Music producer Ramesh Taurani has revealed how Anuradha Paudwal’s decision to step away from film playback singing and focus on T-Series helped Alka Yagnik emerge as one of the most prominent female voices in Hindi cinema during the 1990s.
Speaking on trade analyst Komal Nahta’s podcast Game Changers: The Music Series, Taurani discussed the changing dynamics of the Hindi film music industry and the rise of playback singers who dominated the decade.
Taurani said that established singers Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle remained the preferred choices for music producers, while Alka Yagnik and Anuradha Paudwal were also in high demand as a new generation of singers gained popularity.
He recalled how soundtracks of films such as Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Aashiqui, Saajan and Phool Aur Kaante became major hits, helping singers including Alka, Anuradha, Udit Narayan and Kumar Sanu establish themselves.
According to Taurani, Anuradha was initially viewed as the successor to Lata Mangeshkar, while Alka was increasingly seen as a successor to Asha Bhosle.
“Luckily, Anuradha Ji stopped singing for films and made herself exclusive to T-Series. This worked in Alka Ji’s favour, as she got both Lata Ji and Asha Ji type songs, whether they were solos, duets or shayari,” Taurani said.
He added that Alka was receiving a particularly large share of songs during that period, even as male playback singers such as Udit Narayan, Kumar Sanu and Sonu Nigam built their own successful careers.
Anuradha Paudwal had emerged as a leading playback singer in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with popular soundtracks including Aashiqui, Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin and Saajan. She subsequently shifted much of her focus towards devotional music and became closely associated with T-Series.
Alka Yagnik, meanwhile, went on to work with several leading composers, including Nadeem-Shravan and Anu Malik, becoming a regular voice for romantic songs, duets and other musical sequences in Hindi films.
Taurani’s recollections offer an insight into how changing professional choices and the evolving music industry helped shape the careers of two of Hindi cinema’s most recognisable playback singers.
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