Unconventional voice, distinctive texture
Sharada Rajan Iyengar, nee Sharada was a well-known Indian playback singer, song writer and music director, who sang songs in Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, English, and Hindi.
She was born in Kumbakonam, Madras Presidency, British India, into a middle-class Tamil Brahmin Iyengar family. She showed an early interest in music and her mother engaged a tutor to train her in basic Carnatic music. She was known for her unorthodox distinctive vocal texture and versatility of style. She demonstrated her abilities by taking part in a variety of school activities.
Sharada got introduced to the world of playback singing by accident. She performed at a party in Teheran in early 1960s that was thrown in Showman Raj Kapoor’s honour. Soundara Rajan, her husband, worked for Iran Air at that time.
After evaluating her voice, Kapoor gave her one of her career’s high points, the chart-opping song Titli Udi, Udi Jo Chali from Suraj (1966), with music by Shankar Jaikishan. She then received training from Shankar. Jaikishan instructed her on how to emphasise the word titli, which enhanced the song.
Later, she worked with the renowned duo and contributed to a number of successful songs for movies including Around the World, Diwana, An Evening in Paris, Seema, Pehchan, Gumnaam, Sapno Ka Saudagar, and Kal Aaj aur Kal. She also sang Leja Leja Leja Mera Dil, Woh Pari Kahan Se Laun, Masti Aur Jawani Ho Umar Badi Mastani Ho, Tum Pyar Se Dekho, etc. In the 1980s, she performed her farewell song in the movie Kaanch Ki Deewar.
Along with Usha Khanna, Ravi, Dattaram, Iqbal Qureshi, and others, she also recorded with Rafi, Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar,
Yesudas, Mukesh, and Suman Kalyanpur. She lent her vocal abilities in films to leading females like Vyjayanthimala, Saira Banu, Hema Malini, Sharmila Tagore, Mumtaz, Rekha, and even Helen.
It so happened that, until 1966, there was just one category (either male or female) for the prestigious Filmfare award for best playback singer.
However, for the first time ever, Titli Udi and Mohd Rafi’s song Baharo Phool Barsa were tied for best song. Sharada didn’t receive the honor, but she wrote history as after that Filmfare began presenting two prizes for best playback vocalist, one for male vocalist and one for female vocalist.
For her lavish crooning of the seductive cabaret single Baat zara hai aapas ki in Jahan Pyar Mile (1970), she later won the Filmfare Best Female Playback Singer Award.Sharada’s unusual, childlike voice was a welcome contrast in that era. She was then nominated four times in a row (1968–1971), and during the Mangeshkar sisters’ heyday, she took home two Filmfare awards.
Sharada made her debut as a music director and lyricist in the mid-70s, for a number of low-budget movies like Kshitij, Hazaar Haath, Maila Aanchal, Garibi Hatao, Mandir Masjid, Maa Behen Aur Biwi, Tu Meri Main Tera.
The song Ek Chehra Jo Dil Ke Kareeb, composed by Shankar for the movie Garam Khoon and which Lata Mangeshkar sang, was written by Sharada under the pen name Singaar. Mohammad Rafi received a nomination for the Filmfare Best Male Play back Singer Award for his performance of the Sharada composed song Achcha Hi Hua Dil Toot Gaya from Maa Behen Aur Biwi.
She was the first Indian female vocalist to record her own pop album, ‘Sizzlers’, released in 1971 by HMV. In 2007 the album Andaaz-E-Bayan Aur, based on Mirza Ghalib’s ghazals featured her own compositions and music.
Away then from the limelight for long, she was active on Twitter, managed a website TitliUdi.com and took singing and puppetry lessons for kids, till her mid-80s.
Sharada, passed away at her Mumbai Napean Sea Road residence after a long battle with cancer aged 89, survived by her children, Shammi and Sudha.
A. Radhakrishnan is a Pune based freelance writer, poet and short story writer