Mukesh Chandra Mathur was born in a small middle class family in Delhi on July 22, 1923. He was interested in acting and singing right from childhood and was a great fan and admirer of K. L. Saigal. In spite of the fact that he only studied till the 10th grade, he was able to obtain a good job as an assistant surveyor in the department of public works, where he worked for seven months. However fate had other plans for him. While in Delhi Mukesh had recorded some non-film songs secretly. Then, Mukesh was bitten by the Bombay bug like scores of other young people before and after him. He arrived in Bombay with the hope of becoming a movie star. He stayed with his relative the famous actor Motilal.With Motilal's help, Mukesh got a role as an actor in the film Years later, he was to act again in Raj Kapoor’s Aah in 1953. His debut as a singer however came in the film Nirdosh with the song 'Dil Hi Bujha Hua..', then followed a duet with singer Kusum for the film Us Paar the song was 'Zara Boli Ri Ho..'. He later went on to sing the song 'Badariya Baras Gayi Us Paar..' with Khursheed in the film Moorti. By this time he had established a small place for himself in the hearts of his audience. Then came an important milestone in his life. The year was 1945 and Anil Biswaas asked him to record the song 'Dil Jalta Hai To Jalne De..' for the film Pehli Nazar. That song brought a still relatively unknown Mukesh to the altar of public fame. A legend was born and in the coming decades his golden voice would be heard in songs from Aag, Anokhi Ada and Mela across the entire nation.In 1949, came another milestone in his life. His association with Raj Kapoor and Shankar- Jaikishan. Raj Kapoor had asked them to provide music for his R.K. films and Shankar- Jaikishan invited Mukesh to sing for them. The chartbusting success of the music in films like Awara and Shree 420 spread Mukesh’s voice all the way to Russia where even in the streets of Moscow you could hear people singing 'Awaara Hoon..' and 'Mera Joota Hai Japani..'. Raj Kapoor being the astute filmmaker that he was understood the importance of good film music and the direct impact it had on the success or failure of a film at the box office. His personal interest in music helped him. He would review every tune with Shankar- Jaikishan and his personal approval was needed before a tune was selected for the final recording. Raj Kapoor was present at the studio during the recording of all his songs, personally cheering the orchestra. The result of such dedication can be seen years later when each new generation freshly discovers the gems that lie embedded on the sound-tracks of such movies as Aah, Awara, Barsaat, Shree 420, Anari, Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hai, Sangam, Mera Naam Joker and many more. With the success of Raj Kapoor was intertwined the success of Mukesh and Shankar- Jaikishan.

However life was not always that easy and smooth. Following Awaara's success, Mukesh almost ruined himself when he sidelined his singing career to pursue acting to try and make it as a singing star. Mashooqa (1953) with Suraiyya and Anuraag (1956) with Usha Kiron both sank at the box-office. He also did a small role as a tangewala enacting his own song - Choti si Zindagani in Raj Kapoor's Aah (1953). Wizened by the ordeal, Mukesh returned to playback singing only to find that offers had dried up. The situation reached a point that his children Nitin and Ritu were turned out of school as they were unable to pay their fees.It was finally with 'Yeh Mera Deewanapan Hai..' from Yahudi (1958), that Mukesh finally came back with a bang. Other hits that year like Madhumati, Parvarish and Phir Subah Hogi meant there was no turning back. Even S. D. Burman who had not utilized Mukesh's services for over a decade composed those two masterpieces for him - 'Chal Ri Sajni..' from Bombay ka Babu (1960) and 'O Jaanewaale Ho Sake To Laut Ke Aana..' from Bandini (1963). Mukesh thereafter flourished right through the 1960s and mid 1970s with soulful hits like 'Main to Ek Khwab Hoon..' from Himalay Ki God Mein (1965), 'Jeena Yahaan Marna Yahaan..' from Mera Naam Joker, 'Maine Tere Liye Hi Saat Rang Ke Sanpne Chune..' from Anand (1970), 'Main Na Bhoolonga..' from Roti, Kapda Aur Makan (1974) and of course 'Main Pal do Pal Ka Shayar Hoon..' and 'Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Me..' from Kabhi Kabhi (1976). Among the other music directors for whom Mukesh sang a good number of his songs were Laxmikant Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji, Salil Choudhary, Usha Khanna, R. D. Burman,etc. Another music director to have used Mukesh’s voice well was Khaiyyam. The lyrics of Sahir Ludhianvi, Khaiyyam’s music and Mukesh’s voice created magic in the film Kabhi Kabhi.In 1974 Mukesh received a National award for the song 'Kai Baar Yun Bhi Dekha Hai..' sung in the film Rajinigandha composed by Salil Choudhary. His last recorced song was Chanchal, Sheetal, Nirmal, Komal from Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978). He died on 27th August 1976, of a sudden heart attack in Detroit, while on a concert tour of the U.S. Although he is no more, his ever green voice is still being heard in some remote corner or the other.

ASHA BHOSLE

Asha Bhosle's career who worked as extensively with trendsetting composers across three generations, from O. P. Naiyyar's breezy, foot-tapping ditties of the 1950s to R. D. Burman's pop blitzkrieg in the 1970s to A. R. Rahman's sensational contemporary rhythms? Her distinctiveness arises from her enormous appetite for experimentation. She sang one of Hindi cinema's first rock 'n' roll numbers, 'Eena Meena Deeka..' way back in the 1950s. She has recorded memorable ghazals with the likes of Ghulam Ali and Jagjit Singh, pop songs with Biddu and innumerable disco numbers with Bappi Lahiri. Asha Bhonsle, one of the Mangeshkar sisters was born on September 8, 1933 to the renowed Maharashtrian parent, actor and singer Dinanath Mangeshkar in a small hamlet called 'Goar' in Maharastra. Like her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar, Asha also initially did a small stint as a child artist. But being trained in classical music by her father Dinanath Mangeshkar it was more natural she too turn to playback singing like Lata did. In April 1942 her father Dinath Mangeshkar died, causing upheaval in the family which moved from Pune to Kolhapur and in turn to Bombay. Around the age of ten she apparently sang her first film song in the Marathi film Majha Bal. Asha like her other sisters and brother was introduced to music at a very tender age. Asha remembers her birthplace as she says " I still remember my childhood days in sangli, because of me Lata didi use to bunk the school, I cannot forget sangli as it's my birth place ".Asha made her playback debut in 1948 with the film Chunariya. But it took a long, long time for Asha to make it to the top. By the end of 1949 with the release of Lahore, Barsat, Andaaz and Mahal, Lata Mangeshkar became first love of all the music directors. Asha didn't get her true share despite being equally good. Besides there were some music directors who thought of Shamshad Begum and Geeta Dutt first in the absence of Lata. This left Asha almost nothing. Only some low budget films, or on occasions where Lata was not available, songs came Asha's way. It was composrs like Master Krishna Dayal, Vinod, Hansraj Behl, Basant Prakash, Dhaniram, Sardul Quatra and others who gave songs to Asha in early days of her career. Apart from Chunariya the only film were Asha has sung is Lekh and Khel both in 1949. In Lekh she has a solo, besides a duet with Mukesh 'Ye Kafila Hai Pyaar Ka Chalta Hi Jayega..' under the baton of Master Krishna Dayal. The fame came to her way only after Armaan (1953). Here she sung under S. D. Burman that famous song 'Chahe Kitna Mujhe Tum Bulavo Ji, Nahi Bolungi Nahi Bolungi..'. The same song was sung as duet too, with Talat Mahmood.

And it followed with Ravi picking up where S. D. Burman left, in 1954 Vachan with one good song with Mohd. Rafi : 'Jab Liya Haath Mein Haath..'. This lone song gave her enough ground to establish her self firmly. But till this time it was films like Ek Do Teen (1951), Muqqaddar (1950), Ramman (1954), Saloni (1952), Bijli (1950), Naualakha Haar (1954), Jagriti (1953) and other such films with one or two songs, gave her some hope to sustain.1957 was her breakthrough year when O. P. Naiyyar used her to sing the heroine's songs in Tumsa Nahin Dekha and Naya Daur. The same year S. D. Burman had his rift with Lata. Also Geeta Dutt’s troubled marriage did not make her easily available . Consequently S. D. Burman chose to groom Asha along with O. P. Naiyyar rather than wait for Geeta. The following year Asha made it right to the top with hit songs in films like Howrah Bridge (1958), Chalti ka Naam Ghadi (1958) and Lajwanti (1958). Asha got involved with O. P. Naiyyar and thereafter she remained his premier singer till their break-up in the 1970s. The 1960s saw Asha at her best as she belted out her best songs particularly under O. P. Naiyyar's baton. The 1970s also brought her close with R. D. Burman who gave her a new hip and happening sound altogether. 'Piya Tu Ab To Aajaa..' (Caravan), 'Dum Maro Dum..' (Hare Rama Hare Krishna), offered fresh and stimulating challenges to her voice. 'Jaane Jaan..' from Jawaani Diwaani (1972) had her switching from the higher scales to the absolute lower ones within the song with ease! 1980’s brought a lucky and prosperous year for Asha as she rocked the show with evergreen ghazals like 'Dil Cheez Kya Hai..', 'In Aankhon ki Masti..', 'Yeh Kya Jagah hai Doston..', 'Justaju Jiski Ki..' (All Umrao Jaan), a few of the finest singing. Ijaazat (1987) saw her in top form winning a National Award for 'Mera Kuchh Saamaan..', a most difficult song to sing as the lyrics were more in prose form rather than standard rhythmic verse. In the 1990s Asha has even further widened her horizon by succesfully coming out with albums in Indipop giving the albums a western touch and beating the Indian pop artists on their own turf. Though she has cut down on her singing now she still makes an Urmila Matonder or Aishwarya Rai sizzle in Rangeela (1994) or Taal (1999).Today her vocals are in better, more supple, sensuous and inviting shape then ever before. If we listen to her singing R. D. Burman’s 'Teri Meri Yaari Badi Purani..', right before going on to Sandeep Chowta’s 'Kambakht Ishq..', we notice no perceptible difference in the rendition of the two tracks, even though they are separated by 30 years.