Prabodh Chandra Dey (born 1 May 1919), better known by his nickname Manna Dey (Bengali: মান্না দে), is one of the greatest playback singers in Hindi and Bengali films. Along with Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, he dominated Indian film playback music from the 1950s to the 1970s. He has recorded more than 3500 songs over the course of his career. He was also awarded the "Dadasaheb Phalke Award" - the highest honour in Indian cinema for the year 2007 on October 21st, 2009 by the President of India Prathiba Patil.
Dey was born to Purna Chandra (father) and Mahamaya Dey (mother) on 1 May 1919. Besides his parents, his youngest paternal uncle Sangeetacharya (meaning "Venerable Teacher of Music" in Sanskrit). K. C. Dey highly inspired and influenced him. Dey received his early education in a small pre-primary school named Indu Babur Pathshala. Thereafter he attended Scottish Church Collegiate School and Scottish Church College, followed by Vidyasagar College where he received his graduate education. From his childhood Dey has pursued wrestling and boxing.
During Dey’s years at Scottish Church College, he sang to entertain his classmates. He began taking singing lessons from his uncle, Krishna Chandra Dey and Ustad Dabir Khan. During this period, Manna Dey stood first for three consecutive years in three different categories of inter-collegiate singing competitions.
In 1942, Dey accompanied Krishna Chandra Dey on a visit to Mumbai. There he started working as an assistant, first under Krishna Chandra Dey, and then under Sachin Dev Burman. Later he assisted other music composers and then started to work independently. While working independently as a music director for various Hindi movies, Manna Dey continued to take musical lessons in Hindustani classical music from Ustad Aman Ali Khan and Ustad Abdul Rahman Khan.
Dey started his career in playback singing with the movie, Tamanna, in 1943. The musical score was by Krishna Chandra Dey and Manna sang a duet with Suraiya. The song was an instant hit. He sang a solo penned by Sachal Dev Burman, Upar Gagan Vishal, in the 1950 movie, Mashal. In 1952, Dey sang for a Bengali and a Marathi movie with the same name and storyline, Amar Bhupali. This established him as a leading playback singer.
Dey recorded a popular duet, Ketaki Gulab Juhi, with classicist Bhimsen Joshi. With Kishore Kumar, he sang duets of different genres such as, Yeh Dosti Hum Nehi Torenge (Sholay) and Ek Chatur Naar (Padosan). Dey sang with singer/composer, Hemant Kumar (Hemanta Mukherjee), in Bengali movies, and also for some other Bengali composers. He sang a duet, "Ke Prothom Kachhe Esechi", with Lata Mangeshkar in the movie Sankhyabela. Dey pioneered a new genre in Indian music wherein Indian classical music is blended with pop music. Dey also performed Rabindra Sangeet and has recorded over 3500 songs.
During Dey’s years at Scottish Church College, he sang to entertain his classmates. He began taking singing lessons from his uncle, Krishna Chandra Dey and Ustad Dabir Khan. During this period, Manna Dey stood first for three consecutive years in three different categories of inter-collegiate singing competitions.
In 1942, Dey accompanied Krishna Chandra Dey on a visit to Mumbai. There he started working as an assistant, first under Krishna Chandra Dey, and then under Sachin Dev Burman. Later he assisted other music composers and then started to work independently. While working independently as a music director for various Hindi movies, Manna Dey continued to take musical lessons in Hindustani classical music from Ustad Aman Ali Khan and Ustad Abdul Rahman Khan.
Dey started his career in playback singing with the movie, Tamanna, in 1943. The musical score was by Krishna Chandra Dey and Manna sang a duet with Suraiya. The song was an instant hit. He sang a solo penned by Sachal Dev Burman, Upar Gagan Vishal, in the 1950 movie, Mashal. In 1952, Dey sang for a Bengali and a Marathi movie with the same name and storyline, Amar Bhupali. This established him as a leading playback singer.
Dey recorded a popular duet, Ketaki Gulab Juhi, with classicist Bhimsen Joshi. With Kishore Kumar, he sang duets of different genres such as, Yeh Dosti Hum Nehi Torenge (Sholay) and Ek Chatur Naar (Padosan). Dey sang with singer/composer, Hemant Kumar (Hemanta Mukherjee), in Bengali movies, and also for some other Bengali composers. He sang a duet, "Ke Prothom Kachhe Esechi", with Lata Mangeshkar in the movie Sankhyabela. Dey pioneered a new genre in Indian music wherein Indian classical music is blended with pop music. Dey also performed Rabindra Sangeet and has recorded over 3500 songs.
Awards received by Manna Dey
Dey has been honored with the titles Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.
The following is the list of Manna Dey's other awards:
1969 National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the Hindi Film Mere Huzur
1971 National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the Bengali film Nishi Padma
1971 Padma Shri Award by Government of India
1985 Lata Mangeshkar Award awarded by Government of Madhya Pradesh
1988 Michale Sahittyo Puraskar awarded by Renaissance Sanskritik Parishad, Dhaka
1990 Shyamal Mitra Award by Mithun Fans Association
1991 Sangeet Swarnachurr Award awarded by Shree Khetra Kala Prakashika, Puri
1993 P.C.Chandra Award by P.C.Chandra Group & others
1999 Kamala Devi Roy Award by Kamala Devi Group
2001 Anandalok Lifetime Award by Anandabazar Group
2002 Special Jury Swaralaya Yesudas Award for outstanding performance in music
2003 Alauddin Khan Award by Government of West Bengal
2004 National Award as Playback singer by Government of Kerala
2004 D. Litt Honouris Causa by Rabindra Bharati University
2005 Life Time Achievement award by Government of Maharashtra
2005 D.Litt Honouris Causa by Burdwan University
2005 Padma Bhushan Award by Government of India
2007 First AKSHAYA Award by Government of orissa
2008 D.Litt Honouris Causa by Jadavpur University
2009 Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2007
The following is the list of Manna Dey's other awards:
1969 National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the Hindi Film Mere Huzur
1971 National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the Bengali film Nishi Padma
1971 Padma Shri Award by Government of India
1985 Lata Mangeshkar Award awarded by Government of Madhya Pradesh
1988 Michale Sahittyo Puraskar awarded by Renaissance Sanskritik Parishad, Dhaka
1990 Shyamal Mitra Award by Mithun Fans Association
1991 Sangeet Swarnachurr Award awarded by Shree Khetra Kala Prakashika, Puri
1993 P.C.Chandra Award by P.C.Chandra Group & others
1999 Kamala Devi Roy Award by Kamala Devi Group
2001 Anandalok Lifetime Award by Anandabazar Group
2002 Special Jury Swaralaya Yesudas Award for outstanding performance in music
2003 Alauddin Khan Award by Government of West Bengal
2004 National Award as Playback singer by Government of Kerala
2004 D. Litt Honouris Causa by Rabindra Bharati University
2005 Life Time Achievement award by Government of Maharashtra
2005 D.Litt Honouris Causa by Burdwan University
2005 Padma Bhushan Award by Government of India
2007 First AKSHAYA Award by Government of orissa
2008 D.Litt Honouris Causa by Jadavpur University
2009 Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2007
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