Paying tribute to Krishna Kalle, an accomplished playback singer in the Hindi and Marathi film industries, on her 83rd birth anniversary today (18/12/1940).
Paying tribute to Krishna Kalle, an accomplished playback singer in the Hindi and Marathi film industries, on her 83rd birth anniversary today (18/12/1940).
Krishna Kalle was a well-known figure in the music scene, striving for recognition during the era dominated by Lata Mangeshkar. Alongside artists like Suman Kalyanpur, Mubarak Begum, Kamal Barot, and Sharda, she worked hard to make her mark.
Krishna Kalle is remembered for several hit songs from the ’60s and early ’70s. Her duets, such as ‘Meri Hasraton Ki Duniya’ with Mohammed Rafi from the film ‘Gaal Gulabi Nain Sharabi’ (1974), and ‘Hume To Maar Diya’ with Mahendra Kapoor from ‘Hum Kahan Ja Rahe Hain’ (1966), remain etched in the memories of old Hindi film song enthusiasts. Her voice graced the soundtracks of notable films like ‘Hum Kahan Ja Rahe Hain’ (1966), ‘Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein’ (1967), ‘Raaz’ (1967), ‘Naunihal’ (1967), ‘Shikar’ (1968), ‘Sati Sulochana’ (1969), and ‘Gaal Gulabi Nain Sharabi’ (1974).
Born in Karwar and raised in Kanpur where her father was stationed, Krishna Kalle absorbed the cultural richness of Hindi and Urdu during her upbringing. At the tender age of 16, she began singing at the Kanpur Radio Station. She gained popularity through her performances at various Yatra music festivals across Uttar Pradesh. In 1957, she received national recognition with youth singing awards from India’s first president, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, and the first prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The following year brought her the All India Sugam Sangeet Award’s first prize, the K L Sehgal Memorial’s Golden Voice Award, among others. Subsequently, she joined All India Radio in 1960.
Arun Date first noticed her talent in Mumbai and introduced her to the music director Yashwant Dev, which kickstarted her career as a Marathi singer. Active in the Hindi film industry from the 1960s to the 1970s, she lent her voice to over 200 Hindi and 100 Marathi film songs, as well as numerous bhajans, ghazals, and devotional songs. Her collaborations included non-film albums with renowned artists like Manna Dey and Mohammed Rafi.
