मोहित चौहान

Mohit Chauhan is one of the defining playback voices of 21st-century Hindi cinema, instantly recognisable for his warm, unhurried, folk-tinged timbre. Born on 11 March 1966 in Nahan, Himachal Pradesh, he entered music not through films but through Indipop, as the frontman of the band Silk Route, whose 1998 debut album Boondein and its single 'Dooba Dooba' became one of the most loved indie hits of the era. His film career began quietly with 'Pehli Nazar Mein' (Road, 2002), but it was A.R. Rahman's 'Khoon Chala' (Rang De Basanti, 2006) and Pritam's 'Tum Se Hi' (Jab We Met, 2007) that made him a household name. A remarkable run followed — 'Masakali' (Delhi-6), 'Yeh Dooriyan' (Love Aaj Kal), 'Tune Jo Na Kaha' (New York) and 'Pehli Baar Mohabbat' (Kaminey) — culminating in Rockstar (2011), for which Rahman entrusted him with nearly the entire album; 'Nadaan Parindey', 'Sadda Haq' and 'Jo Bhi Main' remain cult favourites. He has won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer twice, for 'Masakali' (2010) and for Rockstar's 'Jo Bhi Main' (2012). Later hits such as 'Matargashti' (Tamasha, 2015) confirmed his standing, and he continues to record for new Hindi films well into the 2020s.