Mahendra Kapoor: The Legendary Voice of India, Icon of Playback Singing

By virtue of their versatility and popularity, very few veteran crooners have been termed as ‘pillars’ or ‘legends’ in the field of playback singing. One of them is Mahendra Kapoor who has completed almost five decades in the playback singing field. Born in Amritsar, he came to Bombay with his parents at a very young age. He started singing right from the age of five and was very popular among his schoolmates. He then started learning classical music under many well-known classical singers like Pt. Hussanlal ji, pt. Jagannath Bua, Ustad Niaz Ahmed Khan, ustad Abdul Rehman Khan, pt.Tulsidaas Sharma, and yet learns from pt. Murli Manohar Shukla ji.

He sang his first song in the film Madmast in the year 1952 when he was studying in school. A thorough Xavierite, he was in St. Xavier’s school and passed out with b.a. economic honors from St. Xavier’s college. Soon after his graduation, he won the “all India Metro Murphy Singing Competition” in 1957 and got his first break in V.Shantaram’s Navrang, under the baton of Music Director C.Ramchandra  in 1958, and from there on, there was no looking back for this great singer. The list of some of the prestigious awards bestowed upon are the prestigious Padma Shree,  the first national award in 1968 (when it was instituted)  for “Mere desh ki dharti” from the film Upkar.

Mahendra Kapoor Awarded

Filmfare Awards three times respectively

The Filmfare award thrice for “Chalo ik bar phir se” “Neele Gagan Ke Tale” and “Aur Nahin Bas aur Nahin” from the films “Gumrah, Humraaz & Roti Kapda aur Makan” respectively. The Punjab State Award thrice & the Gujrat State Award for six years consecutively.  He has sung in almost every language in India and has sung over twenty-five thousand songs & covered almost every variety of songs such as patriotic, romantic, bhajans, qawwalis, naats, & now the “Mahabharat”  title song has been the umpteenth feather in his already crowned cap. Through these golden songs, Mahendra Kapoor has won the hearts of millions of his fans all over the world but has always enjoyed entertaining for a special charitable or good cause. Singing for the soldiers on the fronts be it the Nefa border during the China aggression, Bangladesh and Sialkot & Akhnoor borders during the Pakistan war to boost the spirits of our great & brave soldiers.

one of the memorable moments of his life was joining the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji on the bus tour to Lahore.  
Mahendra Kapoor who has completed almost five decades in the playback singing field was honored “ singer of the millennium” by the Sahyog Foundation on the 14th Dec. 99. It was a memorable occasion when Shri Amitabh Bachchan, who presented Shri Mahendra Kapoor the prestigious trophy by his own hands, spoke of his long association with this immortal vibrant voice of India.   

Recently he was bestowed upon with the “Dada saheb academy” ‘golden voice of india’ award.

All around the world, Mahendra Kapoor is idolised by millions of his fans as the voice of their nation: India. Especially in foreign countries,  audiences cry and get ecastic with national feelings for their beautiful nation “India” when Mahendra Kapoor sings his immortal patriotic songs “Bharat ka rehene wala hun” or “Mere desh ki dharti”  “Mera rang de basanti chola” etc with soulful feelings.

Even today the smallest children of the country sing his strong & soulful patriotic songs in their schools which inspire great feelings of patriotism in the coming generations. 

Mahendra Kapoor, modest as he was, believed that he could have never made it had it not been for the blessings of three almighty and the love & affection of his fans. In spite of having thousands of songs to his credit, he always felt he had much to achieve &  till his last days, he practiced classical music daily. 

Read also:

• Kapil Sharma Worked in Sunny Deol’s Film, Director Shouted at Him
  
• Aanand L Rai and A R Rahman Reunite for 'Tere Ishk Mein' in Rishikesh
• Isha Malviya Opens Up on Playing Lovely in Ravi-Sargun's Lovely Lola
• Shrutika Arjun Slams Vivian Dsena's Hypocrisy; Supports Karanveer & Shilpa