Shailendra Singh, born on 4 October 1952 in Mumbai to a Punjabi family, is a distinctive playback singer whose unique voice became the trademark sound for Bollywood’s romantic hero Rishi Kapoor in the 1970s and early ’80s. While still a student at FTII, he was handpicked by Raj Kapoor for Bobby, leading to iconic songs like “Main Shayar Toh Nahi” and “Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Band Ho”. His voice resonated across youth culture with hits like “Humne Tumko Dekha” (Khel Khel Mein) and “Jaane Do Na” (Saagar). Despite a promising start, his career faced setbacks—acting ambitions and health challenges, along with rumours of unreliability, limited his trajectory. In 2022, he received the prestigious National Lata Mangeshkar Award recognizing his musical contributions. Revered for a melodic yet emotionally grounded singing style, Shailendra remains cherished by fans for his rare vocal identity and soulful duets of Bollywood’s classic era.