Overview
Khayyam (born Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi; 18 February 1927 – 19 August 2019) was an Indian music director and composer who worked predominantly in Hindi cinema for over five decades. He was renowned for his refined, ghazal-influenced compositions and his ability to integrate classical Indian and Urdu poetic traditions into film music. Khayyam is best remembered for the soundtracks of Umrao Jaan (1981) and Kabhie Kabhie (1976), both of which became landmarks of Hindi film music.
Key Facts
| Full name | Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 February 1927, Rahon, Punjab, British India |
| Died | 19 August 2019, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Profession | Music director, composer |
| Spouse | Jagjit Kaur (singer) |
| Years active | 1948–2018 |
| Notable films | Umrao Jaan, Kabhie Kabhie, Razia Sultan, Bazaar, Trishul, Noorie |
| Major awards | Padma Bhushan (2011); National Film Award; Filmfare Awards; Sangeet Natak Akademi Award |
Background
Khayyam was born in Rahon, in present-day Nawanshahr district of Punjab. Drawn to music and cinema from an early age, he ran away from home as a child with the ambition of becoming a film actor. He later trained in classical music under Pandit Amar Nath, Pandit Husnlal and Pandit Bhagatram in Lahore. During his youth he also briefly served in the British Indian Army before returning to pursue music as a full-time career.
Career
Early years
Khayyam began his film career as part of the composer duo "Sharmaji–Varmaji" with Rahman Varma, scoring the music for Heer Ranjha (1948). He emerged as an independent composer with Biwi (1950), and his breakthrough came with Footpath (1953), starring Dilip Kumar, which featured the popular song "Shaam-e-Gham Ki Qasam".
Establishment as a leading composer
His reputation was consolidated with films such as Phir Subah Hogi (1958), based on Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and starring Raj Kapoor, where he set verses of Sahir Ludhianvi to music. The 1960s saw him compose for Shola Aur Shabnam (1961) and Shagoon (1964), the latter featuring his wife Jagjit Kaur as a playback singer.
Peak period
Khayyam's most celebrated period began with Yash Chopra's Kabhie Kabhie (1976), whose title song, sung by Mukesh on Amitabh Bachchan's verses by Sahir Ludhianvi, became iconic. He followed this with Trishul (1978), Noorie (1979), and Thodi Si Bewafaii (1980).
His soundtrack for Muzaffar Ali's Umrao Jaan (1981) is widely regarded as one of the finest in Hindi cinema. Songs such as "In Aankhon Ki Masti", "Dil Cheez Kya Hai", "Justuju Jiski Thi" and "Yeh Kya Jagah Hai Doston", written by Shahryar and rendered by Asha Bhosle, won him the National Film Award for Best Music Direction and a Filmfare Award. Asha Bhosle won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the same film.
He continued with prestigious projects including Kamal Amrohi's Razia Sultan (1983) and Sagar Sarhadi's Bazaar (1982), the latter featuring the ghazal "Karoge Yaad To".
Later work and philanthropy
In 2016, on his 89th birthday, Khayyam announced the establishment of the Khayyam Jagjit Kaur KPG Charitable Trust, to which he and his wife pledged their entire wealth, reportedly amounting to around ₹10 crore, for the welfare of struggling artistes and technicians.
Personal life
Khayyam married singer Jagjit Kaur, with whom he frequently collaborated. Their son, Pradeep, predeceased them in 2012. The couple shared a partnership both personal and professional, with Jagjit Kaur lending her voice to several of his compositions, notably "Tum Apna Ranj-o-Gham" in Shagoon and "Saheli Ho" in Bazaar.
Style and significance
Khayyam's compositions were marked by understated orchestration, fidelity to the meter of Urdu poetry, and the use of Hindustani classical ragas. He worked closely with poets including Sahir Ludhianvi, Kaifi Azmi, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Jan Nisar Akhtar and Shahryar. His refusal to follow prevailing trends of the disco and electronic eras of the 1980s made him a relatively rare figure who retained the older tradition of melodic ghazal-based film music.
Awards and honours
- Padma Bhushan, Government of India (2011)
- National Film Award for Best Music Direction for Umrao Jaan (1982)
- Filmfare Award for Best Music Director for Kabhie Kabhie (1977) and Umrao Jaan (1982)
- Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (2010)
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2007)
- Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award (2018)
Death
Khayyam died on 19 August 2019 at Sujay Hospital in Mumbai, aged 92, following a cardiac arrest after a prolonged illness. He was buried at the Santa Cruz Muslim cemetery in Mumbai with full state honours.