अलका याज्ञिक

Alka Yagnik is one of the most successful playback singers in the history of Hindi cinema. Born in Kolkata in 1966, she trained in classical music from early childhood and was singing for Akashvani (All India Radio) Calcutta by the age of six. After moving to Bombay, she found early work in films like Payal Ki Jhankaar (1980) and Laawaris (1981), but it was the chartbuster "Ek Do Teen" from Tezaab (1988) that made her a household name and won her a first Filmfare Award. Through the 1990s and 2000s her voice defined the era's romantic melodies — "Choli Ke Peeche" (Khalnayak), "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai", "Taal Se Taal Mil" (Taal) — often in celebrated duets with Kumar Sanu and Udit Narayan, and she remained in demand decades later with songs like "Agar Tum Saath Ho" (Tamasha, 2015). She has won seven Filmfare Awards for Best Female Playback Singer, a record she shares with Asha Bhosle, along with two National Film Awards, and Guinness World Records has repeatedly recognised her as the most-streamed artist on YouTube. In 2024 she revealed she was battling a rare sensorineural hearing loss, and in 2026 the Government of India honoured her with the Padma Bhushan.