Mahendra Kapoor

OP Nayyar’s association with Mahendra Kapoor

Thumbnail image for OP Nayyar’s association with Mahendra Kapoor May 27, 2025

Guest article by Ravindra Kelkar in OP Nayyar centenary series (Ravindra Kelkar wrote a series of articles on OP Nayyar eight years ago. The grand centenary celebrations of Rafi on SOY inspired Mr Kelkar to mount a similar tribute to OP Nayyar whose centenary is on 16 January 2026. He also offered to write a […]

Read the full article

Ravi’s many-splendoured genius with the ‘other’ singers

Ravi December 15, 2019

We now come to the end of the series on Ravi. In my opening post in the series we saw him as a many-splendoured genius with a large number of songs for themes and occasions, which have acquired an iconic status, many of which made the readers exclaim, Oh, this is also composed by him! […]

Read the full article

Ravi: Booster rocket for Mahendra Kapoor

Ravi and Mahendra Kapoor November 18, 2019

In my earlier posts on Mahendra Kapoor I have described him as the most ‘unloved’ singer. The general impression is that his entry into films started with his winning the ‘All India Murphy Metro Singing Contest’ in 1957 for which the judges were Anil Biswas, Naushad, C Ramchandra, Vasant Desai and Madan Mohan. One of […]

Read the full article

Best duets of the not-so-unloved Mahendra Kapoor

Mahendra Kapoor March 14, 2016

I had described Mahendra Kapoor as the most unloved singer in my last post on him. I have to modify that phrase, because the comments on that post indicate that he had more passionate fans and admirers than I had realised. Despite not counting myself among his passionate fans, I have a great liking for […]

Read the full article

Best songs of the most unloved singer Mahendra Kapoor

Mahendra Kapoor January 9, 2016

A tribute on Mahendra Kapoor’s 82nd birth anniversary (9 January 1934 – 27 December 2008) I have made a number of discoveries during my association with SoY. I mentioned some in my last anniversary post. But the most startling discovery I have not yet mentioned – we are now aware of at least two persons […]

Read the full article

Best of Mahendra Kapoor-OP Nayyar

Thumbnail image for Best of Mahendra Kapoor-OP Nayyar January 9, 2011

Mahendra Kapoor was the favourite singer of BR Chopra Films, and Ravi was their favourite composer. BR Films-Ravi-Mahendra Kapoor combination gave a large number of well known songs. After Ravi, the only music director who used Mahendra Kapoor in a significant manner was OP Nayyar, apparently on rebound when he had some rift with Mohammad […]

Read the full article

A Mahendra Kapur-Sahir Ludhiyanvi-Ravi classic

Thumbnail image for A Mahendra Kapur-Sahir Ludhiyanvi-Ravi classic December 20, 2010

Chalo ek baar phir se ajanabi ban jayen hum dono If ever there was a song that could be described as the defining song of a singer, Mahendra Kapur’s Chalo ek baar phir se ajanabi ban jayen hum dono is one such song. Mahendra Kapur, who came to the film world through a singing talent […]

Read the full article