Mukesh

This article is about the playback singer. For other uses, see Mukesh (disambiguation).

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 Gujrati Indian classical
Occupations	singer
Instruments	Vocalist
Years active	1940–1976

Mukesh Chand Mathur (Hindi: मुकेश चन्द माथुर) (22 July 1923 – 27 August 1976) 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]

Early life

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.

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 by Anil Biswas & lyrics by Aah Sitapuri. The first song that he sang for a Hindi film was Dil jalta hai to jalne de, which was picturised on Motilal.

He was such a fan of K. L. Saigal that in his early years of playback singing he used to imitate his idol. In fact, it is said that when K. L. Saigal first heard the song Dil jalta hai to jalne de, he remarked, "That's strange, I don't recall singing that song".

Naushad

Mukesh created his own singing style with the help of music director Naushad, who helped Mukesh to come out of his saigal style and to create his own Mukesh style. Naushad gave mukesh songs to sing for him in the movie Andaz

| Track # || Song || Singer(s) || Composer || Lyrics |-

| 1 || Jhoom Jhoom Ke Nacho Aaj || Mukesh || Naushad || Majrooh Sultanpuri

| 2 || Hum Aaj Kahin Dil Kho Baithe || Mukesh || Naushad || Majrooh Sultanpuri

| 3 || Tu Kahe Agar || Mukesh || Naushad || Majrooh Sultanpuri

| 4 || Toote Na Dil Toote Na || Mukesh || Naushad || Majrooh Sultanpuri

Mukesh was the ghost voice of Dilip Kumar in this movie and ironically Mohammed Rafi sang for Raj Kapoor, however the Mukesh-Dilip combo did very well at the box office and so Mukesh became the early voice of Dilip Kumar and deliverd many Hits to him in movies like: Anokha Pyaar(1948),Mela(1948),Andaz(1949),Shabnam(1949),Yahudi (1958) and Madhumati (1958). It was impossible for 2 upcoming heroes to share their voice, so Dilip Kumar choose Mohammed Rafi as his ghost voice onward. Mukesh who was the ghost voice of Raj Kapoor continued to deliver hit songs for him He is best known for the songs he sang for Raj Kapoor.

In 1974, Mukesh received National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the song Kai baar yoon bhi dekhaa hai from Rajnigandha (1974), and Filmfare Awards for the songs Sab kuch seekha in the movie Anari (1959), Sabse bada naadan wahi hai in Pehchaan (1970), Jai bolo in Be imaan (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.

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," 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).

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 July 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.

Awards

Winner

Mukesh was the first singer ever in Bollywood who received the first Filmfare Best Male Playback Award in 1959.

National Film Awards

• 1974 - National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for Kain baar yoon bhi dekhaa hai song in the film Rajnigandha

Filmfare Awards

Winner

• 1959 - Filmfare Best Male Playback Award for Subkuchh seekha humne song in the film Anari (inaugural)
• 1970 - Filmfare Best Male Playback Award for Sabse bada naadan song in the film Pehchan
• 1972 - Filmfare Best Male Playback Award for Jai bolo beiman ki song in the film Beimaan
• 1976 - Filmfare Best Male Playback Award for Kabhi Kabhie Mere Dil Mein song in the film Kabhi Kabhie

Nominated

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

Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards

Winner

• 1967 - Best Male Playback Singer for Teesri Kasam [1]
• 1968 - Best Male Playback Singer for Milan [2]
• 1970 - Best Male Playback Singer for Saraswatichandra [3]

Filmography

• Pehli Nazar (First Look) (1945)
• Mela (The Fair) (1948)
• Aag (Fire) (1948)
• Andaz (1949)
• Awaara (1951), featuring the song Awara Hoon
• Aah (1953)
• Barsaat (1953)
• Shree 420 (1955)
• Parvarish (Upbringing) (1958)
• Phir Subaha Hogi (1958)
• Anari (Fool) (1959)
• Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960)
• Chhalia (1960)
• Bumbai ka Babu (1960)
• Hum Hindustani (1960)
• Banjarin (1960)
• Mera Ghar Mere Bachhe (1960)
• HoneyMoon (1960)
• Phool Bane Angarey (1962)
• Aashiq (1962)
• Dil Hi To Hai (1963)
• Akeli Mat Jaiyo (1963)
• Parasmani (1963)
• Sangam (1964)
• Ishaara (1964)
• Himalay ki God Mein (1965)
• Lal Bungla (1966)
• Gunaho ka devta (1967)
• Raat Aur Din (1967)
• Saraswatichandra (1968)
• Sambandh (1969)
• Vishwas (1969)
• Mera Naam Joker (1970)
• ek Bar Muskura Do (1972)
• Dharam Karam (1975)
• Dus Numbari (1975)
• Sanyasi (1975)
• Do Jasoos (1975)
• Kabhi Kabhie (1976)
• Darinda (1977)
• Dharam Veer (1977)
• Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978)

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.

External links

• - www.SingerMukesh.com A Dedicated Web Site To Singer Mukesh
• - Pankaj Dwivedi The Man With Mukesh
• Mukesh at the Internet Movie Database
• Legends - Mukesh
• Listen Mukesh Online

Persondata
Name	Mukesh
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	22 July 1923
Place of birth
Date of death	27 August 1976
Place of death