As much as the actors’ performance, and script matter for the success of a film, the songs in the films are equally important in Bollywood movies. We have seen how some movies are only remembered for their songs. And thus, the playback singers play a crucial role. One such singer, who struggled for 8 years before becoming one of the top artists is Alka Yagnik.
Alka Yagnik started singing bhajans when she was just six years old. She used to sing for All India Radio. Her mother took her to Mumbai as a child performer when she was 10 years old. Here, Alka Yagnik received an introduction letter to Raj Kapoor from his distributor in Kolkata. After hearing about the girl, the actor wrote a letter to renowned music director Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar enclosing her. Laxmikant offered her the choice between a quick start as a dubbing artist or a later break as a vocalist. Her mother went with the latter, and the rest is history.
Alka Yagnik then made her Bollywood debut as a playback singer in the movie Payal Ki Jhankaar. However, for eight years, the singer struggled to make it big in the industry. Though she sang many chartbusters but couldn’t get the recognition she was looking for.
However, one song changed her life. In 1988, Alka Yagnik sang the popular song ‘Ek Do Teen’ from the movie Tezaab which became very popular making Alka a star in Bollywood. She then went on to give many hits like ‘Mere Angane Mein’, ‘Taal Se Taal Mila’, ‘Chamma Chamma’, ‘Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai’, and more. Through 1,114 films, she sang 2,486 songs. She holds the record for the third most solo performances by a female performer in Bollywood movies.
With a reported net worth of Rs 80 crore, she is still among the top-paid female singers in Bollywood, reportedly costing around Rs 12 lakh for each song.
only this, but Alka Yagnik also beat pop stars like Taylor Swift, Drake, Beyonce, BTS, and more to become the most streamed artist on YouTube with over 15.3 billion streams worldwide in 2022. She made a record in the Guinness Book of World Records.
However, recently, Alka Yagnik revealed that she is suffering from a rare sensorineural hearing loss. Sharing the news on Instagram, the singer wrote, “To all my fans, friends, followers and well-wishers. A few weeks ago, as I walked out of a flight, I suddenly felt I was not able to hear anything. Having mustered some courage in the weeks following the episode, I want to break my silence now for all my friends and well-wishers who have been asking me why I’m missing in action. It has been diagnosed by my docs as a rare sensory neural nerve hearing loss, due to a viral attack…This sudden, major setback has caught me completely unaware. As I attempt to come to terms with it please keep me in your prayers.”
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