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It was the year 1943, in the then city of Bombay – film producer Vijay Bhatt and music composer Shankar Rao Vyas approached musical sensation Krishna Chandra Dey with an offer to sing playback in the new film Ram Rajya. K C Dey refused the role as he only sang playback in movies where he acted. So they looked instead towards his nephew sitting in the corner of the room – Prabodh Chandra Dey – and offered him the role instead. This was the first big break of the artist who would join the titans Kishore Kumar, Mukesh Chand Mathur and Mohammad Rafi to dominate the sub-continental music scene as the unforgettable Manna Dey.
Manna Dey was born 105 years ago today, on May 1, 1919, in Kolkata to Mahamaya and Purna Chandra Dey. Despite his father's wish for him to be a lawyer, Manna Dey took a liking to music from a young age and practised under the tutelage of his uncle K C Dey and received classical training from the Bhendibazaar Gharana under Ustad Aman Ali Khan. According to Manna Dey, his uncle encouraged him to sing each note with a 'full throat', a practice which enabled him to sing high and low notes with solid and soft voices.
Manna Dey's contribution to Indian music was not just about his vocal range but also his versatility. Throughout his career, he recorded more than 3,500 songs. While most of his songs were in Hindi and his mother tongue, Bangla, he also sang in 14 other languages in India. He was renowned for his unique blend of classical singing styles into playback and pop music.
His first playback was in the 1942 movie Tamanna, but his breakthrough in Ram Rajya in 1943, where he sang in the exact signature style of his uncle K C Dey, catapulted him to fame.
His legendary scripted battle with the 'king of playback,' Kishore Kumar, in the remake of the song Ek Chatur Naar in the 1968 cult classic film Padosan, is still considered one of the greatest songs in Indian cinema. It has been covered many times by artists in various reality singing competitions.
Today, more than eight decades after his debut, Manna Dey's songs continue to resonate with music lovers across generations. His music has become a part of the cultural fabric of both Bangladeshi and Indian households.
From those who appreciate classical music styles to modern pop fans, there's a Manna Dey song for everyone. His repertoire includes romantic ballads like Jodi Himaloy, O Keno Eto Shundori Holo, O Chaad Shamle Rakho Jochhonake, Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen, Pyaar Hua Iqrar Hua, and heart-wrenching melodies like Tumi Nijer Mukhei Bolle Jedin, Khub Jante Ichhe Kore, Kasme Waade Pyar Wafa. Nostalgic listeners might find solace in Coffee House Er Shei Adda or Ye Dosti Hum Nahi Bhoolenge, while those pondering the meaning of life might resonate with Shobai To Shukhi Hote Chay or Ami Je Jolsha Ghore.
They say that your work, not your age, determines how long you live. That is true for Manna Dey, who lives through Coffee House Er Shei Adda and his many other songs in the hearts and voices of millions of people from the original 'Coffee House' in College St in Kolkata to the whole of India, Bangladesh, and beyond.