Palak was born in a small city of India in a middle class family. Her father was an accountant and mother, a home maker. She was an angelic child with big eyes and a dimpled smile. She had a melodious voice and dreamt to be a singer. She worked very hard and fulfilled her dreams. She became a very successful singer. Her joys did not end here. She is on a mission to help children with heart ailments. 

The Journey:

Palak was fond of singing since childhood. When her mother came to know about Palak’s passion for singing, she decided to support her. Palak started learning music from a young age of 4 with the help of her mother.

Palak spent hours in training and can now sing in 17 different languages. It is incredible that she knows so many languages. To ensure that Palak gets proper training in music, her family shifted to Mumbai. Palak received her Classical, Urdu and Voice culture training in Mumbai.

At 4, Palak became a member of Kalyanji-Anandji little star and sang in a little shop in Indore to raise funds and help the families of the deceased Kargil soldiers. Once, Palak saw a poor child cleaning train compartments with her own clothes. She was heart broke. She wanted to help that child. Around the same time, her school also approached her parents to help them raise funds for a child’s treatment who was suffering from Congenital Heart ailment. Palak’s parents agreed and she was able to raise the required funds. This inspired Palak to follow her dream of singing and use her golden voice to help the needy.

Palak took upon herself the mission of saving lives of underprivileged children suffering from heart ailments. The task was daunting, as each operation needed good money. Her family did not have any connections in the music industry either. Yet she promised that she will be successful as a singer and each child will be operated upon.

When she was barely 9, her first album ‘Child For Children’ was released by Tips Music.  At 14, she won Sony Entertainment TV show ‘Cadbury Bournvita Confidence Champions’. She is now an accomplished Indian playback singer and has given songs for a number of famous Bollywood films. She won multiple awards including ‘Zee Cine Awards’ and ‘Stardust Award’ for Best Female Playback Singer.

Palak became successful on account of her talent, determination and hard work. Equally important were the sacrifices of her parents who supported her throughout. They supported her in her dream to be a singer despite not having any connects in the music industry. They agreed that she should use the money raised from concerts for the treatment of children suffering from heart ailments. They also shifted to Mumbai for her training and even encouraged their younger son, Palash, to help his sister in her mission. He sings with her in her shows.

The Joy of Giving:

Palak has opened a foundation ‘Palak Muchhal Heart Foundation’to help with the treatment of children suffering from heart ailments.  She has devoted her life to singing and helping children with heart diseases. She has donated crores and has already sponsored more than 1,000 surgeries. She aims to help many more. 

Palak has a collection of gifted dolls. The patients’ parents always present her with framed pictures of the treated patient and dolls. These dolls are her most valuable asset.

Palak believes that her life is like a fairy tale. She also believes that she got a break in the Bollywood industry because of the blessings of the kids she has been working for. Earlier, with hours of singing she could raise funds only for one patient. But now one concert helps her raise the needed funds for almost 20 patients.

In 2000, Palak was awarded ‘National Child Award For Exceptional Achievement’.  She also made entry in both ‘Guinness Book of World Records’ and ‘Limca Book of World Records’ for her commitment and contribution to social work. CBSE and Maharashtra education boards have included Palak's achievements in Moral Science text book forclass 7^th.

Palak’s message to the world is “Whatever your profession is, whether a singer, dancer, doctor, try to do a bit for society. No matter how much you achieve in life, if you do something for others and when you see a smile on a person’s face, knowing the reason behind the smile is you, that’s the biggest achievement. Try to do for others. It’s very fulfilling”.

For Our Readers:

1.     What did you like about Palak and what are ‘your learnings’ from this story?

2.     If you would like to support poor with medical treatment, hereare some suggestions

·        If you come across a poor child suffering from heart ailments, please refer to Palak’s foundation

·        If you are a doctor who specializes in heart surgeries, you can help the poor by operating them for free

·        You may want to use personal funds to buy medicines and help with medical treatment for the poor