Indian ghazal singer Bhupinder Singh passes away

Renowned ghazal singer Bhupinder Singh died on Monday due to suspected colon cancer and COVID-19-related complications at a hospital Mumbai city of India, his wife Mitali Singh said. He was 82.

During his decades-long journey in the film industry, the singer came to be best known for songs like “Do Diwane Shehar Mein“, “Ek Akela is Shehar Mein“, “Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Aasman“, “Duniya Chhute Yaar Na Chhute” and “Karoge Yaad Toh“, among others.

According to Mitali Singh, He passed away at around 7.45 pm due to suspected colon cancer and had COVID-19,” Mitali Singh told PTI. The Amritsar-born singer is survived by his Indian-Bangladeshi wife and a son.

In his five-decade-long career, Bhupinder Singh had worked with the biggest names of the music industry, from Mohammed Rafi, R.D. Burman, Madan Mohan, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Gulzar to Bappi Lahiri, among others.

His Bollywood singing debut was with the 1964 Chetan Anand directorial Haqeeqat, where he sang the Mohan-composed track “Hoke Majboor Mujhe Usne Bulaya Hoga” along with Mohammed Rafi, Talat Mahmood and Manna Dey.

He was born on 6 February 1940 in Amritsar, Punjab to Professor Natha Singhji, a trained vocalist and his early music teacher. His father was a strict teacher, and Bhupinder hated music and its instruments at one stage.

In the mid-1980s, Bhupinder married the Bangladeshi singer Mitali Mukherjee and moved away from playback singing. Mitali Mukherjee is also a singer. Together, they performed at ghazal and live performances. The duo routinely collaborated and produced private albums. They have a son named Nihal Singh who is also a musician.

SR