Singer Alisha Chinai is most popularly known for her song `Made in India`. She sang several hit songs in the 90s and most of the songs were produced by Anu Malik and Biddu. She began her singing career with the album Jadoo in 1985, and by the 1990s she had become known as the `Queen of Indiepop`. She did playback singing for several popular actresses including Aishwarya Rai, Karisma Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Smita Patil, Mandakini, Sridei, Juhi Chawla and more.
Why did Alisha Chinai stop singing?
One of her biggest hits during the 1980s was `Kaate Nahin Katthe` (Mr. India), which she recorded in 1987 with Kishore Kumar
Another successful track, in 1989, was `Raat Bhar Jaam Se` from the film Tridev. 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.
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.
Alisha`s controversy with Anu Malik
During the release of Made in India, Chinai accused Anu Malik of molesting her. This was much before the #MeToo where Malik was once again accused of harassment by other female singers.
Meanwhile, Chinai made a comeback to film music with the song Oh My Darling from the film Mujhse Dosti Karoge starring Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukerji. In the early 2000s until 2009, Chinai primarily recorded songs with Himesh Reshammiya, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy and Pritam.
She later patched up with Anu Malik and resumed work with him starting with the film Ishk Vishk that marked the debut of Shahid Kapoor. They went on to collaborate for films like Fida, No Entry, Love Story 2050, Maan Gaye Mughle Azam, Ugly Aur Pagli, Chehraa and Kambakht Ishq.
While Chinai no longer does playback singing, she is quite active on Instagram where she has a little over 73,000 followers. Over the years, she has transitioned into a semi-retired lifestyle, selectively engaging in musical endeavours.
Throughout her career, Alisha has been an advocate for artists` rights, emphasizing fair compensation and royalties for singers. Her stance reflects her commitment to improving the music industry`s landscape for her peers and emerging artists.
