Palak Muchhal

Palak Muchhal Sharma (born 30 March 1992) is an Indian playback singer and lyricist. Muchhal performs as a playback singer across Hindi films and other Indian film industries. She has rendered her voice in Hindi films such as Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Aashiqui 2 (2013), Kick (2014) and Action Jackson (2014) Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015) M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016) Kaabil (2017), Baaghi 2 (2018) and Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas (2019). Her rendition of the song "Kaun Tujhe" from the film"M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story has earned her much praise from fans as well as prominent personalities in the music industry. On 6 November 2022, she married music composer Mithoon, with whom she had earlier worked on the soundtrack of Aashiqui 2. Alongside her brother Palash Muchhal, she has also done philanthropic work by raising funds through her stage shows for children who need financial assistance for treatment of heart diseases.

Background

Palak Muchhal was born on 30 March 1992 into a Maheshwari Marwari family in Indore. Her mother, Amita Muchhal, is a homemaker and her father, Rajkumar Muchhal, works for a private firm. She did her schooling from Queens College Indore. In May 2013 Muchhal stated that she was doing her final year of B.Com from a college in Indore.

Bollywood career

Muchhal released six non-filmi albums prior to her adulthood. In 2001, when she was nine, her first album "Child For Children" was released by Tips Music. In 2003, her second album Palken was released. In later years she released her other albums Aao Tumhe Chand Per Le Jaaye, Beti Hu Mahakal Ki, and Dil Ke Liye. In 2011, her Jai Jai Dev Ganesh album was released by T-Series. Muchhal moved to Mumbai from Indore in late 2006 to find opportunities in Bollywood for her singing career. She sang her first Bollywood song for the October 2011 movie Damadamm!, receiving generally positive reviews. She sang her second song, "Pyaar Ke Silsile", a month later for movie Na Jaane Kabse. The music in Na Jaane Kabse, and the movie also, received bad reviews. Muchhal was an acquaintance of actor Salman Khan. Khan had recommended her name earlier to music director Sajid–Wajid for his film Veer. Khan had also recommended her name to Yash Raj Banner. Following this, Muchhal dubbed the song "Laapata" with KK for Yash Raj banner which was included in 2012 blockbuster movie Ek Tha Tiger. The song was filmed on Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif. The song was a hit and introduced her to Bollywood.

Later that year in 2012 she sang "Nainon Ne Nainon Se" song for the movie From Sydney with Love, receiving favorable reviews. In early 2013, Muchhal sang two songs, composed by Mithoon and Jeet Gannguli, for the movie Aashiqui 2. Aashiqui 2 music received generally positive reviews, becoming her second hit after Ek Tha Tiger with the song "Chahun Main Yaa Na" becoming her special signature start to the Bollywood industry. In 2016, she lent her voice for "Kaun Tujhe" of Amaal Mallik in M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, one of the top female songs of the year. Most of her songs until date are compositions of Reshammiya, Gannguli, Mithoon and Amaal Mallik. Her Kannada song "Enammi Enammi" with Vijay Prakash was a big chartbuster in 2018.

In 2023, the song Naiyo Lagda from the movie Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan was also a big chartbuster of the year.

Charity work

1997–2000

At times... [I missed my normal childhood], but then, it dawns on me that even if I lose my childhood, it's okay. Playing with friends is not more important than saving a life. During the Kargil War of 1999, when aged seven, she spent a week singing at shops in her home city, Indore, to raise funds for the families of deceased Indian soldiers. Her efforts received substantial coverage in Indian media and she raised 25,000 (US$810). Later that year, she sang to raise funds for victims of the 1999 Odisha cyclone.

Her decision to use her voice to help others was triggered when she saw poor children using their clothes to clean train compartments.

A series of charity shows were arranged later in that year, from which 225,000 (US$7,200) were raised. This money was used to provide heart surgery for five children in Bangalore and Bhandari Hospital Indore. To help Muchhal in her efforts to save lives of children at relatively low cost, T. Choithram Hospital of Indore halved the cost of surgery from 80,000 (US$2,600) to 40,000 (US$1,300) and one of its surgeons, Dhiraj Gandhi, decided to waive his fee for cases brought in by Muchhal. On average, Muchhal sings around 40 songs in each show which includes popular Bollywood songs, Ghazals and Bhajans. Muchhal can sing in 17 different languages which include Hindi, Sanskrit, Gujarati, Odia, Assamese, Rajasthani, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Sindhi and Malayalam. In July 2003, Muchhal offered financial assistance through her charity funds to the parents of a two-year-old Pakistani girl who had a hole in the heart. Muchhal's charity organisation is named "Palak Muchhal Heart Foundation". this foundation had financially assisted 200 children in undergoing heart surgery. By the end of the year 2006 Muchhal had raised for this foundation which were used to save the lives of 234 children. To ensure that operations of children do not stop due to lack of money, Bhandari Hospital in Indore has allowed an overdraft of up to one million rupees to Palak Muchhal Heart Foundation.

Doctors allow Muchhal to be present in the operating theatre. She has her own surgical gown in the hospital and when the operation takes place she chants Jain Navkar Mantra. Muchhal and her parents do not receive any financial benefits from the charity shows but she receives a doll for every child whose life she helps make better through her efforts.

2011–present

In 2011, Muchhal entered Bollywood as a professional playback singer but her efforts to help child heart patients continued. In August 2015, funds raised by her has helped to save the lives of 800 children. As of October 2020, she with her brother has saved 2,200 lives of children. As of March 8, 2024, a total of 2986 lives have been saved so far by Palak and her brother Palash.

Personal life Muchhal married Mithoon, a music composer on 6 November 2022 with whom she worked earlier on the music of Aashiqui 2.

Discography

Hindi film songs

Hindi non-film songs

Songs in other languages Bengali songs

Telugu songs Year Film Song Composer(s) Writer(s) Co-singer(s) 2014 Nee Jathaga Nenundali"Nijama Kada" Jeet GannguliChandraboseAbhay Jodhpurkar"Ee Pichi Premani"Sreerama Chandra Mynampati2015 Size Zero"Innava Innava"M. M. Keeravani Madumita, Ramya 2016 M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story"Ninnevarika Premistharu"Amaal Mallik Chaitanya Prasad2019Amavasya "Guppedantha Gunde Lona"Sanjeev–DarshanJubin Nautiyal"Naa Madhi Oh Mata"Shriram Iyer

Kannada songs Year Film Song Composer(s) Writer(s) Co-singer(s)2014Love Is Poison "Dyaniyaagiruve"Sai KiranPanakanahalli Prasanna "Yaako Kaane Dina" Loveguru Rajesh Paru Wife of Devadas "Kannalle Neenu" Arjun Janya Jayanth Kaikini Sonu Nigam Adyaksha "Sum Sumne" K. Kalyan 2015 Muddu Manase "Aago Heego" Vineeth Raj Menon A. P. Arjun Rana Vikrama "Neene Neene" V. Harikrishna Puneeth Rajkumar Sharp Shooter "Yelle Hodaru" M. S. Shiva Santosh Ghouse Peer Sonu Nigam DK "Besari Marada" Arjun Janya Sudarshan Shankar Mahadevan Luv U Alia Haradide Manasu" Jassie Gift Kaviraj 2016 Mukunda Murari Gopala Baa" Arjun Janya V. Nagendra Prasad Vijay Prakash, Chintan VikasSimpallag Innondh Love Story"Thusu Preethiya"Bharath B. J.Sonu Nigam2017Endendu Hesaridali"Prema Peeditha"Surendranath BRArmaan MalikFirst Love"Kaaneyaagi Hode Naanu"V. Sridhar 2018 Ayogya "Yenammi Yenammi" Arjun Janya Vijay Prakash Anukta"Thalupisadhe Ulidhiruva"Nobil PaulAshwin SharmaPrema Baraha"Prema Baraha"Jassie GiftArmaan Malik201999"Nee Gnyapaka"Arjun JanyaSonu NigamBhanu Weds Bhoomi"Jeeva Jaari"AM Neel2021Yellow Board"Preethiye"AdvikSonu Nigam"Preethiye"(Pathos)2022Parambha"Onde Ondu Saari Ninna"Prajwal Pai2023Melody Drama"Yaaru Bareyada"Kiran Ravindranath"Chadurida Baligondu"

Tamil songs Year Film Song Composer(s) Writer(s) Co-singer(s) 2015 Inji Iduppazhagi Kannaalam M. M. Keeravani Damini, Mohana Bhogaraju 2016 M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (D) "Unnaal unnaal un ninaival" Amaal Mallik P. Vijay

Marathi songs Year Film Song Composer(s) Writer(s) Co-singer(s) 2016 M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (D) Shravasatun Tu Darvalta Amaal Mallik Guru Thakur

Gujarati songs Year Film Song Composer(s) Writer(s) Co-singer(s) 2016 Polam Pol "Sapnaao Sacha Thashe Sapnaao Sacha Thashe" Paresh-Bhavesh Farhad Bhiwandiwala 2019 Hungama House Mithi Mithi Vaato" Paresh Bhavesh Iqbal Qureshi Favad Bhivadivala

Punjabi songs Year Film Song Composer(s) Writer(s) Co-singer(s)2013Love Yoou Soniye Labda Phira" Shree D, Swaroop Khan "Love Karley" ShreeD

Bhojpuri songs

Urdu songs Year Film Song Composer(s) Writer(s) Co-singer(s) 2014 The SystemSayyon Re Shailesh SuvarnaMohit Pathak 2018 Zeher-e-Ishq

Honours and awards

Silver Medal for the year 2000 by Vice President of India Krishan Kant as National Child Award For Exceptional Achievement (Rashtriya Bal Puraskar). Winner of Sony Entertainment Television (India) TV show Cadbury Bournvita Confidence Champions (2006) Muchhal has made her entry in Limca Book of World Records for great achievements in social work. CBSE and Maharashtra board has included Palak's achievement in the textbook of seventh standard moral science. Received the Honorary Doctorate by the American University, United States for Global Peace (2021)