Madan Mohan Kohli (25 June 1924 – 14 July 1975), better known as Madan Mohan, was an Indian music director of the 1950s, 1960s and the 1970s. He is considered one of the most melodious and skilled music directors of the
Hindi film industry. He is particularly remembered for the immortal
ghazal
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...
s he composed for Hindi films. Some of his best works are with singers
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her cont ...
,
Mohammed Rafi
Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer and musician. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and ...
and
Talat Mahmood
Talat Mahmood (24 February 1924 – 9 May 1998) was an Indian playback singer who is considered one of the popular male Indian film song and ghazal singers. Although he tried his luck as a film actor, he did not succeed a great deal in actin ...
.
[Arunachalam, Param (21 June 2015)]
Bollywood Retrospect: The musical legacy of composer Madan Mohan in 5 songs
''DNA India''. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
Early years
Born on 25 June 1924, at
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
where his father Rai Bahadur Chunilal Kohli was working as an
Accountant General with the Iraqi Police forces, Madan Mohan spent the early years of his life in the Middle East.
After 1932, his family returned to their home town of
Chakwal
Chakwal ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city in Rawalpindi Division, Punjab province, Pakistan.
It is the 66th largest city of Pakistan by population. Chakwal is located 90 kilometres south-west of the federal capital, Islamabad and 270 kilomet ...
, then in
Jhelum district
Jhelum District (Urdu and pnb, ), is partially in Pothohar Plateau, and partially in Punjab Plain of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Jhelum is one of the oldest districts of Punjab. It was established on 23 March 1849. According to the 1998 ...
of
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
, British India. He was left in the care of a grandparent while his father went to
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
to seek business opportunities. He attended local school in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
for the next few years. During his stay at Lahore, he learnt the basics of classical music from one Kartar Singh for a very short period, however he never received any formal training in music. Some time later, his family moved to
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
where he completed his Senior Cambridge from
St. Mary's School in
Byculla
Byculla (ISO: Bhāykhaḷā; pronunciation: ʱaːjkʰəɭaː is an area of South Mumbai.
Location
Byculla is neighboured by Nagpada and Mumbai Central and Mahalaxmi on the west; Agripada, Jacob Circle on the north-west: Chinchpokli to the nor ...
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
. In Mumbai, at the age of 11 years, he started performing in children's programmes broadcast by
All India Radio
All or ALL may refer to:
Language
* All, an indefinite pronoun in English
* All, one of the English determiners
* Allar language (ISO 639-3 code)
* Allative case (abbreviated ALL)
Music
* All (band), an American punk rock band
* ''All'' (All a ...
. At age 17, he attended the
Colonel Brown Cambridge School
Colonel Brown Cambridge School is one of the oldest residential schools in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. It is an English medium school affiliated to the Indian Council of School Certificate Examination (CICSE) board of Education. The school ...
in
Dehradun
Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislative As ...
where he completed a year's training.
Career
Early career
He joined the Army as a Second Lieutenant in the year 1943. He served there for two years until end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, when he left the Army and returned to
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
to pursue his musical interests. In 1946, he joined the
All India Radio
All or ALL may refer to:
Language
* All, an indefinite pronoun in English
* All, one of the English determiners
* Allar language (ISO 639-3 code)
* Allative case (abbreviated ALL)
Music
* All (band), an American punk rock band
* ''All'' (All a ...
,
Lucknow
Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
as Programme Assistant, where he came in contact with various artists such as
Ustad Faiyaz Khan
Ustad Faiyaz Khan (8 February 1886 5 November 1950) was an Indian classical vocalist, an exponent of the Agra gharana of Hindustani classical music. According to SwarGanga Music Foundation website, "By the time he died at Baroda, he had earne ...
,
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan (14 April 192218 June 2009) was a Indian Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod. Trained as a classical musician and instrumentalist by his father, Allauddin Khan, he ...
,
Begum Akhtar
Akhtari Bai Faizabadi (7 October 1914 – 30 October 1974), also known as Begum Akhtar, was an Indian singer and actress. Dubbed "Mallika-e-Ghazal" (Queen of Ghazals), she is regarded as one of the greatest singers of ghazal, dadra, and thumr ...
, and
Talat Mahmood
Talat Mahmood (24 February 1924 – 9 May 1998) was an Indian playback singer who is considered one of the popular male Indian film song and ghazal singers. Although he tried his luck as a film actor, he did not succeed a great deal in actin ...
. During these days he would also compose music for programmes to be broadcast on
All India Radio
All or ALL may refer to:
Language
* All, an indefinite pronoun in English
* All, one of the English determiners
* Allar language (ISO 639-3 code)
* Allative case (abbreviated ALL)
Music
* All (band), an American punk rock band
* ''All'' (All a ...
. In 1947, he was transferred to
All India Radio
All or ALL may refer to:
Language
* All, an indefinite pronoun in English
* All, one of the English determiners
* Allar language (ISO 639-3 code)
* Allative case (abbreviated ALL)
Music
* All (band), an American punk rock band
* ''All'' (All a ...
, Delhi where he worked for a short period. He was very fond of singing, and so in 1947 he got his first chance to record two
ghazals
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a p ...
penned by Behzad Lucknawi, ''Aane Laga Hai Koi Nazar Jalwa Gar Mujhe'' and ''Is Raaz Ko Duniya Jaanti Hai''. Soon after, in 1948 he recorded two more private
ghazals
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a p ...
penned by Deewan Sharar, ''Wo Aaye To Mahfil Mein Ithlaate Huye Aaye'' and ''Duniya Mujhe Kahti Hai Ke Main Tujhko Bhoolaa Doon''. In 1948, he got his first opportunity to sing a film duet ''Pinjare Mein Bulbul Bole'' and ''Mera Chhotasa Dil Dole'' with
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her cont ...
under composer
Ghulam Haider (composer)
Ghulam Haider
(1908 – 9 November 1953), also known by the honorary title Master Ghulam Haider, was a Pakistani music composer who worked both in India and later in Pakistan after its independence in 1947.
He changed the face of film so ...
for the film
Shaheed
''Shaheed'' ( , , ; pa, ਸ਼ਹੀਦ) denotes a martyr in Islam. The word is used frequently in the Quran in the generic sense of "witness" but only once in the sense of "martyr" (i.e. one who dies for his faith); ...
, though these songs were never released or used in the film. Between 1946 and 1948, he assisted music composers
S.D. Burman
Sachin Dev Burman (1 October 1906 – 31 October 1975) was an Indian music director and singer. A member of the Tripura royal family, he started his career with Bengali films in 1937. He later began composing for Hindi movies and became one o ...
for
Do Bhai, and Shyam Sundar in Actress.
Music director
He scored his first big break with the film
''Aankhen'' in 1950, which marked the beginning of a long lasting collaboration with
Mohammed Rafi
Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer and musician. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and ...
, his next film was ''Adaa'' which saw the beginning of a long lasting collaboration with
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her cont ...
; both would go on to sing for many of his films. Two of his composed songs for ''
Sharabi
''Sharaabi'' ( en, Drunkard, italic=yes) is a 1984 in film, 1984 Indian Hindi language, Hindi comedy drama film produced and directed by Prakash Mehra. This was Mehra's sixth film with Amitabh Bachchan.
Sharaabi stars Amitabh Bachchan and Jay ...
'' - "Sawan ke maheeney mein" and "Kabhi na Kabhi koi na koi toh aayega", both filmed for
Dev Anand
Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand (26 September 1923 – 3 December 2011), better known as Dev Anand, was an Indian actor, writer, director and producer known for his work in Hindi cinema, through a career that spanned over six decades. He was ...
are among the most well known renditions of Mohammed Rafi. In addition, his other compositions like "Wo Chup Rahen To" from the film ''
Jahan Ara'' (1964) and "Maine Rang Li Aaj Chunariya" from ''
Dulhan Ek Raat Ki
''Dulhan Ek Raat Ki '' () is a 1967 Indian Hindi-language film starring Dharmendra, Nutan and Rehman, the same trio who did '' Dil ne Phir Yaad Kiya''. The film is based on the Thomas Hardy novel '' Tess of the d'Urbervilles''. The songs from th ...
'' (1966) are two similar examples. Madan was also able to write songs for male singers such as
Talat Mahmood
Talat Mahmood (24 February 1924 – 9 May 1998) was an Indian playback singer who is considered one of the popular male Indian film song and ghazal singers. Although he tried his luck as a film actor, he did not succeed a great deal in actin ...
(''Phir wahi Shaam, wahi gham, wahi tanhaayee hai'', ''Main Teri Nazar Ka Suroor Hoon'' and ''Teri Aankh Ke Aansoo'' from ''Jahan Ara'', and ''Meri Yaad Mein Tum Na'' from ''
Madhosh'') and Mohammed Rafi (''Ek Haseen Shaam Ko'' from ''Dulhan Ek Raat Ki'', ''Kisi Ki Yaad Mein'' from ''Jahan Ara'', ''Main Nigahen Tere Chehere Se'' from ''
Aap Ki Parchaiyian'', ''Aap Ke Pehlun Mein Aakar Ro Diye'' from ''
Mera Saaya
''Mera Saaya'' () is a 1966 Indian Hindi-language thriller film directed by Raj Khosla. The music is by Madan Mohan and lyrics by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan. The film stars Sunil Dutt and Sadhana. This is director Raj Khosla's third film with Sadhan ...
'', ''Ye Duniya Ye Mehfil Mere Kaam Ki Nahin'' from ''
Heer Ranjha
''Heer Ranjha'' (or ''Heer and Ranjha'') ( pnb, , ਹੀਰ ਰਾਂਝਾ ) is one of several popular tragic romances of Punjab, other important ones being "Sohni Mahiwal", "Mirza Sahiban" and " Sassi Punnhun". There are several poetic na ...
'', ''Tere Dar Pe Aayaa Hoon'' from ''
Laila-Majnu
''Layla & Majnun'' ( ar, مجنون ليلى ; Layla's Mad Lover) is an old story of Arab origin, about the 7th-century Bedouin poet Qays ibn al-Mulawwah and his ladylove Layla bint Mahdi (later known as Layla al-Aamiriya).
"The Layla ...
'', the all-time haunting ''Meri Awaaz Suno'' and ''Tumhare Zulf Ke Sayen'' from ''
Naunihal
Naunihal is a 1967 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Raj Marbros starring Sanjeev Kumar, Balraj Sahni and Indrani Mukherjee in lead roles. The film's music was composed by Madan Mohan, with lyrics by Kaifi Azmi, including the song "Me ...
'', ''Teri Aankhon Ke Siva Duniya Mein'' from ''
Chiraag'' as well. Madan did not usually employ
Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar (born as Abhas Kumar Ganguly (); 4 August 1929 – 13 October 1987) was an Indian playback singer and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential and dynamic singers in the history of Indian music.
He ...
. Nonetheless, their partnership created songs as well; in this category fall songs such as ''Simti Si, Sharmai Si'' from ''
Parwana'', ''Zaroorat Hai, Zaroorat Hai'' from ''
Manmauji'', the title song from ''Ek Muthi Aasman'', ''Mera Naam Abdul Rehman'' from ''
Bhai Bhai'', and ''Aai Hasino, Naazanino'' from ''Chacha Zindabad''. Madan often collaborated with lyricists
Raja Mehdi Ali Khan
Raja Mehdi Ali Khan (23 September 1915 – 29 July 1966) was an Indian poet, writer and a lyricist.
Early life and career
Raja Mehdi Ali Khan was born on 23 September 1915 at Karamabad village, near Wazirabad, Gujranwala District of Punjab, Br ...
,
Kaifi Azmi
Kaifi Azmi (born Athar Husain Rizvi; 14 January 1919 – 10 May 2002) was an Indian Urdu poet. He is remembered as the one who brought Urdu literature to Indian motion pictures. Together with Pirzada Qasim, Jaun Elia and others he participated ...
, and
Rajinder Krishan
Rajinder Krishan Duggal (6 June 1919 – 23 September 1987) also credited as Rajendra Krishan, was an Indian poet, lyricist and screenwriter.
Biography
Rajinder Krishan was born in a Duggal family at Jalalpur Jattan on 6 June 1919, in Gujrat ...
,
Sahir Ludhianvi
Abdul Hayee (8 March 1921 – 25 October 1980), popularly known by his pen name (takhallus) Sahir Ludhianvi, was an Indian poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described ...
and
Majrooh Sultanpuri
Asrar ul Hassan Khan (1 October 1919 − 24 May 2000), better known as Majrooh Sultanpuri, was an Indian Urdu poet and lyricist in India's Hindi language film industry. He wrote Hindustani lyrics for numerous Hindi film soundtracks.
He was ...
for his movies.
In 1957 he came out with a film named ''
Dekh Kabira Roya
Dekh Kabira Roya is a 1957 romantic comedy film, directed by Amiya Chakravarty (director), Amiya Chakravarty.
The tag line in the title says 'The truth is stranger than fiction. Comedy is exaggeration of truth'.
Plot summary
This Bollywood clas ...
'' in which the legendary singer
Manna Dey
Prabodh Chandra Dey (May 1, 1919 − October 24, 2013), known by his stage name Manna Dey, was an internationally acclaimed and celebrated Indian playback singer, music director, and a musician. As a classical vocalist, he belonged to the Bhen ...
gave his voice to the melodious ''Kaun Aaya Mere Man Ke Dwaare'' and unforgettable numbers like ''Tum Bin Jeevan Kaisa Jeevan'' in the film ''
Bawarchi
''Bawarchi'' (translation: ''The Chef'') is a 1972 Indian Hindi musical comedy-drama film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee starring Rajesh Khanna and Jaya Badhuri with Asrani, A.K. Hangal, Usha Kiran and Durga Khote in supporting roles. This w ...
''. In addition to that, he had Lata sing ''Tu Pyaar Kare Ya Thukraaye'' and ''Meri Veena Tum Bin Roye'' numbers, and he used
Talat Mahmood
Talat Mahmood (24 February 1924 – 9 May 1998) was an Indian playback singer who is considered one of the popular male Indian film song and ghazal singers. Although he tried his luck as a film actor, he did not succeed a great deal in actin ...
for the song ''Hum Se Aaya Na Gaya'' in the same movie. Once in an interview Manna Dey recalled that Madan Mohan asked him to take special care when singing ''Kaun Aaya Mere Man Ke Dwaare''.
A film scored by Madan was
Chetan Anand's ''
Haqeeqat'' (1964), starring
Balraj Sahni
Brigadier Balraj (born Balasegaram Kandiah) was a senior commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Early life
Balraj was the fifth and youngest child of Kandiah and Kannagias. He received his primary education in Kokkuthoduwaai ...
and
Dharmendra
Dharam Singh Deol (born 8 December 1935), also known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer and politician who is known for his work in Hindi films. Known as the first " He-Man" of Bollywood, Dharmendra has worked in over 301 ...
and based on the
Sino-Indian War
The Sino-Indian War took place between China and India from October to November 1962, as a major flare-up of the Sino-Indian border dispute. There had been a series of violent border skirmishes between the two countries after the 1959 Tib ...
of 1962. In it, he used Rafi, who sang numbers like ''
Kar chale hum fida'', ''Main Yeh Soch Kar''. Lata was used for the song ''Zara Si Aahat Hoti Hai'' and the unscreened " Khelo na mere dilse". And the same film saw Rafi, Talat, Manna Dey, and Bhupendra singing ''Hoke Majboor Mujhe Usne Bhulaya Hoga''. Bhupendra appeared on the screen as well for the first time, much before he established himself as a playback singer. This song is also the only song in which four top-rated male playback singers have put voices together in a song. In 1966, he again paired with
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her cont ...
for ''
Mera Saaya
''Mera Saaya'' () is a 1966 Indian Hindi-language thriller film directed by Raj Khosla. The music is by Madan Mohan and lyrics by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan. The film stars Sunil Dutt and Sadhana. This is director Raj Khosla's third film with Sadhan ...
''.
Madan Mohan's venture was
Raj Khosla
Raj Khosla (31 May 1925 – 9 June 1991) was one of the top director, producer and screenwriter in Hindi film industry from the 1950s to the 1980s. He was known for bringing in "neo-noir" and style in Indian cinema, and also as a "women's direc ...
's version of "Woman in White", titled
''Woh'' ''Kaun'' ''Thi''?. This film has three Lata solos ('Naina barse rim jhim rim jhim', 'Lag ja gale' and 'Jo humne daastaan apni sunayee') and a Lata duet.
The late fifties, sixties and the early seventies were the most productive period in Madan Mohan's career. His songs from those decades include compositions for films like ''
Adalat'', ''
Anpadh
Anpadh (Hindi: अनपढ़, Urdu: اَنپڑھ, translation: ''illiterate'') is a 1962 Hindi film. It stars Balraj Sahni, Dharmendra, Mala Sinha, Shashikala. Actress Bindu made her first prominent appearance in this film with the song Ji ...
'', ''Dulhan ek raat ki'', ''Mera Saya'', ''
Dastak'', ''
Hanste Zakhm
''Hanste Zakhm'' ( Laughing Wounds) is a 1973 Indian Hindi film produced and directed by Chetan Anand (director), Chetan Anand. The film stars Navin Nischol, Priya Rajvansh, Balraj Sahni, Jeevan (actor), Jeevan in pivotal roles. The film has musi ...
'', ''
Heer Raanjha
''Heer Raanjha'' is a 1970 Indian Hindi-language romantic musical film directed by Chetan Anand and produced by his son Ketan Anand. The film stars Raaj Kumar, Priya Rajvansh, Pran, Prithviraj Kapoor, Ajit, Jayant, Sonia Sahni, Kamini Kaus ...
'', ''Maharaja'', and ''
Mausam'', among many others. His second last bow was for a film released five years after his death, ''Chalbaaz''. In 1970, during the changing times of western music he gave music based on ragas for
Rajinder Singh Bedi
Rajinder Singh Bedi (1 September 1915 – 1984) was an Indian Urdu writer of the progressive writers' movement and a playwright, who later worked in Hindi cinema as a film director, screenwriter and dialogue writer and he is grandfather Rajat Be ...
's
Dastak and won his only
1971 National Film Award for Best Music Direction. Its songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar are still considered her finest.
His legacy wouldn't be complete without mentioning the ghazal he composed for the movie "Dil Ki Rahein" – "Rasm-e-ulfat ko nibhaein to nibhaein kaise". The shayar(lyricist) for the ghazal was Naqsh Lallayalpuri and it was sung by Lata Mangeshkar. It is considered one of the best songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar, ever.
Madan Mohan's son Sanjeev Kohli recreated 11 of his late father's unused compositions for the soundtrack of the 2004
Yash Chopra
Yash Raj Chopra (27 September 1932 21 October 2012) was an Indian people, Indian film director and film producer who worked in Bollywood, Hindi cinema. The founding chairman of the film production and distribution company Yash Raj Films, Chop ...
film ''
Veer-Zaara
''Veer-Zaara'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Yash Chopra, who co-produced it with his son Aditya Chopra. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta as the eponymous star-crossed lovers: Veer Pratap Singh (Kha ...
''. Later on, Kohli brought out an album "Tere Baghair" which contains some of Madan Mohan's songs.
Mass appeal
Lata Mangeshkar christened him "Ghazal ka Shehzadaa", or the Prince of Ghazals. Even Lata herself stated in a live concert in the late 1990s that she found Madan Mohan's compositions difficult to master. Most of the top film actors of the day (who were also studio heads) had fallen into a groove with their preferred composers (e.g.,
Raj Kapoor
Raj Kapoor (pronunciation: aːd͡ʒ kəpuːɾ born Shrishti Nath Kapoor; also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor; 14 December 1924 2 June 1988) was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. He is considered one of th ...
had Shankar Jaikishan,
Dev Anand
Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand (26 September 1923 – 3 December 2011), better known as Dev Anand, was an Indian actor, writer, director and producer known for his work in Hindi cinema, through a career that spanned over six decades. He was ...
had the Burmans,
Dilip Kumar
Mohammed Yusuf Khan (; 11 December 1922 – 7 July 2021), better known by his stage name Dilip Kumar, was an Indian actor who worked in Hindi cinema. Credited with pioneering method acting in cinema, he dominated the Indian movie scene from lat ...
had Naushad, etc.) Hence, he often had difficulty finding assignments. His 1964
Filmfare Award
The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
nomination for Best Music Director for ''Woh Kaun Thi''. In a tightly contested race, both Madan and Shankar Jaikishan (''Sangam'') lost to relative newcomer
Laxmikant Pyarelal, who scored ''Dosti''.
Death and legacy
Madan's constant struggles took a toll on his life, and he began drinking heavily. He died of liver cirrhosis on 14 July 1975. His body was lifted before his funeral by actors –
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a record ...
,
Dharmendra
Dharam Singh Deol (born 8 December 1935), also known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer and politician who is known for his work in Hindi films. Known as the first " He-Man" of Bollywood, Dharmendra has worked in over 301 ...
,
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan (; born as Amitabh Shrivastav; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the most succe ...
and
Rajendra Kumar
Rajendra Kumar Tuli (20 July 1927 – 12 July 1999) was an Indian actor who starred in Bollywood films. Starting his career in 1949, he appeared in more than 80 films in a career spanning over four decades. He was popularly known as the 'Jubil ...
.
![Composer Madan Mohan 2013 stamp of India](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Composer_Madan_Mohan_2013_stamp_of_India.jpg)
In 2004, Madan's unused tunes were recreated by his son, Sanjeev Kohli, for the
Yash Chopra
Yash Raj Chopra (27 September 1932 21 October 2012) was an Indian people, Indian film director and film producer who worked in Bollywood, Hindi cinema. The founding chairman of the film production and distribution company Yash Raj Films, Chop ...
film
Veer-Zaara
''Veer-Zaara'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Yash Chopra, who co-produced it with his son Aditya Chopra. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta as the eponymous star-crossed lovers: Veer Pratap Singh (Kha ...
, starring
Shahrukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as the " Baadshah of Bollywood", "King of Bollywood" ...
,
Preity Zinta
Preity G Zinta (pronounced ; born 31 January 1975) is an Indian actress and entrepreneur primarily known for her work in Hindi cinema, Hindi films. After graduating with degrees in English literature, English honours and criminal psychology, Z ...
, and
Rani Mukerji
Rani Mukerji (pronounced ; born 21 March 1978) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Noted for her versatility, she is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Rani Mukerji, multiple accolades, including seven Filmf ...
. The lyrics were written by
Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar (born 17 January 1945) is an Indian poet, lyricist, screenwriter and political activist. Known for his work in Hindi cinema, he has won five National Film Awards, and received the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 200 ...
, and
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her cont ...
was invited to once again sing the majority of the melodies composed by him. The music was highly appreciated and was critically acclaimed. He was awarded the IIFA award 2005, for Music Direction for
Veer-Zaara
''Veer-Zaara'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Yash Chopra, who co-produced it with his son Aditya Chopra. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta as the eponymous star-crossed lovers: Veer Pratap Singh (Kha ...
.
Books on Madan Mohan
'Madan Mohan: An Unforgettable Composer – Edited by V M Joshi & Suresh Rao, presents an analytical look at the composer's work. It includes articles by Sanjeev Kohli, Akshay Kohli, O P Dutta, Uttam Singh, B R Ishara, Dr. Ashok Ranade, Alka Deo Marulkar, Mridula Joshi, Dr. Kirti Shrivastava, Deepak Jeswal and many more; interviews with Lata Mangeshkar, Shreya Ghoshal, Mahalaxmi Iyer and Rehana Sultan, and Madan Mohan's filmography.
Style
Madan's music was characterised by his immense ability to meld elements of Indian classical music into a new style of Hindi
filmi
Filmi ("of films") music soundtracks are music produced for India's mainstream motion picture industry and written and performed for Indian cinema. In cinema, music directors make up the main body of composers; the songs are performed by playba ...
song. He had a keen and sensitive ear for the nuances of Indian classical tunes, and combined them with elements of Western music such as harmonies to produce a style of music that could be appreciated by both classical music aficionados and the common person alike.
Filmography
See also
*
List of Indian film music directors
The following are notable Indian film music directors:
See also
* Bollywood content lists
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Indian film music directors
Bollywood-related lists
Music directors
A music(al) director or director of music is the pe ...
References
Bibliography
*
External links
madanmohan.in website on Madan Mohan, created and maintained by his sons
*
Eternal composition called Madan Mohan tribute piece on Madan Mohan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mohan, Madan
1924 births
1975 deaths
Musicians from Baghdad
Punjabi people
Deaths from cirrhosis
Alcohol-related deaths in India
Hindi film score composers
Best Music Direction National Film Award winners
20th-century Indian composers