Biography Manna Dey- Indian Hindi Cinema Play-Back Singer

Known As: Manna Dey

Occupation: Indian Cinema Play-back Singer Father: Purna Chandra Dey

Mother: Mahamaya Dey

Date of Birth: 01st May 1919 at Kolkata

Manna Dey being born and brought up in Kolkata (West Bengal) came to Mumbai and throughout his singing career, he stayed in Mumbai for more than 50 years.

As he got married to Sulochana, native of  Kerala whose family was in Bangalore, Karnataka, Manna Dey had been in Bangalore in his later years.

Date of Death: 24th October 2013 at Bangalore at the age of 94 years

Education: At Indu Babur Pathshala, Kolkata,  Scottish Church Collegiate School, Scottish Church College, Kolkata and Vidyasagar College, Kolkata

Music Training:
Manna Dey learnt music from Krishna Chandra Dey and Ustad Dabir Khan.

Singing Career:
From 1942- 2006 The first song in the Hindi movie Tamanna(1942)- “Jago Aayee Usha Ponchi Boley Jago” a duet with Suraiya and the last song in the Hindi Movie Umar(2006) “Duniyawalon Ko Nahi Kuch Bhi Khabar” -Had sung  more than 4000 songs in various Indian Languages, mainly in Hindi and  Bengali and also in  Gujarathi, Assamese, Malayalam and Kannada

Manna Dey has sung 2 hit-songs in Malayalam – “Maanasamaine Varoo” in “Chemmeen”-1965

and “Chemba Chemba” in “Nellu”-1974 a duet with P.Jayachandran,

and both the Malayalam songs had been composed by Salil Chowdhary  and the song-lyrics written by Vayalar.

Manna Dey has sung more than 100 Hindi songs along with the popular Hindi Cinema Play-back singer Mohamed Rafi, and 6 songs with the Hindi Play-back singer-cum-actor-Kishore Kumar

The following is a list of a few hit Hindi songs sung by Manna Dey:

“Tu Pyar Ka Sagar Hai”- in ‘Seema’-1955,

“Prem Bada Balwan Jagat”- the first duet song with Suman Kalyanpur in ‘Maayaa Nagri’-1957,

“Babu Samjho Ishare”- a duet with Kishore Kumar- in ‘Chalthi Kaa Naam Gaadi’-1958,

“Na To Karwan Ki Talaash Hai”-in ‘Barsaat Ki Raat’-1960,

“Mai Tere Pyar Ka Bimar Hu Kya Arz Karu”-in ‘Love in Tokyo’-for Mehmood-1966,

“Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli”-in Rajesh Khanna’s ‘Anand’-1971,

“Yari Hai Imaan Mera”-in Amitabh Bhachchan and Pran starring-Zanjeer-1973,

“Itna Manta Tu Mera” duet with S.Janaki in ‘Aashiq C.I.D’- 1973,

“Mere Pyale Mein Sharab Daal de”-in ‘Aamir Garib’-1974,

“Yeh Dosti-Hum Nahi Todenge”-in “Sholay”duet with Kishore Kumar(Munna Dey for Amitabh Bachchan-and Kishore Kumar for Dharmendra) -1975,

“Ho Gaanga Maiya Ki”-duet  with P.Susheela in “Gangaa Ki God Mein”-1980

“Band Mutthee”-Munna Dey with Mohamed and Kishore Kumar in “Chalti Ka Naam Zindagi”-1981

“Ami Je Jalsaghare”-in the Bengali Movie-‘Antony Firingee’-1967 (Bengali)

Awards Conferred on Manna Dey:

• The “Best Male Playback Singer”in Hindi Movies- National Film Award- for the Hindi Film “Mere Huzur”-1969

• National Film Award for the “Best Male Playback Singer” in Bengali Movies-for the Bengali Film”Nishi Padma”-1971

• National Film Award for the “Best Male Playback Singer” in Hindi Movies-for the Hindii Film-“Mera Naam Joker”-1971

• Filmfare Award for the “Best Male Playback Singer”-for the Hindi Movie-“Mera Naam Joker”-1972

• “Lata Mangeshkar Award”-by the State Government of Madhya Pradesh-1985,

• Government of Kerala’s National Award for the ‘Best Playback singer’-2004

• Honorary Doctorate (D.Litt) by the ‘Rabindra Bharthi University-2004

• Government of Maharashtra’s ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ -2005

• Padma Bhushan”- Indian Union Government -2005

• The first ‘Akshaya Mohanty Award’ of the State Government of Odisha-2007

• “Dadasaheb Phalke Award” Union Government of India-2007

• “Filmfare’s Life-Time Achivement Award”-2011

• Government of West Bengal’s ‘Banga Vibhushan’ Award-2011.

A documentary on the life of Manna Dey, in the name, “Jibaner Jalsaghore” has been released in the year 2008.

The “Manna Dey Sangeet Academy” is developing a complete archive on “Manna Dey”.

The “Manna Dey- Music Archive” has been developed in the Sangeet Bhawan, in association with “Rabindra Bharati University”, Kolkata.