Monday, November 2, 2020
Laxmikant- One Half of the Legendry Composer Duo LP
LP was the most sought after composer duo in the seventies and eighties. In two decades, they composed music for 250 films. They had 45 golden and silver jubilees to their credit. Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar was born on 3rd Nov 1937 in a modest family. At a very young age, he learned the mandolin. He spent two years in the company of the well-known mandolin player Hussain Ali.
Laxmikant met Pyarelal at a recording and soon became friends. Laxmikant was older than Pyare by three years. When Laxmikant was about 10 years old, he once played mandolin in a Lata Mangeshkar concert in Radio Club, Colaba. Lata was so impressed that she talked to him after the concert. Later, when Lata came to know of their financial hardships, she recommended them to S D Burman, Naushad and C Ramchandra. Both of them worked as instrumentist.
In the early 1960s, they joined Kalyanji Anandji and began arranging music for their films Madari, Satta Bazar, Chhaliya, Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere and Himalaya ki God Mein. They got their first break as an independent composer in a Bhojpuri film but this film couldn't be completed/. After that, they were signed for a B grade Hindi film 'Parasmani' released in 1963. The music of this film became so popular that Rajshri Films offered them a film 'Dosti' which was released in 1964. The film and its music became superhit. They got their first Filmfare Award as Best Music Director for this film.
Then came Lootera (1965), a superhit musical non-star cast film, which is remembered only because of Lata Mangeshkar's superhit songs with Laxmikant–Pyarelal. The very next year the music of Aaye Din Bahar Ke (1966) followed by Pyar Kiye Jaa. Even in films with lesser-known actors, L-P scored hit music: in Sati Savitri (Songs:"Tum Gagan Ke Chandram Ho", "Jeevan Dor Tumhi Sang Bandhi", "Kabhi To Miloge"); in Sant Gyaneshwar (Songs: "Jyot Se Jyot Jagate Chalo", "Khabar More Na Line"); in Hum Sab Ustaad Hai (Songs: "Pyar Batate Chalo", "Ajanabi Tum Jane Pehachane Se"); in Mr X in Bombay (Songs: "Mere Mehboob Quayamat Hogi", "Chali Re Chali Re Gori", "Khoobsurat Haseena"); and in Shriman Fantush..(Songs: "Sultana Sultana Tu Na Ghabarana", "Yeh Dard Bhara Afasana").consolidated their position.
1967 proved to be another lucky year for them. The Music of Milan, Farz, Shagird and Pathar Ke Sanam was very popular. They got their 2nd Filmfare Award for Milan. Laxmikant–Pyarelal has now become the most sought after Music Director Almost all the big banners were signing them They composed Indian classical music as well as Western music; they were most popular for their folk tunes and semi-classical music.
LP had divided their work, to avoid ego problems. Laxmikant used to compose tunes, rehearse singers and look after the commercial aspects – while Pyarelal used to arrange the music and package and record the songs. They both had a perfect wavelength. It is said if they are asked to make a tune for a song sitting separately they will make a similar tune.
In the mid-'90s Laxmikant's health started deteriorating; he finally succumbed to a kidney ailment on May 25, 1998. Pyarelal was left alone and stopped making films, despite many offers from producers.
Songs of their Early Days
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
The First Ten Films Made Shankar Jaikishan, the Household Name
"Barsaat" was the first film of Shanker Jaikishan and "Patita" was the 10th film from 1949 to 1953. That was the period when Naushad and C Ramchandra were leading Bollywood Music. S D Burman was also emerging.
Shankar-Jaikishan's compositions broke new ground in Hindi film music. Apart from relying upon their knowledge of Indian classical music, they also employed western beats and orchestration. They made use of the orchestra and musical instruments (often dozens or hundreds of them) in their songs.
Friday, September 11, 2020
This Iconic Song was Picturised on Music Director Jaikishan
All the fans of Music Director Shankar Jaikishan and Indian film enthusiasts would be surprised to note that the haunting melody ‘Ae Pyase Dil Bezubaan’ from the film Begunah, sung by the great Mukesh was picturized on Jaikishan. In the song sequence, Jaikishan is playing the piano and also singing.
This film was released on 8 March 1957 but The film was banned 10 days after its release because it was a plagiarized version of the American film Knock on Wood (1954, starring Danny Kaye, Mai Zetterling). The producers of the film filed a copyright lawsuit in India. They won the case and the judge ordered all prints of Begunah to be destroyed. However, the songs especially Mukesh number "Aye Pyase Dil Bezuban" became quite popular
There is a story behind this song was that once Mukesh was in need of money and approached Shankar for a song That time Shankar was in the process of composing the tune for the film Gunah. The hero of the film was Kishore Kumar so there was no scope for Mukesh to sing in that film. Music Director Shankar assured Mukesh that he will give him a song in this film. Shankar got his collaborator and friend, the renowned lyricist Shailendra, to write the lyrics and called the film’s producer Mahipatray Shah to tell that the song, which would be sung by Mukesh, would be picturized on Jaikishan. The idea startled Shah, who feared that the song had no relation to the film. But in the late 1950s, Shanker-Jaikishan practically ruled the Indian film music world and Shanker’s word was final,”
The song was the highlight of that film and Sheila Vaz’s dancing was another major highlight of the song.
Sheila Vaz was a popular dancer in Hindi films from 1953 – 1960. Some of her important films included Shree 420 (1955), where she danced memorably not just to Ramaiya Vastavaiya but also to Dil Ka Haal Sune Dilwala, CID (1956), Johnny Walker (1957), Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957), Mr X (1957), Solva Saal (1958), Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) and Bahana (1960).
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
Laxmikant Pyarelal- Dominance in Binaca Geetmala
Binaca Geetmala was the first and the most popular countdown show of Hindi Film songs from 1953 to 1993. The program played a plethora of popular songs, flooding the airwaves of our childhood and youth. We used to wait eagerly to every Wednesday at 8 PM, to tune in to what would be a nonstop one hour feast of music fiesta.
In an interview, Laxmikant told that it was their desire that their song is played in this program. It became their goal to achieve this feat. In the third quarter of 1963, Laxmikant-Pyarelal first ever songs Hasta Hua Noorani Chehra form “Parasmani” hit the “Binaca Geetmala”. It appeared on the Number 06 position in the finals. Number 15 also acquired by Woh Jab Yaad Aaye, from the same film.
Binaca Geetmala was a weekly program and in the last Wednesday of the year, Binaca Geetmala used to broadcast annual (Varshik) program giving the orders of the top ‘Final Songs” songs of the year, at the end of every year. The success of a music director , lyricist or singer was judged on the performance of their song in the annual program.
If we look into the 40 years journey of this show, the total number of songs that appeared were 1259. Out of these, 245 songs were composed of them, highest of all music directors followed by Shankar Jaikishan (144 songs).
The popularity of their songs was so high that on many occasions, more than half the numbers of the songs were of the duos. There are certain weekly Binaca Geetmala programs in which more than 13 out of 16 songs of Laxmikant-Pyarelal were broadcast when the duo were on right on top of their carrier.
After appearing for the first time in 1963 they dominated this program.. Not only that, on an average, there used to be at least more than 8 to 10 songs from the desk of the duos, that too covering about 50 % of the songs in between top to first ten positions.
In their 30 years journey in Binaca Geetmala, their composition topped for Eleven years including four times in a row in 1967, 1968, 1969, and 1970. In this blog, I am posting these Top Songs (11)
1967 — Sawan Ka Mahina .… Lata – Mukesh, “Milan”



