Alka Yagnik

Alka Yagnik (born 20 March 1966) is an Indian playback singer who worked predominantly in Hindi cinema from the 1980s to mid 2010s. One of the most prominent singers of 1990s era Bollywood, she has received several accolades including two National Film Awards, two Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards and seven Filmfare Awards for Best Female Playback Singer from thirty-seven nominations. She was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India for her contribution to Indian music and playback singing in 2026. Alka is cited as 'Voice of a Generation' and has been referred to as the 'Melody Queen' of Indian cinema. Yagnik has sung the most female solo songs in Bollywood, behind only Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. Several of her soundtracks were included in the BBC "Top 40 Bollywood soundtracks of all time".