Manna Dey was over-qualified to be a popular singer. Whenever there was a number that required intricate Hindustani classical raga interpretations they went to Manna. Or else all the popular songs went to the proudly self-taught Kishore Kumar.
In a conversation from 1997, Manna Dey had recalled singing a duet with Mohd Rafi for composer C Ramachandra in the film Insaniyat where Rafi was singing for Hanuman and Manna was Raavan’s voice. Rafi was getting it wrong each time until C Ramachandra lost his cool.
Manna’s classical interpretations were beyond impeccable. Poocho na kaise main rayan beetayi (Teru Soorat Meri Aankhen), Kaun aaya mere man ke dware (Dekh Kabira Roye), Tu pyar ka saagar hai(Seema), Ae mere pyare watan (Upkar), Laga chunri mein daag (Dil Hi To Hai), Jhanak jhanak tore baaje payaliya (Mere Huzoor) and Gori teri painjaniya (Mehbooba) were among his most celebrated songs.
For the Mehbooba song it had to be Manna while the rest of the songs were sung by Kishore Kumar. “I was like the fire brigade, called for emergencies. I rarely got to sing for the hero, barring some songs of Raj Kapoor and there was beautiful melody Soch key yeh gagan jhoome which I got to sing with Lata. I wonder why Sachin Dev thought of me for this song!” Manna da chuckled.
While the myopic Hindi film industry chose to mike-cast him in classical and comedic song (the latter especially for Mehmood) he did sing some ultra-romantic duets for Raj Kapoor in Sri 420 (Pyar hua iqraar hua) and Chori Chori (Yeh raat bheegi bheegi, aaja sanam madhur chandni mein hum) in Lataji’s inspired company.
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