Sandhya Mukherjee
Sandhya Mukherjee (also Sandhya Mukhopadhyay) is an Bengali playback singer and musician, specialising in Bengali music. Born in Kolkata, Bengal (now West Bengal), India, she received Banga Bibhushan, the highest civilian honour in West Bengal in 2011[1] and National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for her songs in the films Jay Jayanti and Nishi Padma in the year 1970.[2]
Sandhya Mukherjee | |
---|---|
Birth name | Sandhya Mukherjee |
Born | Calcutta, West Bengal, India | 4 October 1931
Genres | Bengali and Hindi Playback |
Occupation(s) | Singer/Composer |
Early life
Mukherjee was born in Dhakuria, Calcutta, on 4 October 1931 to Narendranath Mukherjee, a railway official, and Hemprova Devi. She was the youngest of six children. Her grandfather was a police officer, and the family had lived in Dhakuria since 1911.[3]
Training and career
Sandhya started her music training under the direction of Pandit Santosh Kumar Basu, Professor A T Kannan and Professor Chinmoy Lahiri. However, her guru was Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, followed by his son Ustad Munavvar Ali Khan, under whom she mastered Indian classical music.[4] According to Manorma Sharma, "Sandhya has been able to maintain her popularity as a classical vocalist even after acquiring the gloss and the glow of playback singing ..."[4]
Though classically trained, the bulk of her work consists of Bengali modern songs. She began her career in Mumbai singing Hindi songs, starting with a song in the film Taarana in 1950. She sang, as a playback singer, in 17 Hindi films. She decided to come back to and settle in her home city Kolkata in 1952 due to personals reasons. She married Bengali poet Shyamal Gupta in 1966. Gupta went on to write the lyrics for many of her songs.
Her best known collaboration is arguably with the Bengali singer Hemanta Mukherjee with whom she sang numerous duets, primarily as playback for Bengali films. Hemanta and Sandhya became known as the voices behind the pairings of the Bengali superstar Uttam Kumar and his numerous heroines, most notably being the actress Suchitra Sen, whose singing voice she became. Besides Hemanta Mukherjee's compositions, her largest body of work is with Robin Chattopadhyay and Nachiketa Ghosh.
During the Bangladesh Liberation War she joined the mass movement among Indian Bengali artistes to raise money for the millions of refugees who had poured into Kolkata and West Bengal to escape the fighting, and to raise global awareness for the cause of Bangladesh. She assisted Bangladeshi musician Samar Das as he set up the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, the clandestine radio station broadcasting to Bangladesh and recorded several patriotic songs for him. On the occasion of the release of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the imprisoned leader of the new country of Bangladesh, she released a song Bangabandhu Tumi Phirey Ele. She later became one of the first foreign artistes to visit Dhaka, performing at an open-air concert in Paltan Maidan in Dhaka to celebrate the first Ekushey February after Bangladeshi independence in 1971.
Songs
Year | Film | Music director | Song(s) | Language |
---|---|---|---|---|
1948 | Anjaan Garh | R C Boral | "Ab Nahi Dharat Dheer Dheer" | - |
1948 | Sabya Sachi | Robin Chatterji | "Aayee Mere Jeevan Ki Saanjh Suhani" "Dil Bhi Udaas Udaas Chaman Bhi Udaas" | Hindi |
1950 | Pehla Aadmi | R C Boral | "Taaron Ki Roshni Me Duniya Nai" "Ham Chale Nai Duniya Basaane" "Ashkon Me Chhipi Mohabbat Ki Kahani" "Kaun Kehta Hai Tasveer Tumhari" | Hindi |
1951 | Sazaa | S D Burman | "Aa Gupchup Gupchup Pyar Karen" "Ye Baat Koi Samjhaye Re" | Hindi |
1951 | Taraana | Anil Biswas | "Bol Papihe Bol Kaun Hai Tera Chitchor" | Hindi |
1952 | Izzat | Bulo C Rani | "Ishq Me Ho Jao Barbaad" "Kya Kya Sitam Sahe Hain Do Din Ki Zindagi Me" "Tera Jhoomta Shabaab Jaise" | Hindi |
1953 | Baaghi | Madan Mohan | "Jungle Mangal" | Hindi |
1953 | Ek Do Teen | Vinod | "Aa Jaa Re Balam Tujhe Meri Kasam" | Hindi |
1953 | Fareb | Anil Biswas | "Udaasiyon Me Nazar Kho Gai" | Hindi |
1953 | Husn Ka Chor | Bulo C Rani | "Dheere Dheere Dil Me Samaa" "Dil Lagaane Wale Apne Se Hazaaron Hain" "O Jaane Waale Kisi Ka Salaam Leta Jaa" "O Sangdil Zamaane Mujkhe Kyun Rulaata Hai" | Hindi |
1954 | Manohar | S Venkat Raman | "Aayee Basant Ritu Aayee Bahaar Leke" "Doob Gaye Sab Aas Ke Taare" "Rut Hai Suhaani Raat Jawan Hai" "Sukh Bhari Duniya Meri Barbaad Jo" | Hindi |
1956 | Jaagte Raho | Salil Choudhary | "Maine Jo Lee Angrayee Teri Mehfil" | Hindi |
1966 | Mamta | Roshan | "Tose Naina Laage Re Saanwariya" | Hindi |
1970 | Jai jayanti | "Jhana jhanana Sur jhankare" | Bengali | |
"Mone Mone Gatha Mala" | ||||
"Shaon Elo Oi Thoi Thoi" | ||||
"Projapoti Mon Amar" | ||||
"Tumi Nahoy Rahite Kachhe" | ||||
"Mor Bhiru Se Krishnakali" | ||||
"Madhumaloti Dake Aay" | ||||
"Polash Amar Krishnachura" | ||||
"Bashi Go Bole Papiya" | ||||
"Lalita Go Bole Di" | ||||
"Holud Gandar Phool" | ||||
"Ei Sanjhjhara Lagane" | ||||
"Dhanya Hobo Je Ami" | ||||
"Ebare Bujjechi Ami" | ||||
"Ami Tomare Bhalobesechi" | ||||
"Mayabati Meghe Elo Tandra" | ||||
--Non-film-- | "O Re Jeenewale" | |||
"Ogu Sindur Ranga Megh" | ||||
"Shankha Bajiye Make" | ||||
"Ni Sa Ga Ma Pa" | ||||
"Piya Piya Piya Ke Dake Amare" | ||||
"O Bak Bakum Paira" | ||||
"Badho Jhulona" | ||||
"E Je Bangla" | ||||
"Tumi Je Amar Pratham Rater" | ||||
"Aha Ki Misti" | ||||
Saptapadi (1961 film) | Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay | "Ei Path Jadi Na Sesh Hoy" | ||
"He Sagar Keno Tomay Nil Dekhi" | ||||
"Aaj Keno O Chokh Lal" | ||||
"Ke Tumi Amare Dako" | ||||
"Gane Mor Kon Indradhanu" | ||||
"Boro Derite Tumi" | ||||
"Tumi To Janona" | ||||
"Champa Chameli" | ||||
"Se Gan Jai Je Bhule" | ||||
"Boro Derite Tumi Bujhle" | ||||
"Ogo Momo Prano Hay" | ||||
"Ore O Bijan Baner Pakhi" | ||||
E Shudhu Ganer Din" | ||||
"Kichhu Khushi Kichhu Nesha" | ||||
"Moner Madhuri Mishaye" | ||||
"Shuno Shuno Ei Raat" | ||||
"Aar Dekona Ei Modhu Name" | ||||
"Tari Bhese Jay" | ||||
"Na Jani Kon Chhande" | ||||
"Sharame Jorano Akhi" | ||||
"E Sundar Ratri" | ||||
"Ekti Sukher Neer" | ||||
"Prabhat Surja" | ||||
"Aaj Holi Khelbo Shyam" | ||||
"Ore Sokal Sona" | ||||
"Bah Chharata To Besh" | ||||
"Shyamal Barani Ogo Kanya" | ||||
"Prantateri Gaan Amar" | ||||
Salil Chowdhury | "Ujjal Ekjhak Payra" | |||
"Shraban Ajhare Jhare" | ||||
"Aay Bristy Jhepe" | ||||
"Jare Ja Phire Ja" | ||||
"Gungun Mon Bhomra" | ||||
"Jibone Ja Kichu Chilo" | ||||
"Jodi Naam Dhore Take Daaki" | ||||
"Godhulir Shanto Chhayay" | ||||
"Ke Jeno Pother Majhe" | ||||
"Guru Guru" | ||||
"Sajani Go Kotha Shono" | ||||
"Sajani Go Sajani" | ||||
"Kichu Aar Kahibo Na" | ||||
"O Neel Neel Payra" | ||||
Awards
- Banga Bibhushan in 2011.
- Bharat Nirman Award - Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.
- National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the songs "Amader Chuti Chuti" Jay Jayanti and "Ore Sakol Sona Molin Holo" Nishi Padma in 1971.
- BFJA Awards - Best Female Playback Singer for Sandhya Deeper Sikha in 1965.
- BFJA Awards - Best Female Playback Singer for Jay Jayanti in 1972.
References
- State honours nine with Banga-Vibhushan
- "18th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- Saleheen, Mesbah-us- (6 February 2015). "A singer with a transparent voice". The daily oberver. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
- Sharma, Manorma (2006). Tradition of Hindustani Music. APH Publishing House. pp. 119–120. Retrieved 12 October 2017.