“Sang 20,000 Songs, Waited 4 Decades”: Alka Yagnik Honoured With Padma Bhushan.

New Delhi:-For the first time in her 40-year career, veteran playback singer Alka Yagnik has been conferred the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour.

The Honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

President Droupadi Murmu presented the Padma Bhushan to Yagnik on June 23 at the second investiture ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Before receiving the award, Yagnik touched Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s feet as a mark of respect. 

“A part of me feels the Padma Bhushan could have arrived sooner,” Yagnik said, calling the honour “an embrace of a lifetime’s devotion.” 

 A Voice That Defined Generations.

Yagnik’s journey began at age 6, singing bhajans for Akashvani in Kolkata. She moved to Mumbai at 10 to pursue playback singing. 

Over 4 decades, she has recorded more than 20,000 songs in over 25 languages from Ek Do Teen in Tezaab (1988) that made her a star overnight, to Agar Tum Saath Ho and Taal.

 “Music Chose Me”*

“Music has been the very soul of my existence  it is not something I chose, but something that chose me,” Yagnik said after receiving the award. “What has kept me devoted is the endless joy of learning… and the privilege of touching people’s hearts through my voice.” 

Recent Challenges.

In 2024, Yagnik revealed she was diagnosed with a “rare sensory neural nerve hearing loss” due to a viral attack. Her voice was last heard in Imtiaz Ali’s Amar Singh Chamkila (2024), where she sang Naram Kaalja composed by A.R. Rahman. 

. Legacy Beyond Numbers.

Besides 20,000+ songs, Yagnik’s accolades include multiple National and Filmfare Awards. She owns a Rs 11.5 crore apartment, a Rs 2 crore Range Rover, and has a net worth of Rs 68 crore. 

From a 6-year-old singing for All India Radio to becoming the voice of ‘90s Bollywood, Alka Yagnik’s Padma Bhushan caps a career built on “dedication, family support, resilience and an unwavering passion for music.”