Alka Yagnik is an Indian playback singer who has made a significant contribution to the Indian music industry. She was born on March 20, 1966, in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Alka started her career as a playback singer in the film industry with the song “Thirkat Ang” in the film “Payal Ki Jhankaar”. Her singing talent and versatility has earned her recognition and numerous awards in the industry. She is considered as one of the leading female playback singers in India.
Alka Yagnik Personal Life
Yagnik is one of the most prolific female playback singers, and has sung a large number of female solos in her Bollywood career. In her career spanning over four decades she has sung songs for more than thousand films and recorded over twenty thousand songs in different Indian languages. Twenty of her tracks feature in BBC’s list of top forty Bollywood soundtracks of all-time. She is ranked No.1 on the YouTube’s Music Charts & Insights list of top global artists as of January 2023. She has been on the chart for 331 weeks with 371 million views.
Alka Yagnik has been recognized as the most streamed artist in the world by Guinness World Records with 15.3 Billion YouTube views in 2022. The record book further reported that, “Kolkata-born Yagnik, 56, has been the most popular artist on the platform for the past three years, with 17 billion streams in 2021 and 16.6 billion in 2020.”
Alka Yagnik Career
In 1994, she sang another seductive song “Din Mein Leti Hai” from the film Amanaat with co-singer Kumar Sanu and Ila Arun, composed by Bappi Lahiri and lyrics by Anwar Sagar. Besides the duet version, she also sang the female version of the song with Ila Arun. She has performed several shows with Kalyanji-Anandji and Laxmikant-Pyarelal.
Throughout the 90s Yagnik along with Kavita Krishnamurthy and Poornima were singing most of the songs for heroines.
Yagnik worked on private albums like “Tum Yaad Aaye” in 1997 in close collaboration with award-winning lyricist Javed Akhtar and composer Raju Singh, “Tum Aaye” in 2002 with Javed Akhtar and singer Hariharan and “Shairana” in 2003 with Javed Akhtar and singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan. She has also performed the Hanuman Chalisa and various devotional songs. Her song “Chamma Chamma” from China Gate was featured in the song “Hindi Sad Diamonds” from the soundtrack of the film Moulin Rouge!.
In 2012 she along with Sonu Nigam sang a song ‘Shiksha Ka Suraj’ as part of the National Literacy Mission of India for which she was felicitated by Union Minister For Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal. Also in 2012, on the occasion of 100 years of Hindi Cinema, her song “Taal Se Taal Mila” from the movie Taal was voted as the best song of the century in a poll conducted by DesiMartini, Hindustan Times and Fever 104. Also, her song “Choli Ke Peeche” from the movie Khalnayak was voted as the hottest song of the century in a poll conducted by Sanona.
Yagnik has also been involved in various projects to empower girls. In 2014, Yagnik again teamed up with Sonu Nigam to sing the song “Phool Khil Jayenge” for child health awareness. She also sang a song titled “Maine Li Jo Angdai” for the album Women’s Day Special: Spreading Melodies Everywhere. It was composed by Farid Sabri, Harish Chauhan, and Gurudatt Sahil; and penned by Sudhakar Sharma.
In 2015, she sung ‘Agar Tum Saath Ho’ for which she informed that the music director of the song, A.R. Rahman wasn’t present in the studio, but he was giving instructions on Skype video call and after giving some instructions, he gave power to Yagnik to do any of own style of singing in the song ‘Agar Tum Saath Ho’.
Yagnik shares the title for the greatest number of Filmfare Awards with Asha Bhosle (seven) by a female playback singer. She has sung 2,486 Hindi songs in 1,114 films. She is the fifth most prolific Bollywood singer of all time after Asha Bhosle (7886 songs), Mohammed Rafi (7405 songs), Lata Mangeshkar (5596 songs) and Kishore Kumar (2,707 songs). She is the third topmost female playback singer after Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle who has sung the maximum number of female solos in her Bollywood career.
Yagnik has sung more than 9000 songs in over 300 films. Most of her duets were with Kumar Sanu, followed by Udit Narayan and Sonu Nigam. She sang maximum numbers of romantic songs with Kumar Sanu and flamboyant numbers of songs with Udit Narayan and she is known with Kumar Sanu and Udit Narayan, as the trinity of 90s playback singing.
Alka Yagnik Family
Yagnik was born in Kolkata on 20 March 1966 to a Gujarati family. Her father’s name is Dharmendra Shankar. Her mother Shubha was a singer of Indian classical music. In 1972 at age six, she started singing for Akashvani (All India Radio), Calcutta. At age 10, her mother brought her to Mumbai as a child singer. She was advised to wait until her voice matured, but her mother remained determined.
Husband & Daughters
Alka Yagnik is married to Neeraj Kapoor, who is a businessman by profession. The couple has two daughters, named Jayati and Shweta. Alka is known for keeping her personal life private and has not shared much information about her family in the public domain. However, it is widely known that she is a proud mother of two daughters and is dedicated to her family. Alka has successfully balanced her personal and professional life, and her love for her family is evident through her work and the way she speaks about them in interviews.
Alka Yagnik Net Worth
Alka Yagnik is considered one of the most successful playback singers in the Indian music industry and has a substantial net worth. As of 2023, her net worth is estimated to be in the range of $10 million to $15 million. Her singing talent and versatility have earned her numerous awards and recognition in the industry, and she continues to be in high demand for her voice. Alka’s contribution to the Indian music industry has earned her a place among the most influential and respected artists in the industry, and her net worth continues to grow through her various projects and collaborations. Apart from singing, Alka has also been associated with various endorsement deals and brand advertisements, which has further added to her net worth.
Alka Yagnik Physical Appearance
Alka stands at a height of 5′ 4″ (163 cm) and weighs 65 kg (143 lbs). She has black eyes and dark brown hair.
Controversies:
More than 42 politicians opposed her song ‘Cholee Ke Pichhe Kya Hain’ for using vulgar words. It was banned to be played on All India Radio & Doordarshan.
As per some rumors it is said that many of her songs recordings were done at Osama Bin Laden’s compound at Abbottabad.
Awards & Nominations:
She has won several accolades like…
- Two National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for her songs: “Ghoongat Ki Aad Se” from Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993) and “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998).
- Alka won a record seven Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer (note 2) for her songs: “Ek Do Teen” from Tezaab (1988).
- Again she won Filmfare for “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai” from Khalnayak (1993), “Zara Tasveer Se Tu” from Pardes (1998), “Taal Se Taal” from Taal (2000), “Dil Ne Yeh Kaha Hai Dil Se” from Dhadkan (2001), “O Re Chhori” from Lagaan (2002) and “Hum Tum” from Hum Tum (2005) from a record thirty-six nominations.
- Additionally, she won two Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards.
- He was awarded with the Lata Mangeshkar Award in 2017 for her contribution in the musical field.
- She was awarded with National Film Award by President K. R. Narayanan at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 15th February 2000.
- She received two National Film Awards, seven Filmfare Awards, three Zee Cine Awards & many more.
Alka Yagnik Songs List
Some of the popular songs sung by Alka Yagnik include:
- “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai” from the film “Khalnayak”
- “Ek Do Teen” from the film “Tezaab”
- “Tumse Milne Ki Tamanna Hai” from the film “Baaghi”
- “Pardesi Pardesi” from the film “Raja Hindustani”
- “Mera Dil Bhi Kitna Pagal Hai” from the film “Saajan”
- “Yeh Galiyan Yeh Chaubara” from the film “Prem Rog”
- “Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin” from the film “Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin”
- “Mera Kuch Samaan” from the film “Ijaazat”
- “Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai” from the film “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi”
- “Sona Sona” from the film “Majaa”
This is by no means an exhaustive list, as Alka Yagnik has lent her voice to numerous hit songs in the Indian music industry and continues to be a prominent figure in the industry.
Alka Yagnik becomes world’s most streamed artist on YouTube; overtakes BTS, Taylor Swift and others
Some Intersting Facts About Alka Yagnik
- Her mother Shubha Yagnik is also trained in Indian classical music.
- She has worked with almost every popular and legendary music composers such as Kalyanji–Anandji, Rahul Dev Burman, Laxmikant–Pyarelal, Rajesh Roshan, Nadeem–Shravan, Jatin–Lalit, Anu Malik, A. R. Rahman, Anand–Milind, Himesh Reshammiya, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy and many more.
- As per some rumors, it is said that hundreds of her song recordings were found at Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad.
- Yagnik’s rise to the top of the streaming charts is a testament to her massive fan following and the enduring appeal of her music.
- Her song “Choli Ke Peeche” from the movie Khalnayak was voted as the hottest song of the century in a poll conducted by Sanona.
- She has also been involved in various projects pertaining to the empowerment of the girl child.
- Alka gave her first stage performance at Kala Mandir in Kolkata.
- Most of the Alka’s songs have been recorded at the Mehboob Studio.
- She has sung 2,486 Hindi songs in 1,114 films so far. She is considered the fifth most prolific Bollywood singer.
Bio/Wiki
| Real Name | Alka Yagnik |
| Profession | Playback Singer |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 163 cm in meters– 1.63 m in feet inches– 5’ 4” |
| Weight (approx.) | in kilograms– 65 kg in pounds– 143 lbs |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Dark Brown |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 20 March 1966 |
| Age (as of 2023) | 57 Years |
| Birthplace | Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Zodiac sign | Pisces |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| School | Modern High School for Girls, Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Debut | Playback Singer:- Song- “Thirkat Ang,” Film- “Payal Ki Jhankaar” |
| Family | Father– Dharmendra Shankar Mother– Shubha Yagnik Brother– Samir Yagnik Sister– Not Known |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Hobbies | Singing, Reading & Travelling |
| Controversies | • More than 42 politicians opposed her song “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai” on the pretext of using vulgar words. The song was also banned to be played on Doordarshan and All India Radio. • Once, Alka Yagnik accused Anuradha Paudwal of stealing her songs and dubbing them in her own voice. |
| Favourites | |
| Food | Gujarati Cuisines, Maharastrian Cuisine, Italian & Chinese |
| Actor(s) | Salman Khan, Raj Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan & Amir Khan |
| Actresses | Aishwarya Rai, Raveena Tandon, Rekha & Alia Bhatt |
| Singer(s) | Lata Mangeshkar, Sadhna Sargam, Sonu Nigam, Kumar Sanu & Shreya Ghoshal |
| TV Shows | Indian: Sa re ga ma pa Little Champs(Zee TV), Indian Idol (Sony TV) |
| Colour(s) | Black, Yellow, Pink & White |
| Boys, Affairs and More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Husband/Spouse | Neeraj Kapoor (Shillong-based businessman) |
| Marriage Date | Year 1989 |
| Children | Son– None Daughter– Syesha Kapoor |
| Style Quotient | |
| Car Collection | Range Rover (Black) |
| Money Factor | |
| Salary | Rs. 12 Lakh/Song |
| Net Worth(Approx) | $8 million |
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