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Alka Yagnik reveals why she isn't able to take up singing assignments
'Composers approach me now and then. But I am not able to do it,' the famed Bollywood singer said in an interview
- PUBLISHED: Tue 31 Mar 2026, 10:40 AM UPDATED: Tue 31 Mar 2026, 11:31 AM
Bollywood playback singer Alka Yagnik, a near permanent fixture in movies since the 1980s, has revealed that she isn't able to take up new assignments. The reason? One of India's most popular singers has revealed that she continues to battle a hearing disorder that she has been suffering from for a couple of years now.
"I'm still suffering from the illness," the much-awarded singer told the Indian TV news channel NDTV in a recent interview, referring to her sensory neural hearing loss, a rare diagnosis.
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"Composers approach me now and then. But I am not able to do it," Yagnik said.
Considered among India's leading film singers, along with greats such as Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, Yagnik has remained a hit among audiophiles and cinephiles over the decades, and was 2022's most streamed artiste on YouTube in India.
Earlier this year, she received the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour, for her contribution to Indian cinema, alongside titans such as Malayalam actor Mammootty.
When asked if she had expected the award earlier, the singer told NDTV, "Not really. Whenever it comes, it's welcome like that."
When Yagnik lost her hearing
The singer had revealed in 2024 that she suffered extensive hearing loss while on a personal visit to Goa, caused by a viral attack.
At the time, the singer wrote on Instagram that she couldn't hear anything as she stepped out of a flight.
"This sudden, major setback has caught me completely unawares. As I attempt to come to terms with it please keep me in your prayers. For my fans and young colleagues, I would add a word of caution regarding exposure to very loud music and headphones," she wrote in her Instagram post.
At first, she said hearing in her right ear decreased progressively, followed by her left, The Times of India reported.
Yagnik last lent her voice for the number Naram Kaalja, composed by the Academy Award-winning composer AR Rahman, which featured in Imtiaz Ali's Amar Singh Chamkila.
Agar Tum Saath Ho, Chand Chhupa Badal Mein, Tip Tip Barsa Paani, Chura Ke Dil Mera and Tere Naam are some iconic tracks from her extensive discography. She has also been a constant fixture in reality shows such as Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs, Indian Idol and Superstar Singer.
