Vanraj Bhatia (Hindi: वनराज भाटिया ; 31 May 1927 – 7 May 2021) was an Indian composer best known for his work in Indian New Wave cinema. He was also one of the leading composers of

Western classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

in India. Bhatia was a recipient of the

National Film Award for Best Music Direction The National Film Award for Best Music Direction (the Silver Lotus Award) is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards by the Directorate of Film Festivals to a musician who has composed the best score for films produced within th ...

for the television film '' Tamas'' (1988), the

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IPA: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in Englis ...

for Creative and Experimental Music (1989) and India's fourth-highest civilian honour, the

Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...

(2012). He died in Mumbai in May 2021.

Biography

Early life and education

Born into a family of Kutchi businessmen, Bhatia attended the New Era School in Bombay and learnt

Hindustani classical music Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...

as a student at Deodhar School of Music. On hearing

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

's '' Piano Concerto No. 1'' as a teenager, he became interested in Western classical music and studied the piano with Dr. Manek Bhagat for four years. After earning his M.A. (English Honours) from

Elphinstone College Elphinstone College is one of the constituent colleges of Dr. Homi Bhabha State University, a state cluster university. Established in 1823, it is one of the oldest colleges in Mumbai. It played a major role in shaping and developing the ed ...

University of Bombay The University of Mumbai is a collegiate, state-owned, public research university in Mumbai. The University of Mumbai is one of the largest universities in the world. , the university had 711 affiliated colleges. Ratan Tata is the appointed ...

in 1949, Bhatia studied composition with

Howard Ferguson George Howard Ferguson, PC (June 18, 1870 – February 21, 1946) was the ninth premier of Ontario, from 1923 to 1930. He was a Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1905 to 1930 who represented the eastern provinci ...

Alan Bush Alan Dudley Bush (22 December 1900 – 31 October 1995) was a British composer, pianist, conductor, teacher and political activist. A committed communist, his uncompromising political beliefs were often reflected in his music. He composed pro ...

and

William Alwyn William Alwyn (born William Alwyn Smith; 7 November 1905 – 11 September 1985), was an English composer, conductor, and music teacher. Life and music William Alwyn was born William Alwyn Smith in Northampton, the son of Ada Tyler (Tompkins ...

at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

, London, where he was a recipient of the Sir Michael Costa Scholarship (1951–54). After graduating with a gold medal in 1954, Bhatia won a Rockefeller Scholarship (1954–58) as well as a French Government Scholarship (1957–58) that allowed him to study with

Nadia Boulanger Juliette Nadia Boulanger (; 16 September 188722 October 1979) was a French music teacher and conductor. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and also performed occasionally as a pianist and organist. From a ...

at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

for five years.

Career

On returning to India in 1959, Bhatia became the first person to score music for an advertisement film in India (for Shakti Silk Sarees), and went on to compose over 7,000 jingles, such as

Liril Liril is a popular soap brand sold, to a large degree, in India, and Asia, as well as a few places in Europe. The soap is currently manufactured by Hindustan Unilever in India. Liril launched a blue variant called Icy Cool Mint in 2002. It also tr ...

Garden Vareli A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate both ...

and

Dulux Dulux is an internationally available brand of architectural paint originated from the United Kingdom. The brand name Dulux has been used by both Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) and DuPont since 1931 and was one of the first alkyd-based pa ...

. During this time, he was also a Reader in Western Musicology at the

University of Delhi Delhi University (DU), formally the University of Delhi, is a collegiate central university located in New Delhi, India. It was founded in 1922 by an Act of the Central Legislative Assembly and is recognized as an Institute of Eminence (IoE) ...

from 1960 to 1965. Bhatia's first feature film score was for

Shyam Benegal Shyam Benegal (born 14 December 1934) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and documentary filmmaker. Often regarded as the pioneer of parallel cinema, he is widely considered as one of the greatest filmmakers post 1970s. He has received ...

's directorial debut '' Ankur'' (1974), and he went on to score almost all of Benegal's work, including the song "Mero Gaam Katha Parey" from the film ''

Manthan ''Manthan'', also released under the translated title ''The Churning'', is a 1976 Hindi film directed by Shyam Benegal, inspired by the pioneering milk cooperative movement of Verghese Kurien, and is written jointly by him and Vijay Tendulkar. ...

'' (1976). Bhatia predominantly worked with filmmakers in the Indian New Wave movement, such as Govind Nihalani ('' Tamas'', which won Bhatia a

Kundan Shah Kundan Shah (19 October 1947 – 7 October 2017), was an Indian film director and writer. He is known for his comedy classic ''Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro'' (1983) and his 1986–1987, TV series ''Nukkad'' with Saeed Akhtar Mirza. Biography Kundan Shah ...

(''

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro ''Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro'' () is a 1983 Indian Hindi-language satirical black comedy film directed by Kundan Shah and produced by NFDC. It is a dark satire on the rampant corruption in Indian politics, bureaucracy, news media and business, and st ...

''),

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('' 36 Chowringhee Lane''),

Saeed Akhtar Mirza Saeed Akhtar Mirza (born 30 June 1943) is an Indian screenwriter and director in Hindi films and television. He is the maker of notable parallel films such as ''Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!'' (1984), '' Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai'' (1980), '' ...

('' Mohan Joshi Haazir Ho!''),

Kumar Shahani Kumar Shahani (born 7 December 1940) is an Indian film director and screenwriter, best known for his parallel cinema films '' Maya Darpan'' (1972), ''Tarang'' (1984), ''Khayal Gatha'' (1989) and '' Kasba'' (1990). Due to his dedication to forma ...

('' Tarang''),

Vidhu Vinod Chopra Vidhu Vinod Chopra (born 5 September 1952) is an Indian film director, producer, editor, screenwriter, lyricist and actor. His well-known films as director are ''Parinda'' (1988), '' 1942: A Love Story'' (1994). He is also known for producing ' ...

(''

Khamosh ''Khamosh'' () is 1985 Indian Hindi-language thriller film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film starred Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Amol Palekar, Soni Razdan and Pankaj Kapoor. The film became notable for actors Palekar, ...

''),

Vijaya Mehta Vijaya Mehta (born 4 November 1934), is a noted Indian Marathi film and theatre director and also an actor in many films from the Parallel Cinema. She is a founder member of Mumbai-based theatre group, Rangayan with playwright Vijay Tendulka ...

''(

Pestonjee ''Pestonjee'' is a 1988 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Vijaya Mehta, starring Anupam Kher, Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, based on a story by film journalist B. K. Karanjia. At the 35th National Film Awards, it won the awar ...

'') and

Prakash Jha Prakash Jha (born 27 February 1952) is an Indian film producer, actor, director and screenwriter, mostly known for his political and socio-political films such as “Hip Hip Hurray” (1984), '' Damul'' (1984), ''Mrityudand'' (1997), ''Gangaaj ...

(''

Hip Hip Hurray Hip hip hooray (also hippity hip hooray; ''Hooray'' may also be spelled and pronounced hoorah, hurrah, hurray etc.) is a cheer called out to express congratulation toward someone or something, in the English-speaking world and elsewhere. By a sol ...

''). In the 1990s, he also composed background scores for mainstream films such as ''

Ajooba ''Ajooba'' () is a 1990 superhero film, produced and directed by Shashi Kapoor and co-directed by Soviet filmmaker Gennadi Vasilyev. An Indian-Soviet Union, Soviet co-production, it is loosely based on Arabic literature, Arabic folklore such as ...

'', ''

Damini ''Damini'' () is a 1993 Indian Hindi-language crime drama film directed and co-written by Rajkumar Santoshi. It stars Meenakshi Seshadri in the titular role with Sunny Deol, Rishi Kapoor and Amrish Puri. Aamir Khan makes a special appearance. T ...

'' and '' Pardes''. Bhatia has scored television shows such as '' Khandaan'', ''

Yatra ( sa, यात्रा, 'journey', 'procession'), in Indian-origin religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, generally means a pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, sacred mountains, places associated ...

'', ''

Wagle Ki Duniya ''Wagle Ki Duniya'' () is an Indian sitcom that aired on DD National from 1988 to 1990. It was produced by Durga Khote, directed by Kundan Shah, and was based on characters created by noted cartoonist, R. K. Laxman, especially " the common man" ...

'', ''

Banegi Apni Baat ''Banegi Apni Baat'' is an Indian television drama series that aired on Zee TV from 1993 running to 1997. The series was produced by Tony Singh and Deeya Singh. It starred many Indian television actors, such as Irrfan Khan, Roshini Achreja, ...

'' and the 53-episode ''

Bharat Ek Khoj ''Bharat Ek Khoj'' () is a 53-episode Indian historical drama based on the book '' The Discovery of India'' (1946) by Jawaharlal Nehru that covers a 5,000-year history of India from its beginnings to independence from the British in 1947. The ...

'' based on

Jawaharlal Nehru Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat— * * * * and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...

's ''

The Discovery of India ''The Discovery of India'' was written by the Indian Independence leader, Jawaharlal Nehru (later India's first Prime Minister) during his incarceration in 1942–1945 at Ahmednagar fort in present day Indian state of Maharashtra by British co ...

'', as well as numerous documentaries. He has also released albums of spiritual music on the Music Today label, and composed music for trade fairs such as Expo '70, Osaka and Asia 1972, New Delhi. Bhatia is the best-known composer of Western classical music in India. His most frequently performed works are the ''Fantasia and Fugue in C'' for piano, the ''Sinfonia Concertante'' for strings, and the song cycle ''Six Seasons''. His ''Reverie'' was performed by

Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma (''Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...

at a concert in Mumbai in January 2019, and the first two acts of his opera ''Agni Varsha'', based on

Girish Karnad Girish Karnad (19 May 1938 – 10 June 2019) was an Indian actor, film director, Kannada writer, playwright and a Jnanpith awardee, who predominantly worked in South Indian cinema and Bollywood. His rise as a playwright in the 1960s marked the ...

's play of the same name, premiered in New York City in 2012 in a production by soprano Judith Kellock.

Death

Bhatia died on May 7, 2021 at his home in Mumbai, due to old age.

List of compositions

Music for solo piano

* ''Toccata No. 1 in Raag Bahar'' (c. 1950s) *''Sonata'' (1952) * ''Introduction and Retrograde'' (1959) * ''Fantasia and Fugue in C'' (1999) * ''Rhapsody on "Agni Varsha"'' (2007) * ''Gujarati Nursery'' (2010)

Chamber music

* ''Trio'' for clarinet, cello and piano (c. 1950s) * ''Quintet'' for flute, harp, viola and two cellos (c. 1950s) * ''Divertimento'' for bassoon and piano (1951) * ''Sonata'' for violin and piano (1954) * ''Indian Nursery: Pieces'' for piano four hands (1956) * ''Sonatina'' for violin and piano (1956) * ''Divertimento Pastoral'' for flute, oboe, two clarinets and bassoon (1957) * ''Sangeet Raat: Night Music'' for solo flute (1964) * ''Cyclic Variations'' for cello and harpsichord (1965) * ''Kaleidoscope'' for prepared piano and string quartet (1965) * ''Kaleidoscope'' for violin, viola, cello and piano (2002) * ''Reverie'' for cello and piano (2014) * ''Spring: An Awakening'' for string quartet (2018)

Vocal music

* ''Dhoon'' for voice and piano (c. 1950s) * ''Kinguri-Vali'' for soprano, violin and piano (1960) * ''Rudranaam'' for triple chorus (1973) * ''Jaisalmer'' for unaccompanied chorus (1977) * ''Vasansi Jeernani'' for triple chorus (1981) * ''Six Seasons'' for unaccompanied chorus (1989) * ''Tantra: Meditations'' for voice and piano (1994) * ''Transcendence'' for double chorus (2002) * ''Rig Veda Hymns'' for double chorus (2003) * ''Six Seasons'' for soprano and piano (2009)

Music for large ensemble

* ''Gita Govinda'' for orchestra (1954) * ''Concerto in One Movement'' for piano and strings (1955) * ''Sinfonia Concertante'' for strings (2001)

Opera

* ''Agni Varsha'' (2017)

Feature film scores

* ''

The Householder ''The Householder'' (Hindi title: ''Gharbar'') is a 1963 film by Merchant Ivory Productions, with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and James Ivory, and direction of James Ivory. It is based upon the 1960 novel of the same name by Jhabvala. ...

'' (1963) – background score only * '' Ankur'' (1974) * '' Nishant'' (1975) * ''Ek Dal Mithi'' (c. 1976, unreleased) * ''

'' (1976) * ''

Bhumika Bhūmikā (Sanskrit: भूमिका) is derived from the word, ''Bhūmi'', meaning ''earth'', ''soil'', ''ground'' or ''character''. Hinduism The Upanishads speak about the seven ''bhūmikās'' or ''jñānabhūmis'' (fields of knowledge) or ...

'' (1977) * '' Anugraham/Kondura'' (1978) * '' Junoon'' (1979) * '' 36 Chowringhee Lane'' (1981) * '' Kalyug'' (1981) * ''

Sazaye Maut ''Sazā-ye Maut'' (English: Death Penalty) is 1981 Indian film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The films was based on Chopra's diploma film at FTII, ''Murder at Monkey Hill'' (1976). He adapted that into a full-length feature, with ...

(1981) * ''Je Peed Parai Jaane Re'' (1982) * ''

(1983) * ''

Mandi Mandi may refer to: Places * Mandı, Azerbaijan India * Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir * Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh ** Mandi State, former princely sta ...

'' (1983) * ''

'' (1984) * '' Mohan Joshi Haazir Ho!'' (1984) * '' Tarang'' (1984) * ''

Aghaat Aghaat (English: Harm) is a 1985 Bollywood film directed by Govind Nihalani and produced by Manmohan Shetty under the banner of Neo Films Association. It stars Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah and Bharath Gopi in lead roles while Amrish Puri, Pankaj ...

'' (1985) – song only * ''

'' (1985) * ''

Massey Sahib ''Massey Sahib'' is a 1985 Hindi drama film directed by Pradip Krishen, starring Raghubir Yadav in the title role. It was Krishen's first film, and was an adaptation of Joyce Cary's 1939 novel '' Mister Johnson''. It won Yadav two international ...

'' (1985) – uncredited * ''Surkhiyaan'' (1985) * ''

Trikaal Trikal (Past, Present and Future) is a 1985 Indian movie written and directed by Shyam Benegal, set in Goa during the twilight of Portuguese rule, It marked the return of Leela Naidu in her first film appearance since 1969. The film was sel ...

'' (1985) * ''Mazhab'' (1986, released 1996) * ''

Mohre ''Mohre'' () is a 1987 Indian Hindi movie directed by Raghuveer Kul. It starred Nana Patekar, Madhuri Dixit in lead roles. The pair later worked together in Vinod Chopra's ''Parinda'' and his own directorial debut, '' Prahaar''. This film also ...

'' (1987) * ''

'' (1987) * '' Susman'' (1987) * ''

Percy The English surname Percy is of Norman origin, coming from Normandy to England, United Kingdom. It was from the House of Percy, Norman lords of Northumberland, derives from the village of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy. From there, it came into use ...

'' (1989) * ''

'' (1991) – background score only * ''

Antarnaad Antarnaad ( hi, अंतरनाद) ("Inner voice") was a 1991 Hindi film made by Shyam Benegal, based on the Swadhyay Movement by Pandurang Shastri Athavale. Cast * Shabana Azmi * Kulbhushan Kharbanda * Shobha Khote * Om Puri * Girish ...

'' (1991) * ''Jazeere'' (1991) * '' Kasba'' (1991) * ''

Pita Pita ( or ) or pitta (British English), is a family of yeast-leavened round flatbreads baked from wheat flour, common in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and neighboring areas. It includes the widely known version with an interior pocket, als ...

'' (1991) * ''

Bekhudi ''Bekhudi'' is a 1992 Indian Hindi-language action drama film directed by Rahul Rawail, starring Kamal Sadanah and Kajol (in their acting debut). Its story revolves on Rohit (Sadanah) and Radhika (Kajol), who's against her parents' disapprov ...

'' (1992) – background score only * ''

Beta Beta (, ; uppercase , lowercase , or cursive ; grc, βῆτα, bē̂ta or ell, βήτα, víta) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 2. In Modern Greek, it represents the voiced labiod ...

'' (1992) – background score only * ''

Chamatkar ''Chamatkar'' () is a 1992 Indian Hindi-language fantasy comedy film directed by Rajiv Mehra. It featured Shah Rukh Khan (in his second film after '' Deewana'' and first in lead role), Naseeruddin Shah and Urmila Matondkar in pivotal roles. Raj ...

'' (1992) – background score only * '' Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama'' (1992) * ''

Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda ''Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda'' () is a 1992 Indian Hindi film directed by Shyam Benegal and based on the novel The Sun's Seventh Horse by Dharmavir Bharati. It won the 1993 National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. The self-reflexive f ...

'' (1992) * ''

'' (1993) – background score only * ''

Sardar Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar/Sirdar ( fa, سردار, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been u ...

'' (1993) * '' Droh Kaal'' (1994) * ''

Mammo ''Mammo'' is a 1994 Indian Hindi film by Shyam Benegal. It stars Farida Jalal, Surekha Sikri, Amit Phalke and Rajit Kapur. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi in 1995. Farida Jalal won Filmfare Critics Award f ...

'' (1994) * ''

Bangarwadi ''Bangarwadi'' ( mr, बनगरवाडी) is a Marathi film directed by Amol Palekar. It is based on an eponymous novel written by Vyankatesh Madgulkar and published in 1955. It is the story of a young school teacher and his experiences in ...

'' (1995) * '' Naseem'' (1995) * ''

Bandish Bandish, cheez or gat is a fixed, melodic composition in Hindustani vocal or instrumental music. It is set in a specific raga, performed with rhythmic accompaniment by a tabla or pakhawaj, a steady drone, and melodic accompaniment by a sarangi, vi ...

'' (1996) – background score only * '' Ghatak'' (1996) – background score only * ''Katha Doan Ganpatraonchi'' (1996) – background score only * ''

Sardari Begum ''Sardari Begum'' is a 1996 Indian musical film directed by Shyam Benegal. The film stars Kiron Kher, Amrish Puri, Rajit Kapur and Rajeshwari Sachdev. The film's lead actress Kiron Kher won the 1997 National Film Award - Special Jury Award. ...

'' (1996) * '' The Making of the Mahatma'' (1996) * ''

Jaya Ganga Jaya Ganga (French: ''Jaya, fille du Gange'') is a feature film made by writer, filmmaker and screenplay writer Vijay Singh. The film stars Asil Rais and Smriti Mishra as leads. Based on Vijay Singh's first novel ''Jaya Ganga, In Search Of the ...

'' (1996) * '' Char Adhyay'' (1997) * ''

Himalay Putra ''Himalay Putra'' is a 1997 Indian Hindi-language romance film directed by Pankaj Parashar, starring Vinod Khanna, Hema Malini, Johnny Lever, Satish Shah, Danny Denzongpa, Amrish Puri and Rocky Grover. It introduced Akshaye Khanna, Anjala Zave ...

'' (1997) – background score only * '' Pardes'' (1997) – background score only * '' China Gate'' (1998) – background score only * ''

Samar Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...

'' (1999) * ''Dhaad'' (2000, released 2018) * '' Hari-Bhari'' (2000) * '' Chameli'' (2003) – background score only * '' Escape from Taliban'' (2003) – background score only * '' Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula'' (2003) – background score only * ''Kahan Se Aaye Badarwa: Forgotten Showers'' (2005), re-released as ''Bhagya Na Jaane Koi'' (2017) – background score only * ''

Halla Bol ''Halla Bol'' (''Raise Your Voice'') is an Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. ''Halla Bol'' stars Ajay Devgn and Vidya Balan in pivotal roles and a number of celebrities from the Hindi and other film industries appe ...

'' (2008) – only one song

Television scores

* '' Khandaan'' (1985) * ''

Katha Sagar Katha Sagar (translation:''"A Sea of Stories"'') is an Indian television series that aired on DD National in 1986. The series featured a collection of stories by writers from around the world, including Katherine Mansfield, Guy De Maupassant, Le ...

'' (1986) – selected episodes * ''

'' (1986) * '' Tamas'' (1987) * ''

'' (1988) * ''Naqab'' (1988) * ''

'' (1988) * ''Lifeline'' (1991) * ''Baingan Raja'' (c. 1990s) * ''

Bible Ki Kahaniya ''Bible Ki Kahaniyan'' (English: ''Stories from the Bible'') is an Indian Hindi-language television program based upon scriptures from the Bible. The production aspired to complete both Old Testament and New Testament narratives of the Bible bu ...

n'' (1993) – selected episodes * ''

'' (1994) * ''Sankranti'' (1997)

Documentary scores (selected)

* ''A Certain Childhood'' (1962) * ''To Light a Candle'' (1964) * ''Kailash at Ellora'' (1965) * ''A City in History'' (1966) * ''From Lagoon to Sea'' (1966) * ''

The House That Ananda Built ''The House That Ananda Built'' is a 1968 Indian short documentary film directed by Fali Bilimoria. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short. References External links * *Watch The House That Ananda Built' on YouTub ...

'' (1967) * ''An Area of Darkness'' (c. 1968) * ''Indian Youth: An Exploration'' (1968) * ''Water'' (1968) * ''Creative Artists: Amrita Sher-Gil'' (1969) * ''1002 A.D. Khajuraho'' (1973) * ''Asia '72'' (1974) * ''Sarojini Naidu'' (1975) * ''The Women of India'' (1975) * ''A Small Family'' (1976) * ''Nirnaya'' (1979) * ''Touch'' (1979) * ''Bombay: A City at Stake'' (1981) * ''Shaping a Future'' (1983) * ''Tata Steel: Seventy-Five Years of the Indian Steel Industry'' (1983) * ''Nehru'' (1984) – certain sections scored by Alexei Kozlov * ''Molly’s Wish'' (1985) * ''Chocolate Story'' (1986) * ''Nature Symphony'' (1990) * ''The Love We Give for Nothing'' (1992) * ''Prabhupada: A Lifetime in Preparation'' (1996) * ''Purva Uttara: Past Forward'' (1997)

Theatre music

* '' Teen Takke Ka Swang'' (1970), directed by

Ebrahim Alkazi Ebrahim Alkazi (18 October 1925 – 4 August 2020) was an Indian theatre director and drama teacher. A rigid disciplinarian, he instilled in his acting students an awe and reverence that they still carry with them, with several of them havin ...

and

Fritz Bennewitz Fritz Bennewitz (20 January 1926 – 13 September 1995) was a German theatre director. Life Bennewitz was born in Chemnitz. His father was a train driver: his mother worked as a seamstress. Between 1950 and 1953 he was a student of German st ...

* ''A Man’s a Man'' (1971), directed by

Amal Allana Amal Allana (born 14 September 1947) is an Indian theatre director, scenic designer and costume designer and presently she is in her second consecutive term as the Chairperson of National School of Drama, India's premier institute of Theatre tra ...

* ''

The Caucasian Chalk Circle ''The Caucasian Chalk Circle'' (german: Der kaukasische Kreidekreis) is a play by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. An example of Brecht's epic theatre, the play is a parable about a peasant girl who rescues a baby and becomes a ...

'' (1972), directed by

and

* ''Nisheeth'' (1972), directed by

Shanta Gandhi Shanta Kalidas Gandhi (20 December 1917 – 6 May 2002) was an Indian theatre director, dancer and playwright who was closely associated with IPTA, the cultural wing of the Communist Party of India. She studied with Indira Gandhi at a residen ...

* ''

Tughlaq The Tughlaq dynasty ( fa, ), also referred to as Tughluq or Tughluk dynasty, was a Muslim dynasty of Indo- Turkic origin which ruled over the Delhi sultanate in medieval India. Its reign started in 1320 in Delhi when Ghazi Malik assumed the ...

'' (1972), directed by

* ''

Andha Yug ''Andha Yug'' (Hindi: अंधा युग, ''The Age of Blindness'' or ''The Blind Age'') is a 1953 verse play written in Hindi, by renowned novelist, poet, and playwright Dharamvir Bharati (1926-1997). Set in the last day of the Great Mahabhar ...

'' (1974), directed by

* ''Son-et-Lumiere: The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library'' (1976), directed by

* '' Aurat Bhali Ramkali'' (1984), directed by

* ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

'' (1991), directed by

Alyque Padamsee Alyque Padamsee (5 March 1928 – 17 November 2018) was an Indian theatre personality and ad film maker. He played Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the 1982 British period film ''Gandhi''. Besides being involved in Indian theatre as an actor and produce ...

* ''

Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...

'' (1995), directed by Jatinder Verma * ''My Bollywood Summer'' (2005), directed by Sabera Shaik

Albums

Preeti Sagar Preeti Sagar is a former Bollywood playback singer who won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the song "Mero Gaam Katha Parey" from ''Manthan'' in 1978 and for the hit song "My Heart is Beating" from ''Julie'' (1975). Care ...

– ''"Spring Is Coming"/”All Night and Day"'' (1976) * ''Hi! Ho!'' (1986) * ''Music for Meditation'' (1993) * ''Cinema Cinema'' (1995) – only one song * ''The Elements: Earth'' (1995) * ''The Bhagavad Gita, Vols. 1 & 2'' (1996) * ''Anant: The Endless'' (2001), re-released as ''The Spirit of the Upanishads'' (2007) * Ritika Sahni – ''Ritika'' (2001) * ''India Unlimited: The United World of Artistes (2000), re-released as Vaishnava Jana To'' (2005) – only one song * ''Tiranga Tera Aanchal'' (2005)

Awards

* Lili Boulanger Memorial Fund (1957) * Bengal Film Journalists Association Award for Music: ''Manthan'' (1976), ''Bhumika'' (1977) * Sur Singar Samsad Award for Best Classical Score/Song (1986, 1987) *

for '' Tamas'' (1988) *

for Creative and Experimental Music (1989) * Maharashtra Rajya Puraskar (1990) *

(2012)

References

External links

*
Vanraj Bhatia
Serenade, 22 March 2017.
The Vanraj Bhatia interview: ‘My music was unique then and is perhaps unique even now’
Scroll, 1 March 2017.

Deccan Herald, 24 January 2015.

LiveMint, 26 April 2014. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bhatia, Vanraj 1927 births 2021 deaths Elphinstone College alumni Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Hindi film score composers Best Music Direction National Film Award winners Conservatoire de Paris alumni Musicians from Mumbai Rockefeller Fellows Jingle composers 20th-century Indian musicians Indian male film score composers 20th-century male musicians Indian expatriates in France