“Versatile Madan Mohan-jee will always remain the Monarch of classic lyrical Melody,” says sangeetkaar Pyarelal-jee-- who shared a personal bonding with him by Chaitanya Padukone

June 25th, 2024 was the 100th Birth Anniversary Day of the maestro Bollywood composer Madan Mohan ( Kohli). The ‘late’ legendary music director Madan Mohan-jee’s Centenary is being celebrated by lakhs of his loyal ardent fans and by various music impresarios who have been organizing live concerts since past fortnight and all thru this month. Unfortunately,  creative genius Madan Mohan never got his 'due' mass adulation and was also deprived of many more opportunities for song-recordings. Which he richly deserved during his life-time. Especially recognition also in terms of competitive popular Awards 'evaded' him all thru his career ( like Filmfare Award ). But we need to highly appreciate the sparkling gem in his career-crown. Which was when he won the coveted National  Film Award honor for his outstanding songs in Dastak (1970) starring amazing actor Sanjeev Kumar, who was also his good buddy-friend!

Surely,  you would have heard these  Madan Mohan-composed evergreen gems filmy soulful ghazal-geet-mujra Hindi songs  ‘Naina barse -rim jhim,  Lag jaa gale  Woh chupp rahen, toh dil ki daag Teri aankhon ke siwa’ Naghma O sher ki’ Aap ki nazron ne samjha’. Tere liye ( Veer Zaara). Yunh hasraton ke daag Phir wohi shaam, wohi gham Rasme ulfat toh nibhaaye  Baiyaan Na daro Dil doondta hai ( sad version) Tumhare zulfon ke, saaye mein shaam !!

 Now definitely you may have Also heard these Madan Mohan- composed contrasting variety genre of foot-tapping folk-music or jazzy or patriotic or waltzy-beat Hindi filmy songs—Jhumka giraa rey Sikander ney porus sey ki thi ladaai’ Tum Jo Mil Gaye Ho Ae dil mujhe bataa de Sharabi jaa jaa jaa  Ab tumhare hawaale watan saathiyo Simti si, sharmaayi si Thodi der ke liye, meri ho jaao Maine rangli aaj chunariya  Zaroorat zaroorat hai Shokh nazar ki bijliyaan Ek haseen, shaam ko, dil mera  Ik manzil--raahi do phir pyaar ‘Kaun aaya mere mann ke dwaare Chadi re chadi kaise, galey mein padi Meow meow meri sakhi !!

Veteran Bollywood composer-arranger-conductor-violin maestro ‘Padma Bhushan’ Pyarelal Sharma ( of  Laxmikant-Pyarelal duo fame)  who had also played the solo violin in Madan Mohan’s team for original song track recordings,  is an ardent admirer of  Madan Mohan.  Whenever I visited Pyare-bhai in the past at his Bandra Mount Mary Road residence, he would often recall fond memories.  Said Pyare-bhai, “ Actually I consider myself fortunate that Madan-jee considered me as one of his favorite musicians. There was so much I learnt by playing for him and just observing him at work while he instructed and motivated the musicians.  A  sensitive, caring human being he also had a witty. jovial streak to him. A perfectionist by nature he also ensured strict discipline amongst his music-team and his style of working.  Maybe his initial career phase where he had joined the Army as an Officer, may have influenced him to be strict.  Since he was very sensitive, he would sometimes lose his temper. But he was short-tempered and would cool down after a while. What was commendable that although Madan-jee had no formal training in classical music, he had this God-gift in-born divine talent of instantly composing such beautiful variety melodies-- as required by the film song-situations” disclosed Pyare-bhai.

Continued Pyare-bhai. “There used to be this popular impression that the athletic, sports-loving, handsome Madan-jee was excellent mainly at composing soulful ghazals. Undoubtedly, he was the (Shehzaada) Prince of Ghazals with his signature-style, as Lata-Didi would also fondly call her ‘Madan-bhaiyya’.  At the same time,  versatile Madan-ji could also easily compose a catchy western beats song, a mujra, a cabaret song or a masti-bhara song or a foot-tapping romantic geet-duet with equal panache and creative perfection. Also must share that he loved fast-driving and cooking food and was a fantastic host,” Pyare-bhai had shared with me..

That musical maverick Madan-jee ‘s tunes are timeless and evergreen is evident by the fact that even after 57 years,  portions of his folksy music song  Jhumka Giraa Rey (1966) and instrumental pieces have been reprised, recreated and interspersed ( by Pritam-da)  as the viral, chartbusting “What Jhumkaa” in Karan Johar’s mega-hit musical movie  ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ (2023).

 Just recently,  Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Award -winner,  young multi-talented playback singer  Anwesshaa gave a brillant ‘live’ performance at a recent Madan Mohan  Centenary impressive concert show in Mumbai, which was greeted with thunderous audience-applause. Speaking to me, the next day,  the talented singer-song-writer-composer( “Youth-Icon of Indian Music”), Anwesshaa said,  “ It’s my honor and privilege that such a young age I am getting the God-sent opportunity to sing Madan Mohan-jee’s awesome song compositions on stage. I feel his songs are a heavenly marriage of classic pure melody and meaningful lyrics. That’s because frankly speaking, Madan-jee is my all-time favorite composer, “ enthuses Anwesshaa who said she has recorded over 1000 songs for over 600 plus movies that too in some  13 different languages for top composers including A R Rahman and Pritam-da.   The houseful Madan Mohan 100th Birth Anniversary concert show which also had eminent versatile singers like Gaurav Bangia, Archana Gore, and Dr. Jay Ajgaonkar was organized by Pratik Mehta and Abhijit V. Sawant and was conceptualized by Vineet S. Gore.   Also present at the same concert were special invitee Guests of  Honour comprising music-industry stalwart Bharat Ashar,  celeb comedian-singer-actor Navin Prabhakar, and eminent senior film journalist-author  Chaitanya Padukone.

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A post shared by Abhijit Sawant (@abhijitvitthalsawant)

 Way back in 2004, showman film-maker’s Yash Chopra movie Veer Zaara (2004)  featured 11 songs based on “old and untouched compositions of ‘late’  legend Madan Mohan”  which were brilliantly  ‘revised’ by his talented dynamic sentimental son Sanjeev Kohli with lyrics written by Javed Akhtar.  This was almost 30 years after Madan-jee’s untimely tragic demise  ( only 51 years age ) in 1975 due to a critical liver ailment.   ‘Veer Zaara’ was reportedly the “highest selling songs album” during that year in India.

 Renowned senior musicologist-biographer-author  Vishwas Nerurkar, who has researched and written over ten best-seller detailed authentic bio-books on various legendary Hindi film composers including Shankar Jaikishan, O P Nayyar and R D Burman and of course Madan Mohan,  he shared his frank opinion.  “Ever since my childhood, my top-favorite film composer has always been Madan Mohan-jee”, insists  Vishwas.  That itself is an eloquent sentiment about the matchless merit of the iconic Madan-jee, in the realm of haunting, soulful as well as peppy melodies. 

May Madan Mohan-Jee and his timeless melodies live on Forever!

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