Gurdas Mann is a singer, an actor and a writer, the shining star of Punjabi culture, music and films.

A man who has held on to the top slot for nearly three decades, Mann has won the heart of many round the world.

His style is unique and is far from what many singers aspire to be. His extraordinary blend of vocal prowess and charisma glows on the stage.

This one time college lecturer who holds a Masters in physical education and a black belt in judo exploded on music scene in 1982 with his very first recording 'Dil Da Mamla' and has never looked back.

"The stage is my first preference, and priority. The popularity and the respect I have earned are all due to the stage. I have a great respect for the stage," says Mann.

As an actor - 'Waris Shah - Ishq Daa Waris' is Maan's latest release.

A legendary love story of Punjabi poet Waris Shah who wrote the greatest love epic of all times "Heer Ranjha", the film has been entered for the 79th Academy Awards.

Initiated by U.S. distributors of the film, 'Waris Shah - Ishq Daa Waris' will be taking its bow in the general category.

The film will compete in many categories, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Costumes.

It is produced by Manjeet Maan and directed by the late Manoj Punj.

"I feel that it's a proud moment for Punjabis and the Punjabi language. It's an immense respect to the Punjabi community. We feel proud that people have lifted Waris Shah to the level of (William) Shakespeare.

Fame on the big screen has had no impact on Maan's stage participation. He has practically held the franchise for the promotion of Punjabi values through his elocutionary prowess and poignantly rich songs.

Born on 4 January 1957 in Giddarbaha, Faridkot District, Punjab, Gurdas Maan was formally educated in Malout. After completing his education, his parents moved him to Patiala for further studies. He is of Sikh faith. The city fascinated him especially because it was home to the National Institute of Sports, as Gurdas is a keen sports enthusiast

He took part in youth festivals organized by various universities and won numerous awards for his singing and acting.

He competed in many athletic events and won medals including a bronze at the National Championship.

In one of his stage plays he sang a self-written song "Dil Da Mamla Hai". The play was seen by a producer of a Jalandhar TV station, who than approached him for a TV recording of his song, which Gurdas reluctantly agreed to.

When the song was aired on December 31, 1980 it stormed the nation and Gurdas Maan became a household name. The overwhelming success of the song grabbed the attention of HMV who wanted to record the song and from this came his second album in 1981.

He has produced over 27 albums and has written over 200 songs. He also wrote and directed TV programmes like POP Time for Delhi Doordarshan, the national TV channel.

When Gurdas Maan started his career as a performer, there was no market for solo singers, as the market was dominated by the duets. He declined many offers to perform as a duet as he was confident of becoming successful as a solo artist.

Mann's popular track "Apna Punjab Hove" has surpassed all other songs by Gurdas Maan. This track has received awards for The Best Song, Album & Best International Artist of the Asian Pop and Media Awards held in Birmingham in 1998. This song was orgnially written by Makhan Brar, who lives in Toronto.

He has also starred in the hit film "Shaheed Udham Singh", where his true personality was highlighted as a Sikh man with no prejudices based on religion, caste or creed. As a singer Gurdas Maan has worked with famous music directors like Laxmikant Pyarelal, Bappi Lahiri, Anu Malik, Nadeem Sharvan, Amar Haidipur, Charanjeet Ahuja, Jaswant Bhanyra to mention but a few.

Indeed! Many of Gurdas Mann's songs have become veritable anthems for Punjabis throughout the world.