Born Prabodh Chandra Dey in 1919, he was mentored by his uncle, the legendary blind singer Krishna Chandra Dey. While he originally moved to Mumbai to become a composer, assisting maestros like Anil Biswas and Khemchand Prakash, his singing talent eventually took center stage. His breakthrough came with "Upar Gagan Vishal" in the 1950 film Mashaal , which established his reputation for powerful, high-range vocals.
Manna Dey was a foundational figure in Indian playback singing, recording over 3,500 songs in a career that spanned seven decades. Known for his deep mastery of Indian classical music, he successfully introduced complex ragas and "harkats" into mainstream Hindi cinema, earning him the title "King of Melody". Manna Dey Hindi Songs
