Gurdas Maan - born in Giddarbaha, Punjab, India on January 4, 1957 – is a playback singer, songwriter, and actor. He was the only Punjabi singer to win the Best Male Playback Singer award from the National Film Awards in 2006 for “Couplets of Heer” (from Waris Shah: Ishq Daa Waaris). While he normally performs songs in Punjabi, he has also recorded songs in other languages including Hindi, Rajasthani, Bengali, Tamil, and others. His musical career began in 1980 when he appeared on the TV show DD National and performed the song “Dil Da Mamla Hai.” The performance was an enormous success and Gurdas Maan became a household name. His 1981 debut album, also called Dil Da Mamla Hai, was issued in 1981 and he undertook an international tour. He became one of the first Punjabi vocalists to play in countries such as the US, Canada, and England. Gurdas Maan made history by being the first Punjabi to play Madison Square Garden (New York), the PNE Coliseum (Vancouver, Canada), and Wembley Arena (London, England). His 1985 single, “Challa,” became one of the most popular Punjabi songs of all time, placing him in the upper echelon of singers in his homeland. He has recorded over 300 songs and has released nearly three dozen albums including Punjeeri (2003), Vilayatan (2005), and the award-winning albums Apna Punjab (1998) and Boot Polishan (2009). Gurdas Maan began his successful acting career in the 1984 film Mala Gadbad Hai and has appeared in over 30 motion pictures. During his career, he has been honored with many awards including the Tamp Atra in 1993, which was presented to him by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. In 1997, he was given the title Punjab Ratna by Prime Minister Mr. I.K. Gujral. He continued to receive honors from establishments such as the Berlin Asia Film Festival (2006),the UK Asian Music Awards (2009), and the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy (2012). Other popular recordings by Gurdas Maan include “Aisa Des Hai Mera” with Lata Mangeshkar, Udit Narayan, and Pritha Mazumdar (taken from the 2004 film Veer-Zaara), “Rog” (from Qissa Panjab).
