Hits of Mukesh (Devanagri and Roman)

Mukesh Chandra Mathur was born in a small middle class family in Delhi. He was interested in acting and singing right from childhood and was a great fan and admirer of Kundan Lal Saigal.

In 1940, Mukesh had recorded secretly some non filmi songs in Delhi. Then, Mukesh was bitten by the Bombay bug like crores of other young people before and after him. He arrived in Bombay with the hope of becoming a movie star. He stayed with his relative the famous actor Motilal.

His debut as a singer came in the film "Nirdosh". The songs was "Dil hi bujha hau ho to ". Then in 1944 he followed with a duet with singer Kusum for the film "Us Paar".

In 1949 came another mile-stone in his life. In the studios of the great actor Prithviraj Kapoor there were two young musicians Shanker and Jaikishan. The young Raj Kapoor asked them to provide music for his own films. Shanker-Jaikishan asked mukesh to sing for them and for ever after Films like Aawara and Shree 420 spread the voice of Mukesh all the way to Russia where in the streets of Moscow you could hear people singing "aawara hoon ", and "Mera joota hai japani ".

With Motilal's help. Mukesh got a role as an actor in the film Years later, he was to act again in Raj Kapoor's Aah in 1953. However fate had other plans for him. He was best known for his singing talent.

The partnership with Raj Kapoor started with Aag (1948) where raj's feelings of despondency and despair were vividly caught by Mukesh in Ram Ganguly's composition.

Zinda Hoon Is Tarah, and ended with R.D. Burman's Ek Din Bik jaayaga in the film Dharam Karam (1975). In its course was an endless list of hits. Among them are the evergreen songs of Awaara (1951), Shree 420 (1955), Parvarish (1958), Anadi (1959), Sangam (1964), Mera Naam Jokar (1970).

Mukesh therefore flourished right through the 1960s and mid 1970s with soulful hits like Main to Ek Khwab Hoon (Himalay Ki God Main, 1965), Jeena Yahan Marna Yahaan (Mera Naam Joker), Maine Tere Liye hi saat rang ke sanpne Chune (Anand 1970) Main Na bhoolonga (Roti, Kapda Aur Makan 1974) and of course Main Pal Do Pal ka Shayar Hoon and Kabhi Kabhi (Kabhi Kabhi (1976).

Mukesh worked with seventh music directors lyricists, co singer and was the on-screen voice for several actors-notably, Raj Kapoor and Manoj Kumar Among the other recent music directors for whom Mukesh sang a good number of his songs were Laxmikant Pyarelal, Kalyanji Anandji, Salil Choudhary, Usha Khanna, R.D. Burman, and S.D. Burman.

His last recorded song was Chanchal, Sheetal, Nirmal Komal for Satyam Shivam Sundaram,(1978). He died on 27th August 1976, of a sudden heart attack in Detroit. While on a concert tour of the U.S.

We have tried our level best to collect the popular songs sung by Mukesh for his world-wide fans. We hope fans of Mukesh definitely Praise our effort.