Producer Ramesh Taurani recently reflected on the changing dynamics of Hindi film music in the 1990s and recalled how Alka Yagnik emerged as one of the most sought-after female playback singers of the decade. Taurani was speaking alongside his brother Kumar Taurani on Komal Nahta’s Game Changers: The Music Series.
Ramesh Taurani recalls Alka Yagnik’s rise in the ’90s: “She was getting the most songs”
Discussing the music landscape of the period, Ramesh Taurani recalled that established voices such as Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle continued to be important choices for filmmakers, while a new generation of singers was gaining prominence.
“Back then, Lata Ji and Asha Ji were already established. When we used to make music, Lata Ji was our first preference, followed by Alka and Anuradha,” Taurani said.
He went on to recall the emergence of singers including Kumar Sanu, Anuradha Paudwal, Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan. According to him, films such as Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Aashiqui, Saajan and Phool Aur Kaante helped establish the new voices in the industry as their songs became popular with audiences.
“The idea was that in the ’90s, when new singers like Shanu, Anuradha Paudwal, Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan came in, these four made it big. Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Aashiqui, Saajan and Phool Aur Kaante were hits, and their songs became superhits,” he recalled.
How Alka Yagnik emerged as a leading female voice
Taurani also drew a comparison between the newer singers and the established female playback voices of the previous generation. He recalled that Anuradha Paudwal was being viewed as a successor to Lata Mangeshkar, while Alka Yagnik was increasingly being positioned as a voice comparable to Asha Bhosle.
“The idea then was that Anuradha Paudwal was the new Lata Mangeshkar, while Alka Yagnik became the new Asha Bhosle,” Taurani said.
According to Taurani, the shift in Anuradha Paudwal’s film career eventually created more opportunities for Alka Yagnik. He recalled that after Paudwal stopped singing for films and became associated exclusively with T-Series, Alka began receiving a wider variety of female playback assignments.
“Luckily, Anuradha Ji stopped singing for films and made herself exclusive to T-Series. This worked in Alka Ji’s favour, as she got both Lata Ji and Asha Ji type songs, whether they were solos, duets or shayari,” he said.
Taurani further recalled the scale of Alka Yagnik’s presence during the period, saying she was receiving a significant number of songs compared with some of the leading male playback singers of the time.
“The situation was such that, among Udit, Sanu and Sonu, Alka Ji was getting the most songs,” he added.
The conversation featured Ramesh and Kumar Taurani discussing their experiences in the Hindi music industry and the changes they witnessed during the rise of the 1990s playback generation. The episode is part of Komal Nahta’s Game Changers: The Music Series, which focuses on conversations with singers, composers and other figures associated with Indian film music.
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