukesh Chand Mathur
Born July 22, 1923(1923-07-22)
Ludhiana, Punjab, India
Died August 27, 1976(1976-08-27) (aged 53)
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Genres Playback singing, Bhajans, ghazals,classical Music
Occupations singer
Instruments Vocalist
Years active 1940–1976

Mukesh Chand Mathur (22 July 1923 – 27 August 1976), better known mononymously as Mukesh, was an Indian playback singer of Bollywood. He, alongside Mohammad Rafi, Manna Dey and Kishore Kumar, left such an impact on the Hindi film industry that they are still remembered to date.[1][2] Amongst the numerous nominations and awards he won, his song "Kai Baar Yuhi Dekha Hai" from film Rajnigandha (1973) won him the prestigious National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer. Mukesh is also popular as being the voice of legendary actor Raj Kapoor.

Contents

[edit] Early life

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Mukesh was born in Ludhiana to Zorawar Chand Mathur, an engineer, and Chand Rani. He was the sixth in a family of ten children. The music teacher who came home to teach Mukesh's sister, Sundar Pyari, found a pupil in Mukesh who would listen from the adjoining room. Mukesh left school after the 10th grade and worked briefly for the Department of Public Works. He experimented with voice recordings during his employment in Delhi and gradually developed his singing abilities.

[edit] Singing career

Mukesh's voice was first noticed by Motilal, a distant relative, when he sang at his sister's wedding. Motilal took him to Bombay and arranged for singing lessons by Pandit Jagannath Prasad. During this period Mukesh was offered a role in a Hindi film, Nirdosh (1941). His first song was "Dil Hi Bujha Hua Ho To" as an actor-singer for Nirdosh. He got his break as a playback singer for actor Motilal in 1945 with the film Pehli Nazar with music composed by Anil Biswas and lyrics written by Aah Sitapuri. The first song that he sang for a Hindi film was "Dil Jalta Hai To Jalne De".

Mukesh was such fan of singer K. L. Saigal that in his early years of playback singing he used to imitate his idol.[citation needed] In fact, it is said that when K. L. Saigal first heard the song "Dil Jalta Hai...", he remarked, "That's strange, I don't recall singing that song".[citation needed]

Mukesh created his own singing style with the help of music director Naushad, who helped Mukesh to come out of his Saigal style and create his own style. Naushad gave him songs for the film Andaz. Initially Mukesh was the ghost voice of Dilip Kumar in this movie and Mohammed Rafi sang for Raj Kapoor. He deliverd many Hits for Naushad in films like: Anokha Pyaar (1948), Mela(1948), Andaz (1949), Shabnam (1949), Yahudi (1958) and Madhumati (1958). However later Dilip Kumar choose Rafi as his ghost voice and Mukesh became the ghost voice of Raj Kapoor.

In 1974, Mukesh received National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Kai Baar Yuhi Dekha Hai" from Rajnigandha (1974), and Filmfare Awards for the songs "Sab Kuch Seekha Humne" in the movie Anari (1959), "Sabse Bada Naadan Wahi Hai" in Pehchaan (1970), "Jai Bolo Beimaan Ki" in Beimaan (1972) and "Kabhi Kabhie Mere Dil Mein", the title song of film Kabhie Kabhie (1976). A total of around 1,200 songs were sung by him. This number is less than those sung by some of his contemporaries, but the fact is that Mukesh emphasized on quality rather than quantity. The comparatively less songs sung by him in the 70s can be attributed to both the Kishore wave and his failing health due to his worsening heart problem.

[edit] Death

Mukesh died of a heart attack on 27 August 1976 in Detroit, Michigan, USA, where he had gone to perform in a concert. His body was flown to India by Lata Mangeshkar, where a grand funeral ceremony was held in the presence of several actors, with personalities of the Indian film industry and fans paying tribute. When news of his death reached Raj Kapoor, he burst into tears, and remarked, "I have lost my voice,"[citation needed] which is a testimony to the association of Mukesh's voice (in playback) to the immensely popular songs of Raj Kapoor's films. A famous song of the 50s featured on Bharat Bhushan Aa laut ke aa ja mere meet is another example of his earlier melodies, as is Dil tadap tadapke keh raha hai, picturised on Dilip Kumar.

After Mukesh's death, his newer, hitherto unreleased, songs were released in 1977 in films such as Dharam Veer, Amar Akbar Anthony, Khel khiladi ka, Darinda and Chandi sona. The year 1978 also featured a considerable number of Mukesh's songs in films such as Aahuti, Paramatma, Tumhari kasam and Satyam Shivam Sundaram, where Mukesh sang his last film song Chanchal sheetal nirmal komal for Raj Kapoor's younger brother, Shashi Kapoor. From 1980 onward, Mukesh's voice was heard in many later released films such as Shaitan mujarim, Premika, Patthar se takkar (1980), Sanjh ki bela, Maila anchal (1981), Aarohi (1982), Chor mandali (1983), Nirlaj (1985), Love and God (1986), Shubh chintak (1989), and his last known release of Chand grahan (1997).

[edit] Personal life

Mukesh married Sarla Trivedi Raichand alias Bachhiben in a temple in Kandiwali in 1946, at the residence of R. D. Mathur. Sarla was the daughter of a Gujarati Brahmin millionaire. With no proper house, an erratic income and what was then considered in India a supposedly "immoral" profession, Mukesh and Sarla were forced to elope. Everyone made dire predictions of unhappy days and divorce, but both weathered the lean days and celebrated their thirtieth wedding anniversary on 22 August 1976, four days before his departure for the U.S.A. on 27 July 1976. The couple had five children - Rita, Nitin, Nalini (d. 1978), Mohnish (Taboo - nickname) and Namrata (Amrita). He is the grandfather of actor Neil Nitin Mukesh.

[edit] Awards

[edit] National Film Awards

[edit] Filmfare Awards

Mukesh won four Filmfare Awards in the category of Best Male Playback singer

He was also nominated in the same category for ten other songs.

  • 1961 - for the song "Hothon Pe Sacchai" from the film Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai
  • 1964 - for the song "Dost Dost Na Raha" from the film Sangam
  • 1967 - for the song "Sawan Ka Mahina" from the film Milan
  • 1970 - for the song "Bas Yehi Apradh Main Har Baar Karta Hoon" from the film Pehchan
  • 1972 - for the song "Ek Pyar Ka Nagma" from the film Shor
  • 1974 - for the song "Main Na Bhoolunga" from the film Roti Kapda Aur Makaan
  • 1976 - for the song "Main Pal Do Pal Ka Shayar" from the film Kabhie Kabhie
  • 1976 - for the song "Ek Din Bik Jayega, Maati Ke Mol" from the film Dharam Karam
  • 1977 - for the song "Suhani Chandni Raten" from the film Mukti
  • 1978 - for the song "Chanchal Sheetal" from the film Satyam Shivam Sundaram

[edit] Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards

Winner

[edit] Filmography

[edit] References

  1. ^ Gopal, Sangita; Sujata Moorti (2008). Global Bollywood: Travels of Hindi Song and Dance. University of Minnesota Press. p. 94. ISBN 0816645795. 
  2. ^ Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema by Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen. Oxford University Press, 1994. ISBN 0851704557, page 169.

[edit] External links
1968–1980
1981–2000
2001–present
1959–1960
  • No Award (1959)
  • Mukesh (1960)
1961–1980
1981–2000
2001–present
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