Sandhya Mukhopadhyay

Sandhya Mukhopadhyay (Bengali: সন্ধ্যা মুখোপাধ্যায়, shondha mukhopaddhae) (b. 1931) is an Indian singer and musician, specialising in Bengali music. She was born in Kolkata, India. She is also known as Sandhya Mukherjee. She was very close friends with the late Alpana Banerjee. She received Banga-Vibhushan, the highest civilian honour in West Bengal in 2011.^[1]

Personal life

In 1966, she married poet Shyamal Gupta and settled with her husband in Calcutta.

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 and followed by his son Ustad Munavvar Ali Khan under whom she mastered Indian classical music.

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 Anjan Garh at the age of 17. Following her marriage to the Bengali poet Shyamal Gupta she settled in her home city of Kolkata. 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 produced from Kolkata. 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. She has also sung notable songs under Salil Chowdhury, Kabir Suman, and Sudhin Dasgupta's baton.

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. She also recorded several songs for Samar Das's film Dhirey Bohey Meghna and Salil Chowdhury's Raktakta Bangla.

She is an institution in Bengal and has a huge following among the young and the old in both India and Bangladesh.

Contribution To Hindi Films

1948 Anjaan Garh | R C Boral

1. Ab Nahi Dharat Dheer Dheer

1948 Sabya Sachi | Robin Chatterji

1. Aayee Mere Jeevan Ki Saanjh Suhani 2. Dil Bhi Udaas Udaas Chaman Bhi Udaas

1950 Pehla Aadmi | R C Boral

1. Taaron Ki Roshni Me Duniya Nai..(with Apresh Lahiri) 2. Ham Chale Nai Duniya Basaane..(with Apresh Lahiri) 3. Ashkon Me Chhipi Mohabbat Ki Kahani 4. Kaun Kehta Hai Tasveer Tumhari

1951 Sazaa | S D Burman

1. Aa Gupchup Gupchup Pyar Karen..(with Hemant Kumar) 2. Ye Baat Koi Samjhaye Re

1951 Taraana | Anil Biswas

1. Bol Papihe Bol Kaun Hai Tera Chitchor..(with Lata Mangeshkar)

1952 Izzat | Bulo C Rani

1. Ishq Me Ho Jao Barbaad..(with G M Durrani) 2. Kya Kya Sitam Sahe Hain Do Din Ki Zindagi Me 3. Tera Jhoomta Shabaab Jaise..(with G M Durrani)

1953 Baaghi | Madan Mohan

1. Jungle Mangal

1953 Ek Do Teen | Vinod

1. Aa Jaa Re Balam Tujhe Meri Kasam

1953 Fareb | Anil Biswas

1. Udaasiyon Me Nazar Kho Gai

1953 Husn Ka Chor | Bulo C Rani

1. Dheere Dheere Dil Me Samaa..(with S D gupta) 2. Dil Lagaane Wale Apne Se Hazaaron Hain..(with Mohd. Rafi) 3. O Jaane Waale Kisi Ka Salaam Leta Jaa 4. O Sangdil Zamaane Mujkhe Kyun Rulaata Hai

1954 Manohar | S Venkat Raman

1. Aayee Basant Ritu Aayee Bahaar Leke 2. Doob Gaye Sab Aas Ke Taare 3. Rut Hai Suhaani Raat Jawan Hai..(with Hemant Kumar) 4. Sukh Bhari Duniya Meri Barbaad Jo

1956 Jaagte Raho | Salil Choudhary

1. Maine Jo Lee Angrayee Teri Mehfil

1966 Mamta | Roshan

1. Tose Naina Laage Re Saanwariya

1973 Chimni Ka Dhuwan | Robin Chatterji

1. Beet Jayegi Umariya Ya Fir Na Milegi

References