Runa Laila is a Bangladeshi singer whose career spans Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian film industries. She has won the Banagladeshi National Film Award four times. Active in the seventies in India, her spot in the limelight came with the qawwali “Dama Dam Mast Qalandar”.
She was still a child when she was discovered by music director Mazoor Hussain. She debuted in Bollywood with Kalyanji-Anandji’s “Ek Se Badhkar Ek” (1976). Next came “Gharonda” (1977) with songs like “Do Deewane Shahar Mein” and “Tumhen Na Ho”.
Though she did not continue to work in Indian films for long, she has collaborated with music directors like Jaidev, Kalyanji-Anandji, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Bappi Lahiri. Another hit movie that she has been a part of is “Agneepath” (1990) with “Ali Baba Mil Gaye Chalis Choron Se”.
She has sung in 18 languages and has been married four times. The Saigal Award in India and the National Council of Music gold medal in Pakistan are just two of the many accolades she has received during her illustrious career.
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