Manna De

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Manna Dey
Born
Prabodh Chandra Dey

(1919-05-01)1 May 1919[1]
Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
Died24 October 2013(2013-10-24) (aged 94)
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Other nameManna Dey
Alma materVidyasagar College
University of Calcutta
Occupations
  • Singer
  • Playback singer
  • Music director
  • Musician
SpouseSulochana Kumaran
RelativesKrishna Chandra Dey (uncle)
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • Harmonium
  • Tabla
  • Sitar
  • Tanpura
Years active1938–2013
Websitewww.mannadey.in

Prabodh Chandra Dey (/ˈmænə ˈdeɪ/ ; 1 May 1919 − 24 October 2013), known professionally as Manna Dey, was an Indian playback singer, music director, and musician. With a strong foundation in classical music, he is widely regarded as one of the most versatile and celebrated vocalists in the Indian film industry.[5][6][7] He is also credited with bringing Indian classical music into mainstream Hindi cinema.[7]

Dey was especially acclaimed for blending classical music elements with popular compositions, a style that played a significant role during the golden era of Hindi cinema.[8]

Over a career spanning more than five decades, Dey recorded about 3,500 songs.[9] While most were in Bengali and Hindi, he also sang in 14 other Indian languages, including Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, and Chhattisgarhi.[10][11] His peak popularity was during the mid-1950s to the 1970s.[8]

For his contribution to Indian music, Dey received numerous honours. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1971, the Padma Bhushan in 2005,[12] and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2007.[13] He belonged to the Bhendibazaar gharana and trained under Ustad Aman Ali Khan.[14]

Early life

Dey was born in a Bengali family to Mahamaya and Purna Chandra Dey on 1 May 1919 in Calcutta (Now Kolkata).[15] Besides his parents, his youngest paternal uncle, Sangeetacharya Krishna Chandra Dey highly inspired and influenced him.[16] He received his early education at Indu Babur Pathshala, a small pre-primary school. He started doing stage shows in school from 1929. He attended Scottish Church Collegiate School and Scottish Church College.[17][18] He participated in sports events like wrestling and boxing in his college days, taking training from Gobar Guha.[19] He graduated from Vidyasagar College.[16]

Dey began taking music lessons from Krishna Chandra Dey and Ustad Dabir Khan. During this period of learning, he stood first for three consecutive years in three different categories of inter-collegiate singing competitions.[20]

Career

Early career (1942–1953)

Before singing his first film score, Manna Dey's uncle Krishna Chandra Dey suggested him to take the stage name "Manna Dey." K. C. Dey was a music director. Manna Dey was influenced by music from his early years.

Dey started his career in playback singing with the movie Tamanna, in 1942. The musical score was by Krishna Chandra Dey and Manna sang a duet named "Jago Aayee Usha Ponchi Boley Jago" with Suraiya which was an instant hit.[21][22]

Shankar Rao Vyas taught Manna Dey the songs and he chose to sing them in his uncle's distinct style. And thus started the illustrious career with his first solo song "Gayi Tu Gayi Seeta Sati" from the film Ram Rajya in 1943.[23] The song remarked then Dey as a singer of devotional songs, and got the attention of music composers.[24] The song was the only film song that Mahatma Gandhi heard.[25]

Dey after Getting D.Litt degree from Rabindra Bharati University (May 2004)

1968–1991

He received a fresh lease of life in his playback singing career from 1971 after Rajesh Khanna allowed music directors to picturise or feature songs sung by Dey in films with Khanna in lead role beginning with Anand, composed by Salil Chowdhury. For Rajesh Khanna, Dey had sung songs "Zindagi kaisi hai paheli" (Anand, 1971), "Tum bin jeewan kaisa jeewan" and "Bhor Aaye Gaya Andhera" (Bawarchi, 1972), "Nadiya Chale Re" (song sung with Rajesh and Dey), "Hasne ki chah ne kitna mujhe" (Avishkaar, 1973) and "Gori tori paijaniya" (Mehbooba, 1976). Later in a 2012 interview, Dey said, "I loved the way he picturised music. The success of a song depends upon how an actor picturises it. He was the number one in picturising songs. I will be ever indebted to him."[26]

In 1983, Manna Dey sang the Bengali song "Coffee Houser Sei Addata", penned by Gauriprasanna Mazumdar and composed by Suparna Kanti Ghosh in a studio in Mumbai.[27]

His first duet with Usha Khanna was "Janemon Janemon Tum Din Raat" from film Haye Mera Dil (1968), composed by Kalyanji Anandji. His first song with S. Janaki was "Itna Manta Tu Mera" from Aashiq C.I.D (1973) and with P. Susheela was "Joy Ho Gaanga Maiya Ki" from Gangaa Ki God Mein (1980). He recorded his first song with Vani Jayram, "Rataiya Baba, Rajania Baba" for the film Ratnaa Dakoo in 1972 and their other popular duets include "Mitwa More Man Mitwa" from the film Parinay (1974), composed by Jaidev. Dey also sang with singer/composer, Hemant Kumar (Hemanta Mukherjee), in Bengali movies, and also with some other Bengali composers like Nachiketa Ghosh and Sudhin Dasgupta. He sang a duet, "Ke Prothom Kachhe Esechi", with Lata Mangeshkar in the movie Sankhyabela. He also performed Rabindra Sangeet and recorded over 4000 songs till 2012. In addition to film songs, Dey released several albums of devotional songs of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj.[28]

1992–2013

He sang duets with singers like Kishore Kumar, Md Rafi, Mukesh, Sandhya Mukherjee, Mahendra Kapoor, Talat Mahmood, Hemant Kumar, Amit Kumar, Shailendra Singh, Krishna Kalle, Shardha Rajan Iyengar, Arati Mukherjee, Chandrani Mukherjee, Anuradha Pudwal, Hemlata (singer), Minu Purushottom, Bhupinder Singh, K.J. Yesudas, P Jayachandran, Suresh Wadkar, Kavita Krishnamoorty, Alka Yagnik, Antara Chowdhury, Preeti Sagar, Dilraj Kaur, Yunus Fazmi, Jaspal Singh, Anwar, Manhar Udhas, Joginder and Mubarak Begum. He worked with more than 102 music directors in Hindi film industry from working with Krishna Chandra Dey in Tamanna in 1942 to music composer Shamir Tandon in 2006.[29]

List of songs recorded by Manna Dey

Year Film Song Composer(s) Writer(s) Co-artist(s)
1960 Shriman Satyawadi "Bheegi Hawaon Mein, Teri Adaon Mein" Dattaram Wadkar Gulzar Suman Kalyanpur
1961 Zindagi Aur Khwab "Na Jane Kaha Tum The" Dattaram Wadkar Kavi Pradeep Suman Kalyanpur
1962 Sakhi Robin "Tum Jo Aao To Pyar Aa Jaye" Robin Banerjee Yogesh Suman Kalyanpur
Neeli Aankhen "Ye Nashili Hawa" Dattaram Wadkar Gulshan Bawra Suman Kalyanpur
1963 Bidesiya "Ishq Karaye O Jiski Jem Me" S. N. Tripathi Ram Moorti Chaturvedii Mahendra Kapoor
"Hansi Hansi Panda Khiwanle"
"Jaan Like Hatheli Par" Geeta Dutt
Laagi Naahi Chhute Rama "Munhwase Bola Part1" Chitragupt Majrooh Sultanpuri Asha Bhosle
"Munhwase Bola Part1"
Jab Se Tumhe Dekha Hai "Ye Din, Din Hai Khushi Ke" Dattaram Wadkar Shailendra Suman Kalyanpur
1965 Ayeel Basant Bahar Maiya Thumak Thumak" Hemant Kumar Rammoorti Chaturvedi
"Phoolwa Ke Jhulwa"
"Ab To Chala Sambhal Ke Chacha" Mahendra Kapoor
"Tohre Naina Me Khoi Gaile" Geeta Dutt
1977 Dangal "Kashi Hile Patna Hile Kalkatta Hilela Nadeem–Shravan Rajpati Rahi Solo
1980 Jaagal Bhag Hamaar Badlal Desava Ke Byavhaar S. N. Tripathi Rammoorti Chaturvedi
Chaar Dina Kai Zindagani
Baoor Ho Gaye Lee Gori Asha Bhosle

Personal life

In December 1953, Dey married Sulochana Kumaran. She was originally from Kannur, Kerala. Together they had two daughters – Shuroma Herekar (1956–2016), a US based scientist and Shumita Dev (b. 1958), a Bengaluru-based businesswoman. Sulochana died in Bengaluru in January 2012. She had been suffering from cancer for some time. After her death, Dey moved to Kalyan Nagar in Bengaluru after spending more than fifty years in Mumbai.[30]

Death

On 8 June 2013, Dey was admitted to the ICU in a Bengaluru hospital after a chest infection gave rise to other complications.[31][32] His health gradually improved and about a month later doctors took him off the ventilator support.[33] Later, he was discharged from the hospital.

He was hospitalised again in the first week of October 2013, and died of a cardiac arrest at 3:45 pm on 24 October at Narayana Hrudayalaya hospital in Bengaluru, aged 94.[34] Musicians, politicians, cricketers and other notable persons issued statements on his death.[35][36][37][38] He was cremated in Bengaluru.

Media

Manna Dey 2016 stamp

Dey's Bengali language autobiography, Jiboner Jalsaghorey, has been published by Ananda Publishers in the year 2005 which has been translated in English as Memories Come Alive, in Hindi as Yaden Jee Uthi and in Marathi as Jivanacha Jalasagarat.

Jibaner Jalsaghore, a documentary on Dey's life, was released in 2008. Manna Dey Sangeet Academy is developing a complete archive on Manna Dey. In association with Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, the Manna Dey Music Archive has been developed in the Sangeet Bhawan.

He also lent his voice for Madhushala, composed by Harivansh Rai Bachchan.

Awards

References

  1. "About Him". Mannadey.in. Archived from the original on 27 July 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  2. "Bhajans by Manna Dey". Bhajan - Kirtan - Arati (in Hindi). Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  3. "Jagdish Bhatia - 1 - Mannadaypunjabishabad". Gaana. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  4. "Nazrul Songs Manna Dey". Gaana (in Bengali). Saregama. 31 December 1984. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  5. "Remembering Manna Dey: The Chameleon Of Indian Playback Singing". InUth. 1 May 2018. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  6. "Manna Dey Birth Anniversary: Legendary Singer's Birth Year Causes Confusion over Centenary Celebration Between His Fans and Family | LatestLY". Latestly. 1 May 2018. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  7. "99th birth anniversary of Manna Dey | Listen to his 5 best classical songs". The Statesman. 1 May 2018. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  8. "Manna Dey: A musical genius rarely matched". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  9. "This Day in History – May 1". Indian Nerve. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  10. "Manna Dey, the singing legend could hum a tune in many languages". Hindustan Times. 24 October 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  11. "Manna Dey and his association with Assamese music ~ North-East-India | abode of the blessed". 10 March 2014. Archived from the original on 10 March 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  12. "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  13. "Manna Dey archive in a shambles". The Times of India. 25 October 2016. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  14. RISHI MAJUMDER (19 August 2007). "Bhendi Bazaar Blues". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  15. "De, Mānnā, 1919-2013". Library of Congress. 5 August 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  16. "The life of legendary singer Manna Dey, golden voice of Indian cinema". Hindustan Times. 24 October 2013. Archived from the original on 21 December 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  17. Some Alumni of Scottish Church College in 175th Year Commemoration Volume. Scottish Church College, April 2008. page 589
  18. "Music Singer Colossus". Screen. 28 July 2009. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
  19. "How wrestler Probodh Chandra Dey became singer Manna Dey". Archived from the original on 26 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  20. "Remembering Manna Dey: Indian cinema's promising playback singer with almost 4000 songs to his name". 24 October 2016.
  21. "Remembering singing legend Manna Dey". The Indian Express. 16 December 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  22. "Everything you wanted to know about Manna Dey". The Times of India. 25 October 2013. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  23. "Reference: Manna Dey: A Rare Voice That Excelled In All Music Genres". Learning and Creativity. 24 October 2013. Archived from the original on 29 January 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  24. "The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum". www.tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  25. "The only Hindi film singer the Mahatma heard, Manna Dey never got his due". The Times of India. 1 May 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  26. "It was an honour to sing for Rajesh Khanna: Manna Dey : Celebrities, News". India Today. 18 July 2012. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  27. Chakraborty, Yajnaseni (1 May 2023). "How Manna Dey's immortal Coffee Houser Sei Addata was born". Get Bengal. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  28. Kinnear, M. 1985. A discography of Hindustani and Karnatic music. Greenwood Press.
  29. "Playlist Go Retro By Manna Dey on Hungama.com". Hungama Music. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  30. Manna Dey getatoz.com. Retrieved 1 September 2021
  31. "Veteran singer Manna Dey critical in Bangalore hospital". Indiatvnews.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  32. "Legendary singer Manna Dey stable but critically ill". Ibnlive.in.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  33. "Manna Dey's health improves". Bollywood Hungama. 8 July 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  34. "Manna Dey: Legendary Indian singer dies". 24 October 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  35. "Manna Dey's death: India's reaction on Twitter". Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  36. "Legendary singer Manna Dey no more: India's reaction on Twitter". firstpost.com. 24 October 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  37. "Bollywood mourns the death of Manna Dey". mid-day.com. Archived from the original on 27 November 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  38. "Reactions: Legendary singer Manna Dey passes away (with tweets) · sifydotcom". Storify. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  39. "16th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 May 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  40. Times of India, Entertainment. "National Awards Winners 1968: Complete list of winners of National Awards 1968". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  41. "18th National Film Awards". International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  42. "18th National Film Awards (PDF)" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2013.

Further reading

  • Autobiography in Bengali, Jeeboner Jalsaghorey, published by Ananda Publishers, Kolkata.
  • Autobiography in English, Memories Come Alive, published by Penguin Books.
  • Autobiography in Hindi, Yadein Jee Uthi, published by Penguin Books.
  • Autobiography in Marathi "Jeeboner Jalsaghorey", published by Sahitya Prasar Academy, Nagpur.
  • A biography of Sri Manna Dey in Bengali, Manna Dey Mannyoboreshu, by Dr Gautam Roy, published by Anjali Publishers, Kolkata.