Lesser Known Singers In Bollywood

   KNOWN VOICES,UNKNOWN FACES, UNSUNG SINGERS ( FEMALE) OF  BOLLYWOOD

In  the last 75  + years  of  Bollywood Music  History,  if  we  take  the  Golden Period  of  1950s to 1980s , among the  female  singers, it was  ruled  by  just  four  singers, in order  of when they started,  Shamsad Begum, Geeta  Dutt ,Lataji  and  Asha ( I  am Leaving  out  singers like  Noor Jahan and  Suriya  in this)  and may be fifth  one  is  Suman Kalyanpur . But  during these 30 to 40  years  there have been  many Singers who came,  few flourished for few years , many  vanished  after  couple of  songs/ films . This  Blog is  an  attempt  to  trace  these  Singers  and  introduce  to you all, some  info and  Trivia  about  them  and  a  sample  of  their  most popular  song may be. I have  taken lot of  pain and research  in putting  this  information  together , so request  your   attention and  feedback  on the  same.  

1)First  Singer  is  SUDHA MALHOTRA , She  started  as  an Small  time  actress  and  later  turned  into Singing . Some of  popular  Films she  sang were, Arzoo,Dhool  Ka  Phool,  Barsaat Ki  Raat ( She  was  one  of female  singers in Famous  Qawaalis  in this  film). She  also  was a  popular  singer  in Marathi ,both  Filmi  and  Non Filmi  Songs.  Let  us  listen  to her  song  from  film DIDI, A  duet  with Mukesh, Tum Agar  Bhi Bhool Jayo,  Picturised  on Sunil  Dutt  and  Shuba Khote ( who later  became  a HIT Pair with Mehmood), written by  Sahir  and  Composed  by  N Dutta.

(https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x23oh50)

2)Next  is  MINOO PURUSHOTAM, she  was  Introduced  to Bollywood  Singing  by  Composer  Roshan, thro  Film TAJ MAHAL. She  mainly sang, Female  duets  with Lata, Asha, Suman  and  was used  when Multiple  heroine  or  female  songs  were  there.She  was  there upto  Mid 1970s  and  than faded away,  today  we  will listen  to her  duet  with Lataji,  from Film  DAAG, Ni Yaar Manna Ni  composed  by  Lakshmi  Pyare  and  picturised on 2 Dancers  (one is  Padma Khanna)  and  Not on two leading ladies  in film, Rakhee and   Sharmila.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiTrVNa6x00)

3)SHARADA,  is next  in list . Basically a  South  India, a Tamil  Iyengar . She  was  spotted by Raj Kapoor  and  recommended to Shankar  Jaikishan . They  promoted  her  (esp  Shankar) in a  Big way, as  possible competition and  replacement  for  Lataji  that too  when SJ  had  some issues  with Lata on the  professional  front. She  sang many songs  during that time, but once  SJ reconciled  with Lata, she  lost  their backing.  Some  of  famous  songs  she  sang  was  from  film SURAJ,( Titli Udi, Ud  Chali),Baat  Zara  Aapas  Ki , from film Jahan Phir  Liye, a  Cabaret  Number  picturised  on  Helen, for  which she  won a  Film Fare  Award  and  what we  will listen  to  is  her  duet  with Rafi,  from film GUMNAAM,  Jaan E chaman, Yeh Shola  Daman, a  SJ compostion  filmed  on  Manoj kumar and  Nanda . 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2f0NzCohyY)

4)JAGJIT KAUR,  a  Famous, Urdu  and  Hindi  Singer,  more  famous  as  better  half  of  legendary Composer, KHYAAM, . She  sang  very few  songs  ( Asha, Lata  were peak  of their  carrer), most of  them she sang  was  for  her  Husband, either Classical  Tunes  or  Ghazal, some  of them in films like Shagun,  Shola  Aur Shabnam, Baazar. We  will listen  to her  small  piece  of  music  from the  Film UMRAO  JAAN( which had  some great  songs by Asha.),  Kaahe  Ko Byahi  Bides  . 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aaxYCAg1BU)     

5) USHA MAGESHKAR , The  Fourth  one  of  Mangeskar  Sisters, Never  got  the fame and  Popularity , Lata  and  Asha  Got. She  gained   Huge Popularity  when she  sang  All  Songs  of  film JAI SANTHOSI MAA  and  this  film was  a  huge  hit , in same  year  when  block busters, Sholay and  Deewar  was  Released , thanks  to Music  by C  Arjun  and  Usha's  Singing . She  sang  as Co singer  when multiple  female  voices  were required. Her  other  popular  numbers  include, Sultana  Sultana  from  Tarana,and  songs  from Disco  Dancer, Naseeb, Khatta  Meetha, Shaan etc.  Today  we  will listen to her  very  popular  Cabaret  number  from  INKAAR,  feautring  Helen  and composed  by Rajesh Roshan,  the  Song is  Mungda  Mungda 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIgT6xY8JsU )

6)VANI JAYARAM,  Another  South  Indian, from Tamil Nadu, who  was  rated  very highly  by many composers  and  gained  huge  popularity  in all  South  Films, was  Introduced  to  Hindi Films  by Vasant Desai  in film GUDDI  as voice  of  Young  Jaya  Bhaduri.  Later  she   Sang  in many films for all  composers, be it  LP, RDB, Madan Mohan, Kalyanj Anandji, but some  how  never gained  popularity , and  finally  Sitar  Maestro Pandit  Ravi Shankar  as a Composer, made her  sing all  the  Bhajans  in film  MEERA, for  which  she  won her  First  Film Fare  award  for  the song, Mere To Giridhar  Gopal.  Today  we will listen to  song which made  her a  House  Hold  name,  Bol  Re Papi, from  the film GUDDI .  

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESdnrnXLgOA)

7)USHA KHANNA,   One  of  the  Rare and  probably  only  popular female Composers  in Bollywood, who started  with films  like  Dil  Dekho Dekho, Hum Hindustani   was  a Regular  composer  for all  her  Husband  Sawan  Kuamr  Tak's  films, most popular  being SOUTEN for  which she  won the  Only Film Fare  award. Not  many people  knew  that  she was  a  Singer also,. As  a  Singer, she  sang  one version  of memorable  song  , Madhuban  Kushboo  Akela  from  Film , Sajan  Ki Saheli.  But we  will listen  to her wonderful duet  with Mohd  Rafi,  Dost  Ban  Ke  Aayi  Ho,  from the  film  Bin  Phere Hum  Tere, picturised  on Vinod  Mehra  and  Sarika.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHvFWpjw6ho)

8)SULAKSHANA PANDIT , One  of  rare cases  of  a Main Stream  Actress  also  being a  Wonderful  Singer,neice  of  Pandit  Jasraj, no wonder  she  had  it in her  genes.  Sulakshana not only sang for  herself , but for  other  heroines.  But both her Singing  and  Acting Carrer  came  to  abrupt  halt  due  to her  Love  failure  with a  leading Actor  of  that  time. Her  Famous  songs  include,  the  tittle  song  of  ULJHAN, Aapne  Jeevan Ki  Uljhan,  Mausam  Mausam  Lovely  Mausam from Thodi Si  Bewfai   and  today  we  will hear  to this Wonderful duet  with Kishore, Bekarar  Hai  Dil Tu  Gaaye  Ja  from film  DOOR  KI  RAHI, Composed  by Kishore  Himself  and  picturisied  on , Ashok Kumar, Kishore and  Tanuja . 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F7QWdUr38Q )

9)AARTI MUKERJEE ,she  was Basically  a  Bengali  Singer  very  popular  in 1960s  , tried  in Hindi films  also, but never  got the  fame .  She  came  back  to  Hindi  Films  again in Mid 1970s, and  composer  who encouraged  her  was  Ravindra  Jain, thro  Films Like  Geet Gaata  Chal, Tapasya,  The song  we  will hear  Today is  a  Classic  one, from the  film MASOOM,   written  by  Gulzar, composed by  Pancham,  and  picturisied  on  Shabana  Azmi,  Do  Naina Aur , Ek  Kahani, Thoda  sa  Badal. This  song  won her  best  Female  Play  Back  Film Fare  award  for  her.  

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1NtFQHEZhQ)

10)CHANDRANI MUKERJEE, she  is  Sister  in Law  of  Bappi  Lahiri.  She  sang  in many  films  , but most  of them went unnoticed,  composed  by Bappida, Ravindra  Jain,  Rajkamal  etc.  She  was  nominated  three  times  for  Film Fare  Best  Female  Play  back  award, but never  won.  One  of  these  nominated  songs  we  will hear today,  From the  film  POONAM,  The  Song is a  Duet  with Mohd  Rafi,  Mohabat  Rang  Layegi, Ahista  Ahsita, composed  by Anu Malik  in his  early  days  and  picturised  on Raj Babbar  and  Poonam  Dhillon

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DPdZxZGW5w)

11)DILRAJ KAUR  ,A  Singer who again  started  with  small  time films, but later  worked  with bigger  composers  like,  Ravindra  Jain, RD Burman, Ram  Lakshman, Bappida  Etc.  In her  later  years , she  became  popular  with her  songs  in Popular  TV serials  like  Mahabharata, Krishna, Ramayana .We  Will  listen  to her  song  from the  film SURAKASHA,  Tum  Jo  Bi Ho  Dil  Aaj Do, a duet  with  Bappi, composed by  him  and  Picturisied  on  Aruna  Irani, Mithun  and  Ranjeeta. 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfibC81pnrg )

12) KANCHAN , Most  Famous  for  Laila  O Laila  Song  from Qurbani,  she  was  primarily  Promoted  by  composers  Kalyanji  Anandji,  and  later  married  their  Brother  Babla  Mehta, who  was famous  for  his  Music troupe and  along  with  Kanchan, used  to conduct  lot of  Orchestra  across  the globe. Her  Other  famous  films were Rafoo  Chakar  and  Dharmatma . Today  let  us  listen  to her  duet  from  DHARAMATMA, duet with  Mukesh, Picturisied  on Feroz  Khan, Hema  and  Rekha,  Tumne  Kisi  Pyar kiya  hai.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUfteH3PZfg)

13)SUSHMA SHRESTHA.  she  started  as  a  Child  Singer  ,introduced by SJ  in Film ANDAZ,  in song Hai  Na  Bolo  Bola,  later  she  worked  with  LP, RD  Burman , etc  , in films  Including  Aa  Gale  Lag Ja(  Tera  Mujhe  Se  Pehele ) , . Later  years  she  faded  away, but suddenly came  back  in 1990s, renamed  as  POORNIMA , and  sang many hit songs  with  all  composers , mainly  Anand Milind ( Tu Tu TuTara,  Main Raste  Pe  Ja  Raha  The).  Today we  will listen to  her  song  as  Sushma,  from Film  Hum Kise  Se Kum Nahin,  Composed  by  Pancham, a  Duet  with Rafi,  Kya  Hua  Tera  Wada. This  song got her  Film fare  award nomination  the  Youngest ever to get , at  11  years, but she  did not win.  

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDbK1eZYVzg)

14)The  last  singer  in this  listing , is  HEMALATHA,  she  is perhaps  the most famous  among  these  fourteen, sang  the  max  songs  also .  She  was  a  trained  classical  singer, Even  though  she was  spotted  by  Legendary composer Naushad  Ali,   the  one  who  really promoted  her  was  Ravindra  Jain,  mainly  in films  under Rajashree  Productions. Some  of  films  she  sang  were , Tapasya, Geet  Gaata  Chal, Akhiyon Se  Jharakon se, Sunyana, Tarana  and  of  course  CHITCHOR , songs  of  which  became  huge  success.In fact  she  has  sung the  maximum songs  with  great  Singer  KJ Yesudas ( In Hindi) compared  to any other  female  singer.  Let  us  listen  to their  duet  from the  film CHITCHOR, Tu Ju  Mere  Sur Mein Sur Milay Le , picturised  on Zarina  Wahab and  Amol Palekar  and  Composed  by Ravindra Jain. This Song  won her  the Only Film Fare  Play Back singing  award she  got  even  though she  has been nominated  five  times in all.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U06da2bGzys)

There  were many more  singers  whom I have not considered  who came  during the  1970s  and were popular  also, but they were  Unique  and  used  to Sing  a particular  genre  of Songs  only, some of them , Usha  Utup ( Pop Songs) , Chaya  Ganguli ( Ghazals ), Chitra  Singh ( Ghazals), Sharaon Prabakar (  Pop Songs )  ,  and  few  of  Non  India  Origin  like Salma  Agha  , Runa Laila .

Hope  you liked  this  unique  compilation , a  few  words  of  your  feedback  will be  very  encouraging for me,  to  research  for  next  Interesting  Blog.     

         

            

               

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