Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar Birth anniversary: ​​The journey of music composer Laxmikant ji

The name of Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma ji is incomplete without the name of Laxmikant ji. Laxmikant ji died on 25 May 1998 at the age of 60, but Pyarelal ji is still with us and keeps his life absorbed in music with every possible effort. If we turn the wheel of time back, we remember that Pyarelal ji's father used to play trumpet and it was because of him that Pyarelal ji started learning music. Pyarelal ji was so passionate about music that when he started learning violin, he started practicing 12-12 hours a day from the age of 8. His brother played guitar and Pyarelal ji played violin.

But in 1952, when he turned 12, financial crisis started looming in his house. To find a solution to this, Pyarelal ji completely abandoned his studies and started playing the violin from studio to studio. His guru at that time was Anthony Gonsalves, a Goan musician. He used to play violin in the orchestras for Bombay Orchestra, Kumi Walia, Mehil Mehta and his son Zubin Mehta etc. Although in those days, Pyarelal ji did not get a very good amount of money for playing in these orchestras, but along with his survival, he used to earn enough money to go to Suril Kala Kendra to learn music. This music academy was run by the Mangeshkar family.It was here that one day he met Laxmikant ji. What happened was a friendship decided by destiny between a 12 year old boy and a 16 year old boy (Laxmikant ji). Laxmikant ji's father had passed away and his financial condition was also very weak. This poverty made both of them closer friends. Also, when Lata Mangeshkar ji came to know that both of them were not financially strong, she started sending the names of these two to famous Bollywood musicians for her orchestra. Naushad Saheb, Sachin Da, C Ram Chandra, Kalyanji Anandji etc. were present among these famous musicians. But they did not get work every day, so both of them kept struggling to play in the orchestra from studio to studio. It must have been about 13-14 years of age when Pyarelal ji's patience ran out. He said, “Lakshmikant ji, I cannot be pushed here anymore. Here, payment is not received until many days after the show. 

How will things work like this, I think that like Zubin Mehta, I too should go to Vienna and join a western orchestra and play violin, at least I will earn my living peacefully” Laxmikant ji knew that Pyarelal had a strong hold on western music. It is good and hardly anyone can play a violin like it in the entire city of Bombay. But still, he rightly refused like an elder brother saying, “No, Pyarelal, you will not go anywhere, you and I together will do something here.” Had it been any otherperson or had it been today's time, I would have felt that Laxmikant ji would have been affected by Pyarelal's progress. They are jealous that is why they are refusing, but neither were there such frustrations then, nor is Pyarelalji the kind of person who would stop thinking badly. He trusted Laxmikant ji's words and stayed here.Since the issue of Pyarelal ji's nature has come up, let me add that he is not just Pyarelal in name, he is very Pyarelal at heart also. He never called Muhammad Rafi by name, he always addressed him as Saheb. There was no negative word from him towards any of his seniors, contemporaries, or musicians who came after him. If we talk about contemporary, then apart from Laxmikant-Pyarelal, there was a time when any musician was a hit, then it was Pancham Da i.e. R-D Burman, that is, they were strong rivals but despite that, there was far from enmity between these two, there was a friendly atmosphere and Pancham Da's film friendship. On his request, I had also played the mouth organ.However, there was talk of Pyarelal ji going abroad, which Laxmikant ji had completely rejected. Gradually both of them started getting work from Bollywood itself. In 1954, Kidar Sharma ji made the film Jogan, which had the music of Bulo-Si-Rani, here for the first time at the age of 14, Pyarelal ji played the violin for a film.Then both of them started assisting Kalyanji Anandji. Some 7 years later, he got a chance to work as a music composer in Babubhai Mistry's film Parasmani (1963). Look at the fun, his guru Kalyanji Anandji also came into the industry by holding the hand of Babubhai Mistry.Because Laxmikant ji was elder and understood Indian music very well, it was decided that Laxmikant ji would compose and Pyarelal ji would arrange the music.The songs of his first release film 'Parasmani' became such a bumper hit that the film also became a superhit. Like always, despite it being her first film, Lata Mangeshkar instead of refusing to sing, encouraged her and despite the low budget, she sang 5 out of 6 songs. You must have heard 'Hansta Hua Noorani Chehra, Kali Julfe Rang Sunhara' in these songs and you would definitely like it. Also, while giving omen of the first film, Mohammed Rafi Saheb did not take any fee for the first song 'Woh Jab Yaad Aaye, Bahut Yaad Aaye' and said that you should give the fee of this song to some needy person. Pyarelal ji gently tells that it was the blessings of Lataji and Sabji (Rafi) for him.And it certainly proved to be such a blessing that this music duo, popularly known as LP, started achieving success immediately, far from looking back. The very next year another miracle happened. In 1964, a low-budget film Sant Dnyaneshwar started being prepared and Laxmikant Pyarelal was given work in the film because he was new. The producer of the film was Ramraj Nahta, father of famous trade analyst Komal Nahta.The film was about to be declared a flop in the first three days, but on the fourth day, Ramraj ji's assistant came running to him and said, "Brother, it is amazing, this film is a super hit." Ramraj ji also interrupted, "Why are you fooling me?" Brother” he said in the same enthusiasm “Oh no, as soon as the song ‘Jyot Se Jyot Jagate Chalo, Prem Ki Ganga Bahate Chalo’ is played, the public starts throwing sand at the screen like crazy. I have never seen so much money being looted for any scene or any song. The amazing thing is that the same song remained in the top three in Binaka Geet Mala for two years.In the same year, the film 'Dosti' with a new star cast not only became a super-duper hit because of its songs, but Laxmikant Pyarelalji also received his first Filmfare Award in the second year of his career. The song 'Rahi Manwa Dukh Ki Chinta Kyun Sataye Re' sung by Mohammed Rafi was very much liked. Now, because both of them loved the music of Shankar-Jaikishan ji very much, hence their music style also seemed similar to some people. But look at the turn of time, after a few years Shankar-Jaikishan changed their musical style so that people do not say that their music resembles the compositions of Laxmikant Pyarelal. After this, be it Mukesh's song 'Sawan Ka Mahina, Pawan Kare Shor' from the film Milan or Lata ji's song 'Dil Vil Pyar Vyaar Main Kya Jaanu Re' from Shagird, each of his songs was played non-stop on the radio.Laxmikant Pyarelal's music was making waves in every big film of the 70's like the films Do Raaste, Intekaam, Bobby, Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, Amar Akbar Anthony etc.Listing their songs here and praising them is like showing a lamp to the sun, but when it comes to Amar Akbar Anthony, I would definitely like to say that bringing the four legends of that time, the top four, in one song is just Pyarelalji and It was the work of Laxmikant ji. Humko Tumse Ho Gaya Hai Pyaar Kya Karein, this song also features Mukesh, Rafi Sahab, Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar. This is the first and last song in which all four are together. Also, you must remember the comedy song from this film filmed on Amitabh Bachchan 'My name is Anthony Gonsalves, I am alone in the world'. This song was dedicated by Pyarelal ji to his Gowani maestro Anthony. What can I talk about the heights of his music, he had created more havoc in the eighties than in the seventies.The films Karz, Ek Duje Ke Liye, Prem Rog, Naam, Nagina, Mr. India, Tezaab, Chaalbaaz, Ram Lakhan, etc. gave many musical hits. Even in the nineties, Saudagar, Khuda Gawah, Khalnayak, Deewana Mastana, etc. were all blockbuster films adorned with top class music.Then gradually Laxmikant ji's health started deteriorating and Pyarelal ji also started becoming disinterested in the changing nature of music. Even after the death of Laxmikant ji, he worked for some time and wrote only Laxmikant Pyarelal on the album, but that did not last. But Pyarelal ji is associated with music from 1998 till today 2021 and even today there is no answer to him in music arrangement. Sir, what can I say about his gentleness, the players who used to come to work at his place 50 years ago, even in their fourth generation still come to him. He always remains in touch with Lata ji. He never gets tired of praising Mukesh ji. About Rafi Saheb, we proudly say that Rafi Saheb was there yesterday, is there today too and will always be there. I start listening to his songs from 5 in the morning and continue till 7 in the evening. The whole day is spent in the company of Sahabji. On behalf of Mayapuri Magazine, we send our very best wishes to Pyarelal ji, our dear friend, who is dedicated to music 24 hours a day, on his 80th birthday and hope that he remains healthy and always remains connected to music.Siddharth Arora 'Sehar'Film - Milan (1967) Music - Laxmikant-Pyarelal Lyricist - Anand Bakshi Singer - Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh Hum Tum has been singing this song of Milan from era to era, we will keep singing Hum Tum as life partner in the world, we will keep coming when -Whenever we found life, every time we got adorned with this form, every time we asked for it, it was you who made us wear it, we became flowers or turned into ashes, but we did not leave our company, every time you settled in these eyes as a dream, we and you, from era to era. .. In the monsoon, whenever these clouds covered the sky, you got scared of the lightning, you got scared and came closer, then tell me what happened, the rain should not stop, the rain should not stop, we, you, ages and ages... the world could not break this bond, we could break it. We meet every wall, we meet you on this side of the river of births, we meet on the other side. God asked, if you ask, you get the whole world, but we said, not the world, we get the love of our people, we, you, for ages... today we call you ours. How many days were you a stranger? We wore you in my arms years ago. The world thought that we were separated. There were such times too, but we were not the ones who were going to be separated. You and I were our shadow for ages.