Prabodh Chandra Dey, known by his stage name Manna Dey, was an internationally acclaimed and celebrated Indian playback singer, music director, and a musician.
43 Facts About Manna Dey
2.
Manna Dey is considered one of the most versatile and celebrated vocalists of the Hindi film industry, often credited with the success of Indian classical music in Hindi commercial movies.
3.
Manna Dey was born in a Bengali family to Mahamaya and Purna Chandra Manna Dey on 1 May 1919 in Calcutta.
4.
Besides his parents, his youngest paternal uncle, Sangeetacharya Krishna Chandra Manna Dey highly inspired and influenced him.
5.
Manna Dey received his early education at Indu Babur Pathshala, a small pre-primary school.
6.
Manna Dey started doing stage shows in school from 1929.
7.
Manna Dey attended Scottish Church Collegiate School and Scottish Church College.
8.
Manna Dey participated in sports events like wrestling and boxing in his college days, taking training from Gobar Guha.
9.
Manna Dey began taking music lessons from Krishna Chandra Manna Dey and Ustad Dabir Khan.
10.
In 1942, Manna Dey accompanied Krishna Chandra Manna Dey on a visit to Bombay.
11.
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.
12.
When K C Dey refused the offer on the grounds that he would not lend his voice to other actors, they spotted Manna Dey sitting in the corner of the room and offered him the opportunity.
13.
In 1952, Manna Dey sang for a Bengali and a Marathi movie with the same name and storyline, Amar Bhupali.
14.
Manna Dey established his verstality between 1948 and 1954 by singing not only the classical based film songs but singing such film songs which were fusion of Indian classical music and pop music and by giving classical music concerts.
15.
Manna Dey began singing ghazals in Hindi films from 1953.
16.
Manna Dey became a music composer in Hindi films when he composed music along with Khemchand Prakash for both Shri Ganesh Janma and Vishwamitra.
17.
Manna Dey became nationally famous after release of Do Bigha Zamin where two of the songs sung by him and composed by Salil Choudhury became hits.
18.
The Raj Kapoor-Manna Dey combination produced superhits and was a pair to reckon with.
19.
Manna Dey turned into an independent music composer in Hindi films with Maha Poojaa in 1954.
20.
Manna Dey sang eighty-three Hindi songs in three years from 1953 to 1955 and his demand increased such that he sang 45 songs in the year 1956.
21.
Manna Dey's career reached in peak form when he recorded 95 Hindi songs in single year 1957 and 64 in 1958.
22.
Manna Dey gave playback for Raj Kapoor in Shree 420, Chori Chori, Parvarish, Dil Hi To Hai, Mera Naam Joker and "Ek Paon Chal Raha Hai" from Kal Aaj Aur Kal.
23.
Manna Dey sang for Balraj Sahni in many films from 1950 till 1969 and was voice of Mehmood and Anoop Kumar in many films from 1960 to 1975.
24.
Manna Dey sang around 27 Hindi duets with Geeta Dutt from 1949 with the last being from Ziddi in 1964.
25.
Manna Dey recorded around 31 songs with Kishore from 1951 to 1987 and all of them became chartbusters.
26.
From 1969, after release of Aradhana, the highest in demand playback singer was Kishore Kumar, so careers of Mukesh, Rafi and Manna Dey were affected and they got lesser number of songs to sing.
27.
Manna Dey 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 Chowdahry.
28.
Also the trio of Kishore-Rafi-Manna Dey sang together hits like "Tujhme Ishwar, Allah Tujhme" from Nanha Farishta and "Band Mutthee" from Chalti Ka Naam Zindagi.
29.
Lata and Manna Dey recorded fusion songs, which used both Indian and western instruments.
30.
In 1974, Manna Dey sang along with Lata-Kishore in the song "Goyakechu Nanche" from Manoranjan which became a chartbuster in 1974.
31.
Manna Dey worked with composers like Laxmikant Pyarelal, Kamlyanji Anadji, Pancham, Bappi Lahiri, Raam Laxman, Sonik Omi, S Rajeswar Rao, Ravi, Rajesh Roshan extensively from late 70s to 1990 in Hindi films.
32.
Manna Dey sang "Bohey Nirontaro Ananto Anandadhara" from the album Rabindra Sudha in 1961, and then went on to sing 14 songs composed by Rabindranath Tagore until 2002 in Hindi.
33.
Manna Dey sang title songs of Hindi serials like Hum Hindusthaani, Khari Khari, Aasmaan Se Oonchaa and Aao Jhoome Gaaye, all composed by Barma Malik.
34.
Manna Dey 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, composed by Jaidev.
35.
Manna Dey sang a duet, "Ke Prothom Kachhe Esechi", with Lata Mangeshkar in the movie Sankhyabela.
36.
Manna Dey performed Rabindra Sangeet and recorded over 4000 songs till 2012.
37.
Manna Dey's last recorded song in Hindi films was for the film Umar in 2006 composed by Shamir Tandon, Duniyawaalo Kee Nahee Kuchh Bhee Khabar, which he sang along with Kavita Krishnamoorthy and Sonu Nigam.
38.
Manna Dey was presented the Filmfare Life Time Achievement Award in 2011.
39.
Manna Dey 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.
40.
Manna Dey had been suffering from cancer for some time.
41.
On 8 June 2013, Manna Dey was admitted to the ICU in a Bengaluru hospital after a chest infection gave rise to other complications.
42.
Jibaner Jalsaghore, a documentary on Manna Dey's life, was released in 2008.
43.
Manna Dey lent his voice for Madhushala, composed by Harivansh Rai Bachchan.