Born on 22 July 1923, Mukesh's voice is not just iconic, it is something that has become immortal. He has sung some of the most memorable songs and made Indian music incredibly richer with his contribution. His unique voice and style have made him relevant forever. However, there was a time when people thought he sounded like singer KL Saigal, including Saigal himself.
Mukesh's musical journey
Mukesh Chand Mathur was at number six and had 9 other siblings. His father Zoravar had called a music master for his sister, but when the teacher heard Mukesh along with his sister, he made them sit with him. That is how we got a golden voice in Mukesh to enrich our cinema.
Mukesh's connection with KL Saigal
A legendary singer in his own right, KL Saigal was always admired by young Mukesh. It so happened that in 1941, at his sister's wedding, 17-year-old Mukesh was singing KL Sehgal's song. His distant relative and famous actor, Motilal recognised his talent and took Mukesh to Mumbai. Leaving him to Pandit Jagannath Prasad there, he was given time to take music lessons starting from the basics. Mukesh became both an actor and a singer in the 1941 film Nindosh and sang his first song for Bollywood – Dil Hi Bujha Hua Ho…
After his break in Bollywood, Mukesh had to wait for a long time before getting anything substantial. Motilal, who had always been supportive of him, gave Mukesh the opportunity to sing in his own film Pehli Nazar. That song was composed by Anil Biswas and that song was Dil jalta hai to jalne de, aansoo na baha, fariyad na kar. After listening to this song, KL Saigal was very impressed. He thought that Mukesh’s voice was so similar to his own that he said, “It’s strange. I don’t recall singing this song.”
As we remember Mukesh on his 48th death anniversary, let us remember the joy he has brought to us throughout decades with his magical, memorable voice. What are your favourite Mukesh songs? Tell us @ZoomTV on X.