Sandhya Mukherjee (1931-2022) was an Indian playback singer and musician. She worked in the Bengali and Hindi Music Industry. Some of her popular songs are “E Shudhu Gaaner Din” for the film Pathey Holo Deri (1957), “Ei Path Jodi Na Shesh Hoy” for the film Saptapadi (1961), and “Champa Chameli Golaperi Baage” for the film Antony Firingee (1967).
Wiki/Biography
Sandhya Mukherjee was born on Sunday, 4 October 1931 (age 90 years; at the time of death) in Banerjee Para, Dhakuria, Calcutta (now Kolkata) in British India. Her zodiac sign is Libra.
A childhood photo of Sandhya Mukherjee
She did her schooling at Dhakuria Balika Vidyalaya, Kolkata and Binodini Girls’ High School, Kolkata. She trained herself in music under Jamini Gangopadhyay, Pandit Santosh Kumar Basu, Professor A T Kannan, and Professor Chinmoy Lahiri. After that, she trained in Indian Classical music under the guidance of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and his son Ustad Munavvar Ali Khan.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 2″
Hair Colour: White
Eye Colour: Black
Family & Caste
Sandhya Mukherjee belongs to a Bengali Brahmin family.
Parents & Siblings
Sandhya Mukherjee’s father is Narendranath Mukherjee. He was a railway officer. Her mother’s name is Hemprova Devi. She had three brothers and two sisters.
Husband & Children
Sandhya Mukherjee married Shyamal Gupta in 1966. He was a writer, lyricist and poet who primarily worked in the Bengali Film industry. They have a daughter named Soumi Sengupta.
Sandhya Mukherjee with Shyamal Gupta
Signature/Autograph
An autograph of Sandhya Mukherjee
Singing Career
Bengali Songs
Sandhya Mukherjee recorded her first two songs in Bengali, “Tumi Firaye Diyechho Jare” and “Tomar Akashe Jhilmil Kore” in 1945 under the direction of music director Girin Chakrabarti. Some of her popular Bengali songs are “Ei Je Chander Alo” in Sonar Harin (1959), “Ei Path Jodi Na Shesh Hoy” in Saptapadi (1961), “E Gaane Prajapati” in Deya Neya (1963), “Champa Chameli Golaperi Baage” in (1967), and “Kato Je Dheere Bahe Meghna” in Dhire Bohe Meghna (1973).
A poster of the film ‘Deya Neya’
Hindi Songs
Sandhya Mukherjee recorded her first Hindi song “Ab Nahin Dharat Dheer Dheer” in Anjangarh (1948).
A poster of the film ‘Anjangarh’
Some of her well-known Hindi songs are “Ramdhun” in Chota Bhai (1949), “Aa Gupchup Gupchup Pyar Karen” in Sazaa (1951), “Ishq Men Ho Jao Barbad” in Izzat (1952), “Doob Gaye Sab Aas Ke Tare” in Manohar (1954), and “Tore Naina Laage Re” in Mamta (1966).
Awards & Honours
- BFJA Awards for Best Female Playback Singer for Sandhya Deeper Sikha (1965)
- National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the songs “Amader Chuti Chuti” in Jay Jayanti and “Ore Sakol Sona Molin Holo” in Nishi Padma (1971).
- BFJA Awards for Best Female Playback Singer for Jay Jayanti (1972)
- Bachsas Awards for Best Female Playback Singer for Dhire Bohe Meghna (1973)
- Lata Mangeshkar Award by Government of Madhya Pradesh (1993)
- Bharat Nirman Lifetime Achievement Award (1999)
- Honourary D. Litt. from Jadavpur University, Kolkata (2009)
- Banga Bibhushan (2011)
- Padma Shri (2022) (refused)
Death
On 15 February 2022 at 7.30 pm, Sandhya Mukherjee died of cardiac arrest and COVID-19 complications at SSKM Hospital, Kolkata. She was cremated at the Keoratola Crematorium, Kolkata.
Facts/Trivia
- Sandhya Mukherjee is also known as Gitashree Sandhya Mukherjee.
- Sandhya Mukherjee and Hemanta Mukherjee are known to be the most popular duet singers who have lent voice to the actors Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen in most of their films.
- In 1971, Sandhya helped the refugees from West Bengal during the Bangladeshi Liberation War by singing songs and collaborating with the Bangladeshi musician Samar Das for his radio station Swadhin Bangla Betra Kendra.
- She was the first foreign artist to visit Dhaka, Bangladesh and perform in a concert after the independence of Bangladesh on 21 February 1971.
- Her autobiography titled Ogo Mor Gitimoy was published in 2001.
A book cover of ‘Ogo Mor Gitimoy’
- According to sources, she revealed in an interview that she had a disease called mumps when she was between seventeen and eighteen years old. Even after treatment, her right ear was damaged for a long time.
- In 2022, according to sources, she refused to take the Padma Shri Award because she said the award was fit for artists who are junior to her and not meant for her stature as she felt she deserved a better honour. ((The Economic Times))
