Biography of Mukesh

Born: 22 July 1923, Delhi
Died: 27 August 1976, Detroit, Michigan, United States

A voice that blended intense melancholy and a profoundly innocent and mellifluous sweetness was that of Mukesh, a favourite of all music directors of the Hindi film world. Mukesh Chand Mathur was born on July 22, 1923, in a small middle-class family in Delhi. A great admirer of K.L. Saigal, Mukesh was interested in singing right from his childhood.

He got his first break in films with 'Pehla Nazar' in 1945. The song was 'Dil jalta hai to jalne de' which became a classic in the world of Hindi film music. Mukesh went on to sing for almost all the music directors of his times and produced masterpieces for them. His alliance with Raj Kapoor gave new dimensions to Hindi film music, often termed as the 'Golden Age of Hindi film music.

Mukesh forged successful partnerships with prominent music directors such as Shankar-Jaikishan, Shailendra, Hasrat Jaipuri, Salil Chowdhury. He received the National Award in 1974. Mukesh died on August 27, 1976.