Musician

The privileged classes today are bothered about petrol and diesel prices while the poor can't afford two meals a day. I am a very small person, but I want us to think beyond personal and regional interests.

One has to be fully committed to one's career. Otherwise, there's no point.

I missed out on my childhood. I had to work hard, but I was immediately given a place in playback.

My father passed away in 1942, and three-four months after his death, I had to start working. There was a responsibility on my shoulders to run the household. It was my duty as the eldest child in the house.

I feel God has sent me to Earth to sing. I started singing when I was five, but I don't think I've worked as hard as many other people.

From my experience and understanding, I believe money follows name and fame, while recognition calls for a huge amount of sacrifice. To get something, you have to lose something. That's the rule of life.

I've always loved life, irrespective of all the ups and downs that have filled my journey.

I really liked Kishore Kumar. He had a virile man's voice, and he was truly versatile.

I appreciate the change associated with people's growth, but I don't like the changes in our lives. I came to Mumbai in 1945, so imagine my acceptance of the massive changes around. I have witnessed every kind of revolution.

Today, the scope for variety has shrunk drastically. There are only a handful of topnotch composers like A. R. Rahman, Anu Malik, Jatin-Lalit... that's it.

I believe in one power, and that is the hand of God. I respect all religions.

Nowadays, there are seven music directors in one film. I had never heard of such a thing before. If one of our old music directors was told to share a score with others, he would have left the assignment.

As a singer, you have to bring the soul to the song.

In my opinion, the biggest achievement was by Shankar-Jaikishan. With Raj Kapoor's 'Barsaat,' they changed the way we looked at playback singing.

I wish I had given more time to learning classical singing.

For me, awards are a token of respect that people are giving me. So no matter how many awards I am receiving, I always feel emotional.

When I started out, there was so much work that I couldn't think of doing anything else. I would go for recordings by 8.30 A.M., that, too, in trains. I used to come home at night. I was travelling alone everywhere.

I wouldn't let a biopic be made on me. That's because I don't believe in them. I don't like them.

There are so many songs that I could not sing the way I wanted to. When such songs come on television or radio, I shut them off or leave the room.

People, who accused me of practising a monopoly were wrong. The media fuelled rumours about my 'monopoly.' The first question I was always asked during interviews was about my supposed monopoly.