Alka Yagnik

Alka Yagnik Kapoor (March 20, 1966) is one of the most celebrated Indian playback singers of her generation, with a career that encompasses over four decades of music. Throughout her career, she has sung in more than twenty languages and received numerous awards and accolades. Born in Kolkata to a Gujarati family, Alka Yagnik started off as a child singer at the age of 6, singing bhajans on the radio. After relocating to Mumbai with her mother to try her luck in the film industry, she successfully landed songs on the films Payal Ki Jhankaar (1980), Laawaris (1981), and Hamari Bahu Alka (1982). Her big breakthrough moment arrived in 1988 when she sang on the track “Ek Do Teen,” featured in the movie Tezaab. She continued her career during the 90s, appearing in classic films such as Khal Nakak (1993), Amanaat (1994), and China Gate (1998) before being featured on the soundtrack for the movie Moulin Rouge in 2001. In 2012, her song “Taal Se Taal Mila” from the movie Taal (1999) was voted Best Song of the Century in a poll celebrating 100 years of Hindi Cinema. With “Agar Tum Saath Ho,” part of the soundtrack of 2015’s Tamasha, Alka Yagnik became the female playback singer with the greatest number of Filmfare Awards, reaching a total of 7 wins and equaling the legendary Asha Bhosle.