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More on Alka's ability to sing well in a duo: even though Udit and Alka mesh the best, Alka also has done some great work with other male playback singers. In "Roshni Se" with Abhijeet from Asoka and "Baazigar O Baazigar" with Kumar Sanu are some of her great duets.
Alka's solo works are a bit one-dimensional and one loses interest after the second verse. The other singer seems to bring out the best in Alka's voice and, in turns, creates a more passionate sounding Alka -- in duo's Alka seems to be "into" her performance, something she lacks often in her solo work. Alka, in essence, is the female Udit, because she is an on-target singer; meaning she sticks to the flow of the music.
Often, a music director will try to add the hidden dimensions of Alka's voice: on "Ek Baar To India" from Jeena Sirf Merre Liye, the music director added some extra lifts to Alka's voice, making it sound computerized. And some directors want Alka to go higher in range than is physically possible for Alka, which makes her screach and sound like a pre-pubescent nightmare. Example: "Dayya Dayya Re" from Dil Ka Rishta.
Alka is a better duet singer than a solo singer, a better romatic singer than a sad songtress. And Alka is at her best with Udit. But she still has the best elegant voice in all of Hindi. And that's nothing to sniff at.
--Bolly
Yagnik, Alka