Padhma Bhushan Alka Yagnik sang 25+ songs for Sridevi! A look back

Last night, singer Alka Yagnik added another feather to her illustrious cap, receiving the Padma Bhushan from Indian President Droupadi Murmu. The gifted singer has gone through some health troubles recently and we wish her a speedy recovery. A gifted young singer, she sang with contemporary stars as well as legends like Kishore Kumar! The first hit song I can remember of Alka is Mere Angne main in Laawaris!

A quick dive into Alkaji's career; 

Alka Yagnik (born March 20, 1966) is one of India’s most celebrated playback singers, renowned for her versatile voice and immense contribution to Hindi cinema with a staggering number of songs and record breaking digital downloads. Born in Kolkata to a Gujarati family, she grew up in a musically inclined household. Her father, Dharmendra Shankar, worked as a Navy officer, while her mother, Shubha Yagnik, a trained classical singer, became her first guru and strongest supporter.  

Alka began singing devotional songs (bhajans) for All India Radio, Kolkata, at the tender age of six. At ten, her mother took her to Mumbai to pursue a singing career. Though initially advised to wait until her voice matured, Alka’s determination paid off. She made her Bollywood debut with a few lines in Payal Ki Jhankaar (1979) and sang her first full song in Laawaris (1981) when she was just 15! Even Shreya Ghoshal was 16 when she sang for Devdas! 

Alka's big breakthrough came in 1988 with the chart-topping, energetic number “Ek Do Teen” from Tezaab, which won her the first of her seven Filmfare Awards for Best Female Playback Singer. This catapulted her to stardom in the late 1980s and 1990s, where she became the dominant female voice in Bollywood alongside singers and frequent singing partners like Kumar Sanu and Udit Narayan. 

Alka’s voice is celebrated for its clarity, emotional depth, and ability to handle diverse genres - from romantic melodies and dance numbers to qawwalis and folk-infused tracks. Iconic songs include “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai” (Khalnayak), “Taal Se Taal” (Taal), “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai,” “Hum Tum,” and , well, too many memorable duets to list. She has, allegedly, sung over 2,400 Hindi songs across more than 1,100 films and recorded in over 25 languages. 

Her accolades include two National Film Awards, a record seven Filmfare Awards (from 37 nominations), and, as of yesterday, the prestigious Padma Bhushan (2026). Despite facing hearing challenges later in life, Alka remains a revered figure in Indian music for her four-decade journey as the “Melody Queen” of Bollywood.  

Alka sang over two dozen songs for Sridevi - from the passable ditties in Ghar Sansar in 1986, to the fabulous solo Hakka illa re in the underrated Kaun Sachcha Kaun Jhootha. Funnily enough, both by Rajesh Roshan, king of the underrated Music Directors of India! 

Though she famously sang many of Madhuri Dixit's major hits (Ek do teen, Dekha hai pehli baar etc onwards), she was a playback singer for Sridevi in several memorable films (and a few forgettable ones!). Here's a chronological list of songs Alka Yagnik - who was only three years younger than Sridevi - sang for the screen queen;

Year	Film	Song Title	Music Director	Lyricist	Type
1986	Ghar Sansar	Jeevan Ke Raaste Mein	Rajesh Roshan	Indeevar	With Kishore Kumar & Mohammed Aziz
1986	Ghar Sansar	Meri Oonchi Nahin Deewaar	Rajesh Roshan	Indeevar	Solo
1991	Garajna	Bambai Mein Baat Hui / Pyar Hua	Bappi Lahiri	Indeevar / Anjaan	Duet (with Bappi Lahiri)
1991	Pathar Ke Insan	Tu Hi Meri Prem Kahani	Bappi Lahiri	Indeevar	Duet (with Mohammed Aziz)
1991	Pathar Ke Insan	Pathar Ke Insan (Title Song)	Bappi Lahiri	Indeevar	Duet (with Amit Kumar)
1991	Farishtay	Apna Hai Raaj Phir Kahe Ka Raja	Bappi Lahiri	Anand Bakshi	Duet (with Shabbir Kumar)
1991	Banjaran	Teri Banjaran Rasta Dekhe	Laxmikant–Pyarelal	Anand Bakshi	Solo
1991	Banjaran	Mere Dil Ki Galiyon Mein	Laxmikant–Pyarelal	Anand Bakshi	Duet (with Suresh Wadkar)
1992	Khuda Gawah	Tu Na Jaa Mere Badshah	Laxmikant–Pyarelal	Anand Bakshi	Duet (with Mohammed Aziz)
1992	Khuda Gawah	Deewana Mujhe Kar Gaya	Laxmikant–Pyarelal	Anand Bakshi	Duet (with Mohammed Aziz)
1992	Khuda Gawah	Mere Watan Mein Maine	Laxmikant–Pyarelal	Anand Bakshi	Duet (with Suresh Wadkar)
1993	Chandramukhi	Tere Dil Ki Baat Main Janoon	Anand-Milind	Sameer	Duet (with Kumar Sanu)
1993	Gumrah	Tere Pyar Ko Salaam	Bappi Lahiri	Sameer	Duet (with Kumar Sanu)
1994	Laadla	Mere Ghulam Tera	Anand-Milind	Sameer	Duet (with Udit Narayan)
1996	Army	Main To Hoon Pagal Munda	Anand-Milind	Sameer	Duet (with Vinod Rathod)
1996	Army	Ek Beeti Hui Kahani	Anand-Milind	Sameer	Solo
1996	Army	Ho Gayee Tiyar Hamari Army	Anand-Milind	Sameer	Multi (with Vinod Rathod, Abhijeet & others)
1996	Mr. Bechara	Jaanam Meri Jaanam	Anand-Milind	Sameer / Nawab Arzoo	Duet (with Udit Narayan)
1996	Mr. Bechara	Khoyi Khoyi Aankhon Mein	Anand-Milind	Nawab Arzoo	Duet (with Udit Narayan)
1997	Kaun Sachcha Kaun Jhootha	Chanchal Hawaon Se	Rajesh Roshan	Sameer	Solo
1997	Kaun Sachcha Kaun Jhootha	Dil Se Judi Dil Ki Kadi	Rajesh Roshan	Sameer	Duet (with Kumar Sanu)
1997	Judaai	Judaai Judaai	Nadeem–Shravan	Sameer	Multi (with Hariharan & Jaspinder Narula)
2004	Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin	Aisa To Koi Aur Duja	Laxmikant–Pyarelal	Anand Bakshi	Duet (with Kumar Sanu)
2004	Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin	Hamra Sajan Sang Tha Wada	Laxmikant–Pyarelal	Anand Bakshi	Solo
2004	Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin	Hum Sang Kitna Pyar Hai	Laxmikant–Pyarelal	Anand Bakshi	Duet (with Udit Narayan)