Recognized across the Indian music industry for her sweet and magical voice, playback singer Sharda Rajan Iyengar is still fondly remembered simply as Sharda by music lovers. During the 1960s and 1970s, she carved out a distinctive niche in Bollywood through her unique vocal texture and singing style. Interestingly, her cinematic journey did not begin inside a recording studio in Mumbai, but rather at gatherings and parties hosted by the Indian community in Tehran, the capital of Iran.
Early Life and the Tehran Gathering
Born on October 25, 1933, in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, Sharda had a passion for music from her childhood. She used to write Hindi song lyrics in Tamil script and hum them regularly. Later, her family relocated to Tehran, where she got opportunities to showcase her talent at events organized by the local Indian community. The turning point in Sharda's life arrived when a film distributor named Srichand Ahuja organized a grand party in Tehran to honor Raj Kapoor.
Meeting Raj Kapoor and Moving to Mumbai
During this celebration, Sharda performed a song that left Raj Kapoor deeply impressed. Her vocal delivery charmed the actor so much that he invited her to come to Mumbai. Upon arriving in Mumbai, Raj Kapoor introduced her to Shankar, one half of the legendary music composer duo Shankar-Jaikishan. Furthermore, Sharda learned the finer nuances of classical music from Ustad Jagannath Prasad and veteran singer Mukesh.
The Breakthrough in Suraj and Instant Stardom
In the year 1966, the film Suraj provided Sharda with her major breakthrough in Bollywood. Her playback song for the movie, Titli Udi, Ud Jo Chali, turned out to be a massive hit, propelling Sharda to overnight popularity. Following this success, she lent her voice to several other notable films such as Gumnaam, Shatranj, and Around the World. Throughout her career, she collaborated with legendary singers like Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, Asha Bhosle, and K.J. Yesudas, while also doing playback for prominent actresses including Vyjayanthimala, Sadhana, Hema Malini, Rekha, Sharmila Tagore, and Mumtaz.
The Fascinating Filmfare Awards Anecdote
A particularly interesting story surrounds the song Titli Udi and the Filmfare Awards. At that time, separate categories for male and female playback singers did not exist. Reports indicate that Titli Udi and Mohammed Rafi's iconic song Baharon Phool Barsao received an equal number of votes. The main award went to Rafi, while Sharda received a special recognition award. Following this instance, Filmfare established separate categories for male and female playback singers, and Sharda went on to receive nominations for four consecutive years.
