Music directors Sonik Omi

As the train chugged slowly into Bombay Central it started rain­ing hard. Out of a third class compartment stepped out a boy of ten leading by the hand a youth of about twenty-one wear­ing dark glasses. There was one small attache case between them. The youth was blind. No one came to receive them as they wandered lost in the big station. This was in 1949. Twenty years later these two earned fame and money under the tandem name of Sonik-Omi.

From Bombay Central the young boy and youth somehow made their way to the now defunct M. N. T. Studios in pouring rain where Sonik the elder one had a singing contract with Harbans, the son of Pandit Amarnath, and himself a music-director in his own right. When they arrived at the Studio, their clothes were wet. Sonik hurriedly changed into a pyjama and kurta and took his position in front of the mike. Omi stood outside the studio, shivering and crying. That evening when the recording was over, both Sonik the uncle and  Omi the nephew roamed the whole night as they had nowhere to go. It was after about two days of wandering that they fin­ally met a man whom they knew and he gave them a little room to stay in and that too about seven miles from Thana.

“I had come to Bombay to be a singer,” Sonik says, “and I succeeded to  a certain extent. The songs were sung under the name of M. L. Sonik and under such music-directors as Naushad, Hu­sanlal-Bhagatram and Shyam Sunder. Sonik sang solo numbers in “Bazzar” and Sajan Ki Galiyan”. But it was still rough going for Sonik and Omi as their struggle was not yet over. In the middle Omi fell sick and left for Delhi leaving Sonik behind.

But talent and hardwork had to earn its reward some time. So in 1951 Sonik finally made the grade as a music director in “Ishwar Bhakti”, “Mamta”, “Mehfil” and many other small budget movies. This was done in collaboration with his cousin Girdhar who was a harmonium player. But tragedy struck once again. All the movies that Sonik gave the musical score for, failed at the box-office. This made Sonik taboo in a notoriously supersti­tious industry where success is measured by the returns at the box-office. In the process Sonik also lost the chance as a singer for films because, he says, “Music directors and singers had to be poles apart and if one tried to do both things one was immediately black listed. This I have never been able to understand. Look at Hemant Kumar or Ki­shore”.

In August 1954 Omi again came to Bombay to join his uncle. Sonik was still living seven miles from Thana. Every day the young man and boy travelled ticketless to Bombay in search of jobs. But jobs, especially as music-direc­tors, were practically impossible to get. In the meantime, Omi got a job in a chorus composed of females. “I had to do some­thing to avoid starvation”, Omi says.

For four more years the struggle continued and they had to make do with chana, one pair of trou­sers and shirts and live in the little hut without any electricity or water. “I remember once Omi reminisced”, when I found a wal­let containing forty rupees. I had no chicken or mutton for nearly six months and had not seen money like that for, well I forget. It was manna from  heaven.” Did he return the money? “No”, Omi said frankly, and to this day I don’t know whe­ther I did right or wrong”.

In 1959 the breakthrough that they had been waiting for came finally. Music-director Madan Mohan spotted Sonik for the tal­ented man that he was and took him on as an arranger. And how well Sonik did his work was shown by the fact that other music-directors of the caliber of S. D. Burman, Roshan and Bipin Babul took him on as their ar­ranger too. It was also about this time that Omi landed his first job with music-director Roshan as assistant.

“From all these greats” both spoke in unison, “we have learn­ed the finer points of music.” Do they always speak together? Yes. Because their lives have been as one. “It is the same soul but different bodies”, Omi replied. Omi assisted Roshan in such movies as “Taj Mahal”, “Barsaat Ki Raat”, “Aarti” and right up to “Dil Hi To Hai”.

In 1965 came the real chance when G. L. Rawal, without a word, handed over to Omi a cheque for Rs. 1001/- and two stanzas of a song (called muk­ras) and said, “you are signed for my next movie. This was the break both of them had been waiting for and they knew they had to give of their best. “We recorded eight songs and then the movie was started, Omi said. “Dil Na Phir Yaad Kiya” was the movie which launched them finally on their career as music-directors. The music was the only thing noteworthy in the movie and everybody and everything else was pushed into the back­ground. But all that happened was that there was another period of no work. Jealousy. Why? Omi said, briefly. “Everyone was against us because we had come out of nowhere and we were looked down upon as interlopers.”

The offers that came were mostly for stunt movies. “We refused most of them”, Sonik said. But how long could they wait? Fin­ally they gave music for “Aabroo”, “Beti”, “Truck Driver”, “Mr. Murder”, “Mujrim” and “Mahua”. Nearly all these went unnoticed and they seemed destined to lead the lives of second grade music-directors.

But fortune smiled again. Mohan Segal’s “Sawan Bhadon” came their way and it was such a smashing success that they were made. They were on top of the world. Producers finally realized the true measure of their tal­ent, and capacity for hard work.

“We are simple music-directors”, both say, “and our compositions come out from the depth of our hearts because we have suffered such a lot”.

Both are great admirers of the immortal Kundan Lal Saigal. His songs are evergreen even today and I doubt we will ever hear another like him,” Omi says. What music do they specialize in? Light classical, of the type of “Kanah Re Kanah” which they composed for “Truck Driver”. But both are ready to change as public taste demands as they did in the “tamasha” songs of “Sa­wan Bhadon”.

Sonik-Omi have both broken away from the C.M.D.A. “We have sweated for years. We have given blood and tears to make this career. Why should we not enjoy the fruits of that long struggle?” both say.

Today they have more than a dozen movies on hand. S. D. Na­rang’s Production No. 10, Mohalla Films “Adarsh”, B. S. Ranga’s “Sabash Ganga Ram”, Mantralaya Movies “Jeevan Dhan”, Bharat Pictures’ next, Rammana’s next, Atma Ram’s new film, and Kunal Chitra’s two forthcoming movies.

What one notices about this duo is that all those years of bitter struggle when even near star­vation was not unknown, has not left a scar in their hearts. They are happy and contented and have the confidence that long years of fine work lie ahead for them. (Interview conducted by Star & Style in 1971).

Jaidev

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Jaidev

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Is there really any truth in the popular sayings like ‘Success begets success’ and ‘Failure is the stepping stone to success’? Because a talented artiste called Jaidev Verma seldom witnessed this happening in his life and career. In his personal life, he remained a bachelor with just a few people to call his own and in the film industry, he got labelled as an ‘arty’ composer who was good for critical acclaim but useless for box-office collections! Behind his impeccable attire and ever-smiling face lurked a strange sense of under-achievement and under-appreciation. His sensitive artistic soul seemed to be silently enduring some deeper pain. Otherwise why would a triple National Award-winning composer spend most of his life as a paying guest in a single room in company of drink and ultimately die an unsung genius?

Jaidev’s early life was full of interesting twists and turns. He was born in Nairobi, Kenya on August 3, 1918 but spent most of his childhood in his maternal aunt’s place in Ludhiana, Punjab. It was there that he first fell in love with films. Fascinated by the moving images of the silver screen, young Jaidev decided to become an actor!

Just like so many impressionable 15 year-old adolescents, he did the first impulsive thing that came to his immature mind. He ran away to Mumbai to gain a foothold in the film industry. The first stint was unsuccessful and ended in a dejected return to Ludhiana with his father. But the inner urge was too strong and soon, he once again decided that running off to Mumbai was the best course of action!

This time around, he got a slightly better reception. He was hired by Wadia Movietones and got to do small-time roles in mythologicals and the popular ‘Fearless Nadia’ stunt movies. But then came the bitter realization that his acting career was going nowhere. Earlier, to advance his acting prospects, he had taken some training in music from Pandit Barkat Rai. So now he decided to pursue that interest further. In 1943, he enrolled in Almora’s Music Centre run by two great musicians – Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Pt. Ravi Shankar. But the famed music institute soon folded up and his training in Indian classical music and sarod-playing came to an abrupt end.

For the next few years, he dabbled in spirituality trying to find answers to his inner questions. Then a chance meeting with his musical Guru Ali Akbar Khan forever changed the course of his life. That meeting at a marriage function pulled him back firmly towards music. Jaidev started accompanying Ali Akbar Khan in his sarod recitals. Later the Ustad was signed up as a composer by Chetan Anand’s Navketan banner and Jaidev followed him back into the film industry.

Ali Akbar Khan composed music for Anand’s first two films – Aandhiyan (1952) and Humsafar (1953) and Jaidev assisted the maestro in those projects. Both the films and their music did not do too well and the dejected Ustad decided to call it quits. Jaidev though decided to stay on and started assisting Navketan’s new composer Sachin Dev Burman. With his excellent knowledge of Hindi and Urdu poetry and his expertise in Hindustani classical music, Jaidev provided handy assistance to Sachinda in many milestone soundtracks like Taxi Driver, Munimji, House No. 44, Kala Pani, Sujata, Laajwanti and Insaan Jaag Utha.

In 1955, Jaidev got his first break as an independent composer in Joru Ka Bhai. Thus began a memorable if none too prolific career where he composed music for some 40-odd films over the next three decades.

Jaidev’s music seldom tasted commercial success and the main reason for that was his inability to compose simple songs with catchy lyrics and crowd-pleasing tunes. Joyous fluffy songs like ‘Main Zindagee Kaa Saath Nibhaataa Chalaa Gayaa’, ‘Abhee Naa Jaao Chhodkar’ or ‘Do Deewaane Shaher Mein’ did occasionally shine through his music but otherwise his compositions were typically serious, intricate and at times, plain complex. He was mainly inspired by Hindustani classical and folk music. Even the lyrics of his songs were almost always too poetic for popular consumption. So a typical Jaidev song was never a simple hummable fun-and-dance number; it was a song that wove a rich tapestry of subtle musical and lyrical nuances. Its cerebral appeal to any intellectual mind was undeniable and that certainly got the connoisseurs swooning over his ‘different’, ‘original’ musical approach. But unfortunately the same strength turned into his biggest weakness when it came to wooing the common man! In this regard, his music was remarkably similar to his best friend Madan Mohan’s music.

Such was Jaidev’s musical genius that even within his rather limited repertoire of film soundtracks, he was able to create so many memorable classics in so many different voices. Songs like Lata’s ‘Subah Kaa Intezaar Kaun Kare’, Rafi’s ‘Kabhee Khud Pe Kabhee Haalaat Pe Ronaa Aayaa’, Mukesh’s ‘Jab Gham-e-Ishq Sataataa Hai’, Talat’s ‘Dekh Lee Teree Khudaaee’, Manna Dey’s ‘Pyaas Thee Phir Bhee Takaazaa Na Kiyaa’, Kishore’s ‘Yeh Wohee Geet Hai’, Yesudas’s ‘Chaand Akelaa’, Bhupendra’s ‘Ek Akelaa Is Shaher Mein’, Suresh Wadkar’s ‘Seene Mein Jalan’, Asha Bhosle’s ‘Maang Mein Bhar Le Rang Sakhee Ree’, Chhaya Ganguly’s ‘Aap Kee Yaad Aatee Rahee Raat Bhar’ and Runa Laila’s ‘Tumhein Ho Naa Ho’ presented a brilliantly varied spectrum of classy compositions. Even his non- film compositions for Manna Dey’s Madhushala and Asha Bhosle’s geet, ghazal and bhajan were simply brilliant.

In the 1960s, barring the music of Hum Dono and Mujhe Jeene Do, Jaidev could not make much headway when it came to winning box-office approval. Then came the decade of the 1970s where Jaidev proved to be one of the few composers consistently tapping the best out of Lata’s slowly declining vocals! His two defining Lata-dominated soundtracks from this decade were Reshma Aur Shera (1971) and Prem Parbat (1973) and what body of work he left there for all of us to admire!

Reshma Aur Shera bombed at the box-office but Jaidev won a National Award for its music. It was a perfect recognition for his meritorious melodies. Just like the 60s, the 70s too had begum promisingly foe the maestro but once again, this decade would only flatter to deceive in commercial terms. Even in these years, Jaidev could not really break free from his ‘intellectual composer’ tag or perhaps he himself did not want to!

Whatever may be the reasons behind his inability or indifference to adopting and adapting to the popular film music conventions; one thing was sure. That by not bowing to the so-called box-office demands and always remaining true to his musical instincts, Jaidev had carved a special niche for himself in the pantheon of great Hindi film music directors. When he took the final bow from the world-stage on January 6, 1987, Hindi film-music lost an exceptionally talented composer, who never really got his due in his lifetime. (Source – Lata – Voice of the Golden Era – By Dr. Mandar V. Bichu).

N. Dutta

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N. Dutta

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Datta Naik alias N. Datta was born in 1930 in Oroba, a small village in Goa. At the age of 12, he ran away from his family and came to Mumbai. There he learnt classical music and later worked as an assistant to Ghulam Haider. He also used to participate in street music programs, where Sachin Dev Burman spotted his talent. The maestro employed him as his assistant and while working there, N. Datta also developed a notable career as an independent composer. His compositions showed a fine sense of melody and orchestration. His close association with lyricist Sahir also ensured that his songs were always blessed by meaningful poetic lyrics.

Noted Marathi writer and music aficionado P.L. Deshpande had once famously written that whenever he listened to Lata’s emotional Dhool Ka Phool title song ‘Too Mere Pyaar Kaa Phool Hai’ (composed by N. Datta), he got the impression that each word, each note was rendered as if a tender flower petal was gently placed in flowing water! Lata and Mahendra Kapoor’s qawwali ‘Tere Pyaar Ka Aasraa Chaahataa Hoon’ from the same soundtrack was a huge hit and has remained popular till date. In Naach Ghar, Lata’s silken rendition of N. Datta’s waltz based club song ‘Aye Dil Zubaan Naa Khol’ subtly exposed this materialist world’s duplicity in Sahir’s sarcastic socialist lingo.

N. Datta’s later years were spent fighting ill health and commercial failure. The 1980 film Chehre Pe Chehra was his last Hindi film and on December 30, 1987 he breathed his last (Dr. Mandar V. Bichu)

Snehal Bhatkar

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Snehal Bhatkar

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Snehal Bhatkar was from Maharashtra and his real name was Vasudev Bhatkar. While officially working for HMV, he used to secretly work as a composer under various pseudonyms like ‘B. Vasudev’, ‘Snehal’ and ‘Snehal Bhatkar’ – out of which the last one seems to have stuck forever! By the way, this pseudonym was a shorter version of his daughter’s name – Snehlata!

Bhatkar and lyricist Kidar Nath Sharma shared a special bond. Bhatkar’s main claim to fame remains Mubarak Begum’s ‘Kabhee Tanhaaiyon Mein Yoon’ – the immortal title song for film maker Kedar Sharma’s Hamari Yaad Aayegi (1961). Actually Bhatkar had originally composed this song for Lata. She had earlier recorded two duets (‘Sochtaa Hoon Yeh Kyaa Kiyaa Maine’ and ‘Jawaan Mohabbat’ with Mukesh) for the film but later in her busy schedule, she could not fit in the new recording. She then suggested that Bhatkar use Asha for this song, but Kedar Sharma opted for Mubarak Begum instead. Mubarak’s distinctive voice and Bhatkar’s exquisite tune then combined to produce an all-time classic!

Other melodious songs to his credit include ‘Ham Par Jaadoo Daal Gaye’ (Gunaah), ‘Raadhaa Ke Man Kee Muraliyaa Pukaare’ (Nand Kishore), ‘Dil Kaa Milnaa Mushkil Hai’ (Hamari Beti), ‘Woh Chalee Gham Kee Hawaa’ (Aaj Ki Baat) and ‘Lehroun pe Lehar’ (Chhabili). The last-mentioned song is perhaps Bhatkar’s best Hindi collaboration with Lata Mangeshkar. Right from the opening couplet ‘Mohabbat mein kaheen do dil hasenge, geet gaayenge/Magar ham gham ke maare raat bhar aansoo bahaayenge’, the song immerses the listener in a moody melancholy!

On May 29, 2007 Bhatkar left this world at the ripe old age of 88 at his residence in South Mumbai. He is survived by two sons, including noted Marathi actor Ramesh Bhatkar and a daughter. His funeral was held at Dadar in Central Mumbai. (Dr. Mandar V. Biuchu)

Meena Shorey in Akhari Nishan (1958)

Akhari Nishan was Meena Shorey’s last hit film in Pakistan as a leading lady. After Akhari Nishan, her films started to flop and she was demoted to supporting/negative roles. Akhari Nishan was an action film, where Meena played the lead opposite Pakistan’s first action hero Sudhir (Shah Zaman Khan).

The music of this film was composed by Rehman Verma. Rehman Verma made his debut with the music director Khaiyyam as Vermaji-Sharmaji composer duo in the Indian Hindi film Heer Ranjha in 1948. Later, he left for Pakistan and composed the music of Baaghi (1956) followed by Akhari Nishan (1958). Almost all songs from this film were melodious including Rut hai suhani, Hum bhi awaara panchi etc.

Tu meri rani mein tera raja is a ghoda-ghadi song [ ghoda-ghadi songs were quite popular in those days ] and was picturized on Neelo and comedian Nazar. The male singer in this song remained a mystery till Nahid Niazi confirmed that it is S.D. Batish from India.

The second song was sung by Nahid Niazi and chorus for Meena Shorey and Neelo.

Anokha Pyar (1948) - Beqasoor (1950) CD

Anokha Pyar (1948) - Beqasoor (1950) CD credits

Listen to Meena Kapoor – Lata Mangeshkar version (Film Version) incorrectly attributed to Lata-Ira Nagrath by EMI and released on the above CD -

Listen to Lata Mangeshkar – Ira Nagrath version (Rare Record Version available with few collectors only) -

Yasmin in Humsafar (1960)

Very few people know that Sandhya Mukherjee sang 2 solos for Pakistani Film Humsafar (1960). Humsafar was West Pakistani film with Aslam Pervaiz and Yasmin in the lead supported by Nazar, Jaffrey and Nighat Sultana. The shooting of this was done in East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh) and its music was scored by Bengali music director Muslehuddin (Pakistani singer Nahid Niazi’s husband). Muslehuddin used two legendary singers from Indian Bengal to sing for this film i.e. Sandhya Mukherjee and Hemant Kumar. Two solos of Sandhya Mukherjee “Akhiyan Chalke” and “Sanware aao re” presented below didn’t gain much popularity, however, Hemant Kumar solo from this film “Raat suhani hai” became very popular”.

Sandhya Mukherjee sings Ankhiyan Chalke for Muslehuddin in Humsafar (1960).

Sandhya Mukherjee sings Sanware Aao re for Muslehuddin in Humsafar (1960).