1. Bollywood has changed over the years.Especially for musicians and play back singers. There was a time when only certain singers ruled the roost but with a new generation of film makers coming in, more and more playback singers are getting a chance in B-Town. Films now have various different artists collaborating and many kinds of songs are being encouraged, with more and more genres of music being infused into Bollywood music. But a decade and more ago, the story was different. There were a few names that seemed to have a strong hold in the world of playback singing. But with the introduction of new artists, they seemed to have suddenly disappeared. Here’s a look at those famous singers

 

Anuradha started her singing career in 1973 with the Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan starrer Abhimaan. However her break in playback singing came only in 1976 with the film Kalicharan and then, there was no looking back for her. She sang hits after hits and also worked with R.D. Burman. She also collaborated with the late Gulshan Kumar and they were largely responsible for brining in singers like Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan, Abhijeet and Sonu Nigam into Bollywood. She also composed ghazal albums and sang a number of devotional songs. She was so popular that she sweeped major awards like the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer and the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer. But alas! She seemed to vanish without a trace!

 

 

2. Romantic songs were his forte and he crooned many popular songs that went on to become chartbusters including songs like Nazar Ke Saamne Jigar, Dheere Dheere Pyar Ko, Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhen, Do Dil Mil Rahe Hain and Tujhe Dekha To to name a few. Not many know that he was awarded the Padma Shri in 2009 by the Government of India. He collaborated with many famous music composers like Nadeem-Shravan, Jatin Lalit, Anu Malik, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Rajesh Roshan, Sajid-Wajid, R.D. Burman, Bappi Lahiri and Anand-Milind. Kumar Sanu’s unique voice is sorely missed in the songs of today!

 

3. In the 1990s, Alka Yagnik was one of the most popular female playback singers that Bollywood had. With a career spanning 35 years, she has won seven Filmfare Awards for Best Female Playback Singer and is a two-time recipient of the National Film Award. Having sung with the likes of Sonu Nigam, she also collaborated with famous music composers like Nadeem-Shravan, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Jatin Lalit and A. R. Rahman to name a few. But Alka’s unique quality is that she has sung in many other languages including Gujarati, Oriya, Assamese, Manipuri, Nepali, Rajasthani, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, English and Malayalam. Although she last sung for Bombay Talkies, Alka seems to have faded out from the music world of Bollywood altogether. Sad but true! 

 

4. Recipient of the Padma Shri award, Kavita Krishnamurthy is multi talented and a name to reckon with in the world of playback signing. Having worked with the likes of R. D. Burman and A. R. Rahman, Kavita has gone on to win many awards for her accomplishments including Filmfare Awards, Star Screen Awards, Zee Cine Awards and IIFA Awards. Songs like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Dholi Taro Dhol, Kucchi Kucch, and Dola Re Dola are still remembered and sung by aspiring singers. Kavita has also sung many pop and devotional songs and has collaborated with her contemporaries Alka Yagnik, Anuradha Paudwal and Sadhana Sargam. But she slowly faded out of Bollywood and today, her songs are reminiscent of an artist who truly understood what melody was!

 

5. Son of famous actor Mehmood, Lucky Ali is best remembered for his album Sifar and songs from the hit movie Kaho Na Pyaar Hain. This multi faceted singer, songwriter, composer and actor mesmerized all with his intense voice but even when success chased him, Lucky Ali seemed to keep a distance from playback singing and the last Bollywood song he sang was Hairat from the movie Anjaana Anjaani. And now, he seems to have vanished out of thin air! No one can replace Lucky Ali’s melodious voice ever!

 

Sourse : Times of India