Surjit Bindrakhia
Surjit Bindrakhia (born Surjit Bains; 15 April 1962 – 17 November 2003) was a famous Punjabi singer known for his powerful voice and a long held-note style called hekh. He is regarded as one of the most influential voices in Bhangra music and helped bridge traditional Punjabi folk with modern pop.
He was born in Bindrakh village, Rupnagar district, Punjab, to Sucha Singh and Gurcharan Kaur. Surjit began singing boliyan with his college bhangra team and later trained with guru Atul Sharma. He first appeared in the Punjabi film industry with the song Baniye Ne Jatt in Anakh Jattan Dee, and lyricist Shamsher Sandhu helped launch his music career. Most of his hit songs were written by Sandhu and set to music by Atul Sharma.
Surjit’s big hits include Meri Nath Dig Paye, Dupatta Tera Satrang Da, Lakk Tunoo Tunoo, Bas Kar Bas Kar, Mukhda Dekh Ke, Tera Yaar Bolda and Jatt Di Pasand. He was famous for his high-pitched hekh, with performances like the 32-second hekh in Jugni and other feats that some say lasted even longer. His distinctive voice and stage presence made him a worldwide bhangra star; he sold over 250 million records, with about 175 million in India.
Surjit married Preet Bains in 1990 and they had two children, Gitaz and Minaz. He died of a heart attack at home in Mohali, Punjab, on 17 November 2003. His funeral brought many well-known artists to pay their respects. He received a special Filmfare jury award in 2004 for his contributions to Punjabi music.
His legacy lives on through tributes, remixes, and songs inspired by his style. Babbu Maan paid tribute in 2005, and later tributes include a 2011 track Bindrakhia Boliyan and 2018 remixes of his songs, which keep his influential voice alive for new generations.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:06 (CET).