In the Indian cinema world, Manna Dey is remembered as a playback singer who gave classical music a unique identity through her wonderful playback singing. Prabodh Chandra de alias Manna Dey was born on 1 May 1919 in Kolkata. Manna Dey’s father wanted to make him a lawyer but his trend was towards music and he wanted to make his career in this field.
Manna Dey gave his uncle K.C. Gained from Day. Manna Dey’s childhood is an interesting sentence. Ustad Badal Khan and Manna Dey’s uncle were once doing Riyaz together. Then Badal Khan heard the voice of Manna Dey and asked his uncle who is singing this. When Manna Dey was called, he said to his master, I just sing like this but Badal Khan recognized the hidden talent of Manna Dey. After this, he started teaching music from his uncle.
Manna Dey came to Mumbai to realize his dreams in the field of music with her uncle in the 40s. In the year 1943, he got a chance to sing with Suraiya as a playback singer in the film ‘Tamanna’. However, he had earlier sung as a chorus in the film Ram Rajya. Interestingly, this was the only film that was seen by the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi. The name of music composer- Shankar Jaikishan is particularly notable among those who recognize the talent of Manna Dey in the initial stages. The pair lost songs in different styles from Manna Dey.
Shankar Jaikishan also lost the song ‘Aaja Sanam Madhur Chandni Me Hum’ and ‘Ketki Gulab Juhi’ from Manna Dey, but it is interesting that Manna Dey refused to sing the song in the beginning. Music composer Shankar Jaikishan offered Manna Dey to sing the song ‘Ketki Gulab Juhi’, at first he was afraid of how he would be able to sing with the great classical composer Bhimsen Joshi.
Manna Dey thought that he should go away from Mumbai for a few days. When the matter becomes old, he will return to Mumbai and he would not have to sing a song with Bhimsen Joshi but later took it as a chainge and made it immortal to ‘Ketki Gulab Juhi’. In the year 1950, composer S.K. In D. Burman’s film Mashal, Manna Dey got a chance to sing ‘Up Gagan’ huge songs. After the success of the film and song, he succeeded in making his mark as a playback singer.
Manna Dey did not get much fame in the early stages of her career. The main reason for this is that his stubborn voice did not fit on a singer. This is why he was once forced to sing songs for comedian Mahmood and character actor Pran. After the success of the film Kabuli Wala under the music direction of music director Salil Chaudhary in 1961, Manna Dey reached the Buddhisto of fame. In the film Kabuli Wala, Prem Dhawan composed in the voice of Manna Dey ‘A Mere Pyare Watan Ae Mere Bichde Chaman’ still makes the eyes of the audience moist.
For Pran, he sang songs like ‘Kasme Vahi Pyaar Wafa’ and ‘Yari Hai Iman Mera Yaar Meri Zindagi’ in the film Upkar. At the same time, he sang the song ‘Ek Chatur Nar’ for comedian Mahmood in the film Padosan, then he was considered the voice of Mahmud. Generally, it was generally believed that Manna Dey could only sing classical songs but later he closed his mouths forever by singing songs like ‘Aye Mere Pyare Watan’, ‘O Meri Zohra Jabi’, ‘Yeh Raat Bhigi-Bhigi’, ‘Neither Caravan Hai’ and ‘A Bhai Jara Dekh Ki Chalo’.
Famous lyricist Prem Dhawan said about Manna Dey Manna Dey is capable of singing songs in every range. When he puts a high tone, it seems that the whole sky is singing with him, when he applies a low tone, it seems that there is a depth as the Patal in it and if he applies moderate notes, then it seems that the whole earth is swinging with them. Regarding the playback of Manna Dey, famous musician Anil Biswas once said that Manna Dey can sing every song.
Which has been sung by Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar or Mukesh, but no one can sing every song of Manna Dey. Similarly, Mohammad Rafi, the unconscious king of the voice world, once said that you guys listen to my song but if I am asked, I will say that I listen to the songs of Manna Dey.
Manna Dey did not only sing words, with his singing he also brought the hidden emotion behind the word beautifully. Perhaps this is the reason why famous Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan selected Manna Dey to give voice to his immortal work ‘Madhushala’. Manna Dey was awarded the Padma Shri Award in 1971 and the Padma Bhushan Award in 2005 for his remarkable contribution to films. Apart from this, he became the best playback singer for the film Mere Huzur in 1969.
The best playback singer for the 1971 bungalow film ‘Nishi Padma’ and the 1970 film ‘Mera Naam Joker’ was awarded the Filmfare’s Best Playback Gayayak Award. A new chapter was added to the melodious journey of Manna Dey’s music when he was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in the year 2007 in view of his remarkable contribution to films. Manna Dey sang around 3500 songs in his five -decade career. Manna Dey, who made a special identity of the audience with his wonderful playback singing, said goodbye to this world on 24 October 2013.
