Bhupinder Singh (1940-2022): The ghazal czar who was in a league of his own

Who would have thought that a child who was indifferent to music and instruments would end up having timeless melodies to his credit? Bhupinder Singh was born in Amritsar in 1940, and his father Natha Singh, who was a trained vocalist, first introduced him to the world of music.

Veteran singer Bhupinder Singh dies at 82

As a child, Singh never showed any inclination toward music. But as destiny would have it, composer Madan Mohan eventually heard his dulcet vocals at a party hosted by All India Radio in Delhi and later brought him to Mumbai. The singer eventually got his first break in 1964 with his number ‘Hoke Majboor Mujhe Usne Bulaya Hoga’ from the film Haqeeqat.

In an interview, Singh reminisced about this song, saying, “The song was released in 1964 but today’s generation sings the song with me when I perform live on stage and demands the song. It’s a very good feeling for me to see youngsters who weren’t even born at that time enjoy some of my songs like this.”

Later, the singer went on to work with some biggest composers of those times including Rahul Dev Burman, Khayyam, Sachin Dev Burman and Jaidev. He had a unique voice and distinct style which was his calling card.

His ghazal ‘Kisi Nazar Ko Tera Intezar’ from Aitbaar (1985) remains iconic and its charm can never be matched. Some of his other popular tracks include ‘Dil Dhoondta Hai’ from Mausam (1975) which was another Madan Mohan composition. ‘Huzoor Is Kadar’ from Masoom (1983) is as soulful as it gets.

At a time when most composers were signing the legendary Kishore Kumar for their songs, Singh carved his own niche. In an interview with The Hindu in 2016, he recalled an incident regarding the song ‘Beeti Na Beetaai Raina’ from Parichay (1972). “Originally, RD Burman wanted Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar to sing it. When Kishore Da heard it, he felt the song suited my vocal style better. So, he suggested it to RD, who accepted. That was the relationship musicians shared in those days. There was no feeling of ego or one-upmanship,” he said.

Mangeshkar and Singh sang the iconic ‘Naam Gum Jaayega’ from Kinara (1977), which was written and directed by Gulzar. 

But singing wasn’t the only talent that Singh possessed. He was a brilliant guitarist whose magic can be heard in some of the most popular songs. ‘Dum Maaro Dum’, ‘Chura Liya Hai Tumne Joh Dil Ko’, ‘Chingari Koi Bhadke’ and ‘Mehbooba Mehbooba’ are some songs that also featured Singh as a guitarist.

The singer also later went on to compose independent music albums along with his wife Mitali Mukherjee and also had a long association with the legendary lyricist Gulzar. The duo teamed up for a music album titled Surmayi Raat in 2013. Singh also composed and sang all the songs on the album.

Gulzar has time and again spoken about Singh and went on to say, "Bhupi ki aawaaz taaweez banaake gale mein pehenni chahiye [One should make a locket of his voice and wear it]".

The duo collaborated again in 2017 for an album titled Dil Peer Hai. At the time, the lyricist said, “The biggest compliment I’ve got from him is that, ‘I’m used to your alfaaz. I can’t compose without them, so please write for me'.” He added, “Bhupi started composing 40 years ago and at that time songs couldn’t be made without rhymes and ‘kaafiya’. To be able to compose according to that was a miracle. Totally out of the box, it was. Bhupi did it in those times and continues to do now. So, he’s special. Bhupi also agrees with me that in today’s times only AR Rahman does it. Or sometimes I’ve done films where I’ve not rhymed the lyrics, like in Dil Se. But one of the composers who can compose music to such lyrics beautifully is Bhupi.”

Singh’s last big hit was 'Badalon Se' from the gangster epic Satya (1998), which was a Vishal Bhardwaj composition that was penned by Gulzar. The singer was not as prolific as contemporaries such as Lata Mangeshkar. He had said in an interview, “I’ve never felt that I regretted not getting a song. I’ve done a lot of work with Madanji, Jaidevji, SD Burman and RD Burman, but I’ve never thought about what I would do if I don’t get songs because, from 1983, I was very busy on stage also. Of course, I feel like singing a lot depends on the choice. A music director must understand a singer’s style. I would love to sing the kind of songs that suit my style.”

The singer did a lot of stage shows with his wife in the past few years. “We kept busy on the stage and we did a lot of foreign tours, so we didn’t keep in touch much with the industry. Here, you need to have contacts and you need to be in touch to get more work. Which is why 10 years just passed that way! Even I didn’t pay much attention to songs in films, since I was busy on stage,” he confessed.

The industry can boast of only one Bhupinder Singh who stood out because of his individuality. Like his song ‘Karoge Yaad To Har Baat’ from Bazaar (1982) suggests, we shall certainly miss the artiste but cherish his magical voice, which will endure for eternity.