Sharda Rajan Iyengar
| Sharda Rajan Iyengar | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Sharada Iyengar |
| Also known as | Sharda, Sharada |
| Born | 25 October |
| Origin | Tamil Nadu, India |
| Occupation(s) | Playback singer |
| Years active | 1965 to 1986 |
| Website | www.titliudi.com |
Sharda Rajan Iyengar, or Sharda, was a playback singer in Hindi films in the 1960s and 1970s. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the cabaret "Baat Zara Hai Aapas Ki" in Jahan Pyar Miley (1970), though she is most remembered for her song "Titli Udi" in Suraj (1966). In 2007, she released the album Andaaz – e – Bayan Aur, featuring her own compositions based on Mirza Ghalib's ghazals, a musical form from Turkey.
Sharda belonged to a conservative Brahmin family from Tamil Nadu, India and was inclined towards music from childhood. She has the distinction of being a BA graduate.
Early in her career Sharda was offered a voice test by Showman Raj Kapoor when he first heard her singing in a function at Shrichand Ahuja's residence in Tehran. She got her first big break in Bollywood with the song "Titli Udi" in Suraj (1966). She was promoted by Shankar of the Shankar Jaikishan duo.
"Titli udi" turned out to be a top chartbuster in 1966. It so happens that the coveted Filmfare award for best playback singer had only one category (either male or female) until 1966. "Titli Udi" song, however, was tied as best song with Mohd Rafi's song "Baharo Phool Barsao" which had never happened before. Sharda didn't win the award but from then on Filmfare started giving two awards for best playback singer: one for male singer and the other for female singer. Thus Sharda made history. Thereafter Sharda was nominated four years in a row (1968–71) for best female playback singer and won another Filmfare award. In a short span Sharda won two Filmfare awards, when the Mangeshkar Sisters were dominating. Thereafter she continued singing for Shankar in nearly all of his films until his death. Her voice was last heard in Kaanch Ki Deewar (1986).
She sang with most of the top singers like Mohd Rafi, Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar, Yesudas, Mukesh and Suman Kalyanpur. She lent her voice to leading ladies of the time like Vyjayanthimala, Saira Banu, Hema Malini, Sharmila Tagore, Mumtaz, Rekha and Helen. Besides Shankar she recorded songs with Usha Khanna, Ravi, Dattaram, Iqbal Qureshi and a few others. She was the first Indian female singer to cut her own pop album in India, called Sizzlers in 1971 which was launched by HMV.
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