Daler Mehndi

Punjabi pop sensation Daler Mehndi was born and raised in Benares, North India; he started singing at the age of five and left home at the age of 14 to study with his uncle, Raahat Ali Khan Saheb, honing not only his vocal skills but also studying tabla, harmonium and tanpura. He helped make Bhangra popular all over the world, as well as Indian pop music independent of Bollywood music. He is best known for his dance songs, his voice, his turban and his long, flowing robes.

After years of intensive training, Mehndi started his professional career, initially singing ghazals influenced by the poetry of Qateel Shifai and Firaq Gorakhpuri. Gradually, he turned away from classical music to pop, and in 1995 became a sensation when his debut album Bolo Ta Ra Ra sold more than half a million copies in four months of his release on his way to becoming the best-selling non-soundtrack album in Indian chart history. In 2000, Mehndi released his album, Ek Dana, with music label TIPS Music. 2014 saw Deadmau5 and Mehndi make a remix of Mehndi's 1998 hit 'Tunak Tunak Tun' performed by the duo. After releasing a couple of singles and albums, he entered in politics by joining BJP in 2019.