Alka Yagnik, fondly known as the Melody Queen of Indian playback singing, was born on 20 March 1966 in Kolkata. With a voice that defined the sound of Bollywood through the 1990s, she went on to become one of the most recorded female voices in the history of Indian film music.
Her life-changing breakthrough arrived with 'Ek Do Teen' from Tezaab (1988), a song that won her the first of her seven Filmfare Awards and turned Madhuri Dixit into a star overnight. Over the decades she added two National Film Awards to her name, and in 2026 she was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour.
Early Life
Alka Yagnik was born on 20 March 1966 in Kolkata, to a Gujarati family. Her mother, Shubha Yagnik, was an Indian classical singer, and it was under her mother's guidance that Alka received her earliest training in music.
A true child prodigy, she started singing for All India Radio (Akashvani), Calcutta, at the age of six in 1972. That early exposure to the microphone gave her a rare command over voice control and expression, which later became her trademark in film playback.
Career
After initial years of struggle in Mumbai, 1988 changed everything. 'Ek Do Teen' from Tezaab — composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal with lyrics by Javed Akhtar — became a nationwide craze. The song won Alka her first Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer and made Madhuri Dixit a star.
Through the 1990s and 2000s, Yagnik dominated Bollywood playback singing, standing tall among legends — read the Lata Mangeshkar biography and Asha Bhosle biography — while carving a space entirely her own. Her most frequent duet partners were Udit Narayan — see the Udit Narayan biography — and Kumar Sanu, with whom she recorded countless chartbusters, and she also sang many popular duets with the next generation, including the Sonu Nigam biography star Sonu Nigam.
Awards and Records
Filmfare Awards: Seven wins for Best Female Playback Singer, from 36–37 nominations.
1994 record: Three solo nominations plus one shared nomination with Ila Arun in a single year — a unique record.
National Film Awards: Two wins for Best Female Playback Singer.
YouTube record: Cited as the most popular music artist of all time on YouTube, with a Guinness World Record mention of 17 billion streams in 2021 and 16.6 billion in 2020.
Padma Bhushan 2026: Honoured by President Draupadi Murmu per WION, receiving India's third-highest civilian award.
Personal Life
Alka Yagnik married Neeraj Kapoor in 1989. The couple has a daughter, Sayesha.
In 2024, she disclosed a rare hearing disorder — sensory neural nerve hearing loss — and has taken no new singing assignments since.
Watch the Official Video
Watch the official 'Ek Do Teen Char' full video from Tezaab, sung by Alka Yagnik, on the T-Series Bollywood Classics channel:
FAQ
When was Alka Yagnik born?
She was born on 20 March 1966 in Kolkata, to a Gujarati family. Her mother, Shubha Yagnik, was an Indian classical singer.
Which song made Alka Yagnik famous?
'Ek Do Teen' from Tezaab (1988), composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal with lyrics by Javed Akhtar. It won her first Filmfare Award and made Madhuri Dixit a star.
How many Filmfare Awards has Alka Yagnik won?
She has won seven Filmfare Awards for Best Female Playback Singer, from 36–37 nominations.
What is Alka Yagnik's YouTube record?
She is cited as the most popular music artist of all time on YouTube, with a Guinness World Record mention of 17 billion streams in 2021 and 16.6 billion in 2020.
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