Alisha Chinai born 18 March 1965 is an Indian pop singer known for her Indi-pop albums as well as playback singing in Hindi cinema. She began her singing career with the album Jadoo in 1985, and by the 1990s she had become known as the ‘Queen of Indipop’. Her best known songs were with producers Anu Malik and Biddu during the 1990s. Her best known song is Made in India.
Alisha Chinai Biography : Career
Chinai’s initial albums include Jaadoo, Babydoll, Aah… Alisha!, Madonna, Kamasutra, Alisha – Madonna of India and Made in India. Alisha was introduced to Hindi film music by the veteran music director and composer Bappi Lahiri. They had many disco hits together in many films in the 1980s including Adventures of Tarzan, Dance Dance, Commando, Guru, Love Love Love, etc. When she started her career with him, she was playback singing for many leading actresses, such as Karisma Kapoor, Smita Patil, Mandakini, Sridevi, Juhi Chawla, Madhuri Dixit, Divya Bharti. In 1985, Alisha sang two songs with Remo Fernandes, in Konkani, for the album Old Goan Gold. She also recorded a song for Pankuj Parashar’s film Jalwa (1987), composed by Anand–Milind. One of her biggest hits during the 1980s was “Kaate Nahin Katthe” (Mr. India), which she recorded in 1987 with Kishore Kumar under the music direction of Laxmikant–Pyarelal. Another successful track, in 1989, was “Raat Bhar Jaam Se” from the film Tridev, which had music by Kalyanji-Anandji and Viju Shah.
In the 1990s, Chinai took on working in different films, collaborating with other music directors, such as Anu Malik, Anand–Milind, Rajesh Roshan and Nadeem-Shravan. Throughout these years, she had several Bollywood hit songs, including “Dhak Dhak Dhak” with Aditya Pancholi (Maha-Sangram), “Jalta Hai Badan” (Balwaan), “Tere Ishq Mein Nachenge” (Raja Hindustani), “Chaa Raha Hain Pyaar Ka Nasha” (Chandra Mukhi), “Roundhe” (Pyar Tune Kya Kiya), “Sona Sona Roop Hai” (Bollywood/Hollywood), “Mouje Mein” (Karobaar), “De Diya” (Keemat), “Ruk Ruk Ruk” (Vijaypath) and the controversial “Sexy Sexy Sexy Mujhe Log Bole” (Khuddar).
Chinai recorded an album with Lesle Lewis under the title Bombay Girl, which included the hit song “De De” released in 1994. Simultaneously, she recorded many songs as a pop singer, with accompanying album releases. Chinai was noted for her 1995 hit single and album, titled Made in India, which was composed by Biddu and went on to become one of the highest-selling pop albums of its time, making Alisha became a household name. It contains well-known songs such as “Aaja Mere Dil Mein”, “Ek Baar Do Baar”, “Sun O Meri Dhadkan”, “Tu Kahan”, “Ooh La La”, “Tu Jo Mila”, “Dhokha Diya Hai Re Tune Mere Dil” and “Lover Girl”. With its success, Chinai announced her departure from playback singing and wanted to concentrate only on private pop albums. However, her follow-up releases were less successful. This was also the period when she got into a major controversy with the man who recorded several hit songs with her, Anu Malik. During the release of Made in India, Chinai had accused Anu Malik of molesting her. Anu Malik and Chinai did not work for several years, only to reunite in 2003 with Ishq Vishk.
Chinai’s comeback to film music was with the song “Oh My Darling” in the Yash Raj film Mujhse Dosti Karoge!. From 2000 to 2009, she recorded primarily with Himesh Reshammiya, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy and Pritam. After her controversy with Anu Malik in the 1990s, she patched up with him to record for a number of films, starting with Ishq Vishk, Fida, No Entry, Love Story 2050, Maan Gaye Mughle Azam, Ugly Aur Pagli, Chehraa and Kambakht Ishq.
In 2005, Chinai’s career reached a new high when she sang “Kajra Re” (Bunty Aur Babli). The song was a hit and won her a Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer. She was also a judge on Indian Idol 3 and is a judge on Zee TV’s Star Ya Rockstar with Anu Malik.
In 2021, Alisha Chinai was on Jay-Ho! The Jay Kumar Show, where she talked about her childhood. She shared that her love for music began early, with school performances and her mother’s influence, as her mom enjoyed Western pop music. Alisha also mentioned how she challenged the stereotype that Indian girls couldn’t sing pop music with her own work.
Awards
Chinai received the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award for the song “Kajra Re”, from Bunty Aur Babli (2005).
Previously, she received the International Billboard Award in 1995, around the time Made in India came out, and also won the Freddie Mercury Award for Artistic Excellence.
Following are the list of awards and nominations in different categories.
Year Category Song Result
Screen Awards
1996 : Category -> Best Indian Pop Album, Song -> “Made in India”, Result -> Won
Category -> Best Music Video, Result -> Won
Alisha Chinai Biography : Personal life
Chinai is a Gujarati. She was married to her manager Rajesh Jhaveri and is now separated.
Discography
Studio albums
Year Album Record Label
1985 : Album -> Jadoo, Record Label -> HMV
1986 : Album -> Aah… Alisha!
1988 : Album -> Babydoll
1989 : Album -> Madonna
1990 : Album -> Kamasutra
1992 : Album -> Alisha – Madonna of India
1994 : Album -> Bombay Girl, Record Label -> Magnasound
1995 : Album -> Made in India
1998 : Album -> Om, Record Label -> HMV
1999 : Album -> Dil Ki Rani, Record Label -> Music World
2001 : Album -> Alisha, Record Label -> Tips
Compilation albums
Year Album Record Label
1993 : Album -> Best of Alisha Live, Record Label -> Unknown
Album -> Alisha Greatest Hits
1995 : Album -> Born with a Wild Heart, Record Label -> Unknown
1996 : Album -> Channel Hits, Record Label -> Magnasound
1997 : Album -> Alisha Unleashed, Record Label -> HMV
Album -> Party Zone, Record Label -> Magnasound
1998 : Album -> The Ultimate Party Album
Album -> The Best of Alisha
1999 : Album -> Now That’s What I Call Indipop, Record Label -> Sony Music
2001 : Album -> Alisha: Singer Doll of India, Record Label -> Unknown
2002 : Album -> Hitz Unlimited, Record Label -> Zee Records
2007 : Album -> Shutup N Kiss Me, Record Label -> Tips
Soundtrack albums
The following are sales of Bollywood soundtrack albums featuring songs by Alisha Chinai.
Album Year Sales Ref
1991 : Album -> Phool Aur Kaante, Sales -> 6,000,000
1992 : Album -> Khiladi, Sales -> 2,500,000
1995 : Album -> Haathkadi, Sales -> 1,000,000
1994 : Album -> Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Sales -> 3,000,000
Album -> Khuddar, Sales -> 2,800,000
1997 : Album -> Aflatoon, Sales -> 2,500,000
2002 : Album -> Mujhse Dosti Karoge, Sales -> 1,200,000
2003 : Album -> Ishq Vishk, Sales -> 1,200,000
2004 : Album -> Murder, Sales -> 2,200,000
Album -> Fida, Sales -> 1,400,000
2005 : Album -> Bunty Aur Babli, Sales -> 1,900,000
2006 : Album -> Dhoom, Sales -> 2 2,000,000
Album -> Don: The Chase Begins Again, Sales -> 1,500,000
2007 : Album -> Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Sales -> 1,700,000
Album -> Namastey London, Sales -> 1,400,000
Total sales 30,800,000
Other albums
Year Album Language Record Label
2001 : Album -> Santiago Fiesta Latina: Bollywood Goes Latino (As a singer), Language -> Hindi, Record Label -> EMI Virgin Records
2002 : Album -> Bandhoi (As a backing vocals), Language -> Assamese, Record Label -> Raj Music
2009 : Album -> Caminho das Índias (As a singer), Language -> Portuguese, Record Label -> Som Livre
Selected hit songs
“Made in India” (Made in India, 1995)
“Dil Ye Kehta Hai (I Love You)”(Phool Aur Kaante, 1991)
“Jumbalakka” (Thakshak, 1999)
“Panch Vorsam” (Konkani, Old Goan Gold, 1985)
“Rajan Ani Prema” (Konkani, Old Goan Gold, 1985)
“Dil Mera Todo Na” (Dance Dance)
“Zooby Zooby” (Dance Dance)
“Let’s Do It” (Jalwa)
“Kaate Nahin” (Mr. India)
“Raat Bhare Jaam se” (Tridev)
“Dhak Dhak” (Maha Sangram)
“Cha Raha Hain” (Chandra Mukhi)
“Sexy Sexy” (Khuddar)
“Tu Shama Main Parwana Tera” (Khiladi)
“Ruk Ruk Ruk” (Vijaypath)
“Bambai Se Rail Chali” (Zaalim)
“My Adorable Darling” (Main Khiladi Tu Anari)
“Ure Baba” (Bambai Ka Babu)
“Tere Ishq Main Nachenge” (Raja Hindustani)
“Krishna Krishna” (Insaaf)
“De Diya Dil Piya” (Keemat)
“Tinka, Tinka” (Karam)
“Pyaar Aaya” (Plan)
“Mehboob Mere” (Plan)
“Oh My Darling!” (Mujhse Dosti Karoge, 2002)
“Rang Rang Mere Rang Rang Mein” (Bollywood/Hollywood, 2002)
“Chot Dil Pe Lagi” (Ishq Vishk, 2003)
“Dil Ko Hazar Bar” (Murder, 2004)
“Maine Jisko Chaha Mil Gaya” (Fida, 2004)
“Hamnasheen” (Dobara, 2004)
“Kajra Re” (Bunty Aur Babli, 2005)
“Ishq Di Gali” (No Entry, 2005)
“Dil Chura ke Mere” (No Entry, 2005)
“Yeh Ishq Mein” (No Entry, 2005)
“Abhi toh mein” (The Killer,2006)
“Aaj Ki Raat” (Don, 2006)
“Touch Me” (Dhoom 2, 2006)
“It’s Rocking” (Kya Love Story Hai, 2007)
“Ticket To Hollywood” (Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, 2007)
“Lover Boy” (Love Story 2050, 2008)
“Bebo” (Kambakkht Ishq, 2009)
“Tera Hone Laga Hoon” (Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, 2009)
“Jiyara Jiyara” (Prince, 2010)
“Dilruba” (Namastey London, 2007)
“Dil Tu Hi Bataa” (Krrish 3, 2013)
“You Are My Love” (Krrish 3, 2013)
“Gori chori cori” (Aflatoon, 1997)
Jalta Hai Kyun Tan Badan Bandh Darwaza 1991
