Alka Yagnik, Bollywood’s leading playback singer who has sung hundreds of songs with Madhuri Dixit to Sridevi in the 90s, said she has been diagnosed with a ‘rare sensorineural nerve hearing loss’ due to a ‘sudden viral attack’. In a lengthy Instagram post on Monday, the singer addressed her friends and well-wishers and explained why she was ‘missing in action’ and sought their ‘support and understanding’. Alka’s last Instagram post was on Mother’s Day in May 2024. Also read: Alka Yagnik becomes the most streamed singer in the world
‘It completely astounded me’
“To all my fans, friends, followers and well-wishers. A few weeks ago, when I stepped out of a flight, I suddenly felt I couldn’t hear anything. Having gathered some courage in the weeks following the incident, I now want to break my silence for all my friends and well-wishers who have been asking me why I have been missing in action. My doctors have diagnosed it as a rare sensorineural nerve hearing loss due to a viral attack… This sudden, massive setback has taken me completely by surprise,” Alka began writing alongside her undated photo.
‘Please keep me in your prayers’
She added, “While I am trying to recover from this, please keep me in your prayers.” The singer further warned against ‘exposure to very loud music and headphones’.
Alka said, “To my fans and young colleagues, I would like to be careful about listening to music at very high volume and using headphones. One day, I want to tell about the health hazards of my professional life. With all your love and support, I am hoping to get my life back on track and come back to you soon. Your support and understanding means a lot to me in this difficult time…”
In an earlier interview with ANI, Alka, whose biggest hit songs include Pardesi Pardesi, Gajab Ka Hai Din, Taal Se Taal Mila, etc, had said that ‘playback singing is not as easy as it seems.’
He said in 2017, “You are singing for a character and your song should make it easy for the actor to express the emotions and not make it difficult for them. It is also a challenge for a playback singer to adapt to the different styles of each composer. But then after achieving that feat, nothing compares to the joy of a composer telling you that your singing suits their styles perfectly.”
