Manna Dey gets Dadasaheb Phalke award

Eminent singer Manna Dey, who sang evergreen songs like Ae mere pyaare watan and Zindagi kaisi hai paheli, has been selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke award for the year 2007, the highest honour in Indian cinema.

The legendary singer, who ruled the roost for three decades from the 1950s to the 1970s, has sung more than 3,000 songs. He made his debut in singing with the movie Tamanna in 1943. But it was the throaty Upar Gagan Vishal composed by SD Burman that made him an overnight sensation in 1950.

Dey, 90, has also won the National Film Award for best male playback singer twice — for Hindi film Mere Huzur and Bengali film Nishi Padma. He has also been honoured with the Padmashree and the Padma Bhushan.

Born Prabodh Chandra Dey in 1919, Manna Dey had managed to make a niche for himself in the face of stiff competition from more popular singers such as Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Mukesh.

Manna Dey is currently in the US for a cultural function and will return to India on Thursday.

Music director Anu Malik said Manna Dey is the most underrated singer. “He is one of the most versatile singers we had. If he could sing Aao Twist Karen, he could also sing Laaga chunari mein daag. Who can forget his Ek chatur naar in Padosan?” he said.

Some of Manna Dey’s famous songs include, Laga chunari mein daag, Pyaar hua iqraar hua, Ye raat bheegi bheegi and Kasme wade pyaar wafa. Dey lent his voice to songs in popular films like Awaara, Do Bigha Zamin, Mera Naam Joker, Bobby, Zanjeer, Padosan and Sholay.