Altaf Raja

Altaf Raja was born on 15 October 1967 in Nagpur, Maharashtra, India, to professional Qawwals Ibrahim Iqbal and Rani Rooplata. Growing up in a family steeped in the Qawwali tradition, he began his musical training at the age of 15, absorbing the soulful, poetic style that would later define his own sound.

Altaf’s breakthrough came in 1997 with his album “Tum To Thehre Pardesi,” originally released as a B-side track on the album “Panga Le Liya.” The song’s overwhelming popularity led to the album being re-released under its now-iconic title, and it went on to sell an extraordinary 20 million copies, with seven million copies sold in a single day — a feat that earned Altaf Raja a place in the Guinness World Records. The album’s blend of Urdu shayari and Qawwali-infused melody struck a deep chord with audiences across India and beyond, establishing him as one of the most recognizable voices of the late 1990s.

Building on this success, Altaf Raja went on to release a string of popular albums through Venus Music, including “Mujhe Apna Bana Lo” (1999), “Aaj Ki Raat Na Ja Pardesi” (1999), “Do Dil Haare” (2000), “Sai Ka Deewana” (2001), and a special collaborative album with fellow singer Adnan Sami titled “Altaf and Adnan Ek Saath” (2001). He continued to release new music through the 2000s and 2010s, including “Ashqon Ki Baraat” (2012), “BumGola” (2015), and his comeback single “Ae Sanam” with Payal Dev in 2020, followed by “Saath Kya Nibhaoge” with Tony Kakkar in 2021 — showing his continued relevance across generations of Indian pop music.

Beyond his recording career, Altaf Raja has lent his voice to more than 200 Bollywood songs across over 30 films, and has also appeared on-screen in movies including Shapath (1997), Pardesi Babu (1998), Yamraaj (1998), Mother (1999), Toonpur Ka Superhero (2010), and Ghanchakkar (2013). His songs have featured in notable films such as Company (2002) and Hunterrr (2015), further cementing his presence in Indian cinema beyond playback singing alone.