Mehndi is well known as a philanthropist, funding beautification projects in Delhi and aiding earthquake victims.
As
a Sikh, born and raised in Patna, he began singing at age 6 and was
taught the ragas and Shabads from the Guru Granth Sahib by his
parents.At age fourteen he spent three years refining his voice and
learning the tabla, dholak/dhool, harmonium and tanpura from Late Ustad
Raahat Ali Khan Saheb of Gorakhpur.
Mehndi then moved to San
Francisco, United States and worked as a cab driver before returning to
India in 1991 and forming a band.Initially he sang Afghan songs, and
ghazals inspired by the poets Qateel Shifai and Firaq Gorakhpuri.
In
1992 Mehndi in a car accident, injured a jaywalking man whom he then
took to the hospital. Mehndi was sued as a result of the mishap.
Mehndi
eventually switched from classical music to pop, and in 1995 his first
album Bolo Ta Ra Ra, with tunes based on those given to him by his
mother,sold half a million copies in four months and 20 million copies
total,making him the best selling non-soundtrack album in Indian music
history. He received the Award for Voice of Asia International Ethnic
and Pop Music Contest in 1994.He earned Channel V's Best Male Pop Singer
Award, which he received in 1996 for Dar Di Rab Rab and in 1997 for Ho
Jayegi Bale Bale. He has appeared in the films Mrityudata and Arjun
Pundit.His success helped him negotiate a record-breaking deal with his
record company Magnasound for 20.5 million rupees.He has also been a
guest star on the new Indian version of Sesame Street known as Galli
Galli Sim