Bollywood actors turned singers — in pictures

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  2 Shah Rukh Khan. We first heard SRK sing Apun Bola in 2000s Josh. Then, in 2012’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan, he lent his voice to a poem of the same name, which featured in the theatrical trailer and the opening credits for the film. He also sang on World Dance Medley in last year’s heist comedy Happy New Year. John Phillips / Getty Images

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  3 Salman Khan, After singing Chandi Ki Daal Par alongside Alka Yagnik in 1999’s Hello Brother, and the title track for 2011’s Bodyguard, Sallu went on to sing the romantic ballad Hangover and the unplugged versions of Jumme Ki Raat and Tu Hi Tu in last year’s Kick. Now, music director Pritam is rumoured to have enlisted Khan to sing for his next project Bajrangi Bhaijaan — he apparently heard Jumme Ki Raat and declared it to have an “R D Burman kind of energy”. For those of you not in the know, R D Burman — or Pancham da, as he was affectionately called — is regarded as one of the seminal music directors of Bollywood. AFP photo

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  4 Akshay Kumar, After belting out a couple of lines on the title track for 2008’s Singh is Kinng — alongside Snoop Dogg, no less — Kumar went for the full singing experience with the track Maange Maange in his 2014 comedy Entertainment. The film didn’t do very well, and neither did the song. AFP photo

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  5 Ayushmann Khurrana, The actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who started out as a video jockey and singer, says he will always be a singer first and an actor second. He might have a point: his musical repertoire is quite impressive. He made his film debut in 2012 with Vicky Donor, for which he sang the hugely successful Pani Da Rang. In 2013, he appeared in Nautanki Saala!, for which he sang Sadi Gali and Tu Hi Tu. The same year he released the single O Heeriye. Last year, he released his second single Mitti Di Khushboo, which featured Huma Qureshi in the video, to plenty of praise., In Khurrana’s latest film Hawaizaada, his rendition of the famous Mirza Ghalib ghazal Dil-e-Nadan has tugged at many a heartstring., When we interviewed Khurrana at the UAE launch of Mitti Di Khushboo, he said: “I feel every actor who sings should go for albums and singles and promote non-film music. As for singing for films, it gives you more credibility if you can lend your own voice to your own character on screen. So I will always be an actor who does his own singing. I don’t know if I will be singing for someone else in the future. It depends on the composition, on the lyrics.” AFP photo

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  6 Priyanka Chopra. Piggy Chops may have a super-successful acting career in Bollywood, but the versatile actress is better known internationally for her pop music (in English). She teamed up with the rapper will.i.am for her 2012 debut single In My City, which she followed up with Exotic alongside Pitbull in 2013. Last year, she released the romantic number I Can’t Make You Love Me. All her songs have been in English. Not many people know this, but she actually made her singing debut with the Tamil song Ullathai Killathe in the 2002 film Thamizhan. She made her Bollywood singing debut with Chaoro in last year’s sports biopic Mary Kom, in which she had the title role. (Trivia alert: she is also the voice of Ishani in Disney’s 2013 animated film Planes). Omar Vega / Invision / AP

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  7 Alia Bhatt, After singing the heart-wrenching ballad Sooha Saha in 2014’s Highway, the 21-year-old Alia Bhatt did an even more splendid job with Samjhawan from Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania the same year. Hers is a voice we hope to hear more often. AFP photo

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  8 Shraddha Kapoor, A Bollywood newcomer, Shraddha Kapoor made an enviable Bollywood playback debut with Teri Galliyan in last year’s Ek Villain and then topped it with the breathtaking Do Jahaan in Haider the same year. AFP photo

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  9 Abhishek Bachchan, If rapping counts as singing, then Bachchan Jr is a singer, too. His voice on Right Here Right Now for Bluffmaster in 2005 was one of the film’s highest points. He next sang the title track for 2012’s Bol Bachchan alongside his father Amitabh and co-star z. AFP photo

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  10 Farhan Akhtar, We’re not sure if Farhan Akhtar is an actor-turned-singer or vice versa. Akhtar’s phenomenal voice tapped in his 2008 debut movie Rock On!!, in which he sang Meri Laundry Ka Ek Bill and Rock On! He next sang Senorita for 2011’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara alongside Hrithik Roshan and Abhay Deol. AFP photo

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  11 Abhay Deol, What Abhay Deol lacks in dancing skills, he makes up for with singing. His energy on Senorita in the film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is proof enough. AFP photo

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  12 Aamir Khan, Just like SRK, Aamir Khan had a long, dry stretch between songs. He started out in 1998 with the highly popular Aati Kya Khandala in Ghulam, then took a nine-year break before singing Bum Bum Bole for his superhit Taare Zameen Par (2007). Punit Paranjpe / AFP photo

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  13 Hrithik Roshan, Hrithik Roshan’s first attempt at singing was for his 2010 production Kites. The thriller flopped, but his song Kites in the Sky received rave reviews. Rosha’s only other song is Senorita alongside co-stars Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol. AFP photo

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  14 Madhuri Dixit, Madhuri Dixit didn’t get around to singing professionally until 2002, when she delivered the exquisite Kaahe Chhed Mohe in the romantic tragedy Devdas. And that was no mean feat considering she sang the song alongside the established playback singer Kavita Krishnamurthy and the Hindustani classical music singer Birju Maharaj. Twelve years later, she sang for Gulaab Gang (in which she also starred). The song? Rangi Saari Gulaabi, which also features her mother, Snehlata Dixit.

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  15 Shruti Haasan, The daughter of the veteran actor Kamal Haasan, Shruti had been singing long before she took up acting. She sang her first song at the age of 6 for her father’s1992 Tamil movie Thevar Magan. It was with another of her father’s films that she made her Bollywood singing debut: in the hit comedy Chachi 420 (1997), in which she duetted alongside her father. In 2010, she sang for Hisss, a horror film starring Mallika Sherawat. Trivia alert: Shruti also composed the music for the 2009 Tamil film Unnaipol Oruvan and is the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Extramentals. AFP photo

From Bollywood veterans to newbies, here’s a rundown of actors who’ve had stints as playback singers and, in a few cases, stars who were tuned in to singing well before they made it to the big screen.