Happy 100 Madan Mohan Saab!

A hundred years today ! Happy birthday to one of my favourite composers. He did not live to see success like he wished to. He died at 51. Lata Mangeshkar once said, “Some people’s kundli (implying destiny) opens up after their death.” And that’s the case with the late Madan Mohan. A music director? who hit headlines in the Times of India after his died mainly because the pall bearers of his body were Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan and Rajendra Kumar. Two films he had set tunes for went on to become? super duper hits, Laila Manju & Mausam. He won the fame that eluded him on life after he left the mortal world.? It was his elder son Sanjeev Kohli who wanted to keep his work alive. Well while his songs were hits , they were set for films that were not.??Appropriately there is a song in Baagi ( 1953) where the words hold true for this soulful creator:

“ Hamaare Baad Ab Mehfil Mein Afsaane Bayan Honge

Bahaaren Hum Ko Dhoondegi Na Jane Hum Kahaan honge.”

The perks of an RJ are the amazing people you meet. I was fortunate to meet Madan ji's son Sanjeev Kohli, who shared what it was to be his son & how he felt watching his dad who did not get his due. Smiling during the interview he shared how? his father had composed one of the first item numbers with “Jhumka Gira re” and has even the recently inspired the popular "What Jhumka" ! Now you know from whom??

“Lag jaa Gale” is one that pierces? your heart. It is in fact a tune that the director first rejected. When he heard it the second time , Raj Khosla wondered, how he rejected it. Lataji’s? voice captures that moment in eternity. When you listen you feel the joy of being together and the pain of impending separation. Clearly it is the peak of the Lata–Madan jugalbandi . With over 100 films that Madan Mohan composed for , his music for “Adalat” is? where he outshone all his peers. Madan Mohan found himself & his niche as filmi Ghazals. So much so that Lata Mangeshkar called him “Ghazalon Ka Shehzaada.” His peers from SD Burman to Naushad Saab loved his work. When Naushad Saab heard “Hai Isi Mein Pyar Ki Aabru - from Anpadh he went over to tell him that that this one? Madan composition was enough in exchange for all his own compositions.

A class composer not one for the mass he was soaked in classical influences . His muse was Lata Mangeshkar who brought life & softness of every composition.The partnership brought out magic from both . They completed each others creations so powerfully that as long as it lasted, Madan Bhaiyya rarely looked at any other singer. A promise he had given Lata at the start of their partnership that he maintained till the end. So whether it was justifying? Talat for his compositions like “Phir wohi Shaam wohi Gham” or using Asha for “Jhumka Gira Re”, he always came back to Lata and soon Rafi due to his popularity became a constant? . “Heer Ranja” was unique in the sense that the movie had its entire dialogues in Verse. Rafi & Lata justified every word! Still the eluding fame & awards disappointed Madan Mohan. The only award he received was national award for Dastak.

However he rose to fame and was revived thirty years after he passed away with a movie that Yash Chopra directed & Yash Raj was producing. Sanjeev Kohli had manifested this. While sharing his story Sanjeev spoke about how when Yash Chopra shared with him that he has a story that needs old tunes, in early 2000s , Sanjeev offered the old tapes of Madan Mohan of unused & rejected music pieces & life was now giving him what he deserved, three decades after he moved on. Yash Chopra loved the tunes & chose the ones that went on to become chart busters. While Sharing this, Sanjeev Kohli said that the problem with Madanji’s creations were that the Lata was a Yash Chopra favourite , so she justified her Madan Bhaiyya yet again!

Madan Mohan songs? were never lip synched by the top stars of the day & Sanjeev Kohli had hoped and prayed one day they would.? I loved? it when he smiled & shared how it was manifested with the top stars of the time Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Shah Rukh Khan & Priety Zinta who were the cast of Veer Zaara. He was so grateful to GOD for that manifestation in style!? When he went to IIFA in? France that year to receive the award , he says, it was wonderful to see how the localities there were all singing “Tere Liye” It was surreal for him? he said when he looked up to dedicate it to his dad , “Yeh Tere Liye”

As he left the studio he was completely floored by the? amazing conversation, and sent me a special gift from his private collection. A gift that I cherish! A beautiful album dedicated to his dad & the amazing unused songs? sung by stalwarts such as Rafi Saab Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar Talat Mehmood & Asha Bhonsle rightfully titled “ Tere Bagair… Madan Mohan”

Do visit this amazing website to know more details

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