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Madan Mohan (composer)

Madan Mohan Kohli, known professionally as Madan Mohan, was an Indian music director who worked in Hindi cinema from the early 1950s until his death in 1975. He is widely regarded as one of the finest composers of ghazals in Indian film music, and is particularly associated with the playback voice of Lata Mangeshkar, with whom he shared a long creative partnership.

Key facts

Full name Madan Mohan Kohli
Born 25 June 1924, Baghdad, Iraq
Died 14 July 1975, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Profession Music director, composer
Industry Hindi cinema
Active years c. 1950–1975
Father Rai Bahadur Chunilal, a film financier and co-founder of Bombay Talkies and later Filmistan
Notable collaborator Lata Mangeshkar
Genre specialism Ghazal, light classical-based film songs
Major award National Film Award for Best Music Direction (posthumous, for Mausam, 1975)

Background and early life

Madan Mohan was born in 1924 in Baghdad, where his father Rai Bahadur Chunilal was then employed with the Iraqi police accounts service. The family later returned to India, eventually settling in Bombay (now Mumbai), where Chunilal became a leading figure in the Hindi film industry as an associate of Himanshu Rai at Bombay Talkies and subsequently as a partner in Filmistan Studios.

Madan Mohan was educated in Lucknow and Mumbai. During the Second World War he served briefly as a commissioned officer in the British Indian Army. After the war he joined All India Radio at Lucknow and later Delhi, where he worked alongside musicians such as Ustad Faiyaz Khan, Begum Akhtar and Talat Mahmood. This phase laid the foundation for his deep affinity with the ghazal form and Hindustani classical idioms.

Career

Entry into films

Madan Mohan moved to Bombay in the late 1940s and initially worked as an assistant to composers such as S. D. Burman and Shyam Sundar. He made his debut as an independent music director with Aankhen (1950), produced by Devendra Goel.

1950s

Through the 1950s he established a reputation for melodic sophistication with films such as Madhosh (1951), Baagi (1953), Railway Platform (1955), Bhai-Bhai (1956), Pocketmaar (1956), Dekh Kabira Roya (1957) and Adalat (1958). His work in Adalat, including the Lata Mangeshkar ghazals "Yun hasraton ke daag" and "Unko yeh shikayat hai", is often cited as an early peak of his ghazal style.

1960s

The 1960s are generally considered the most prolific phase of his career. Notable scores from this period include Anpadh (1962), Woh Kaun Thi? (1964), Haqeeqat (1964), Jahan Ara (1964), Mera Saaya (1966), Naunihal (1967), Dulhan Ek Raat Ki (1967) and Chirag (1969).

  • Anpadh featured "Aap ki nazron ne samjha", written by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, which became one of Lata Mangeshkar's signature songs.
  • Woh Kaun Thi?, directed by Raj Khosla, contained "Lag ja gale" and "Naina barse rim jhim".
  • Haqeeqat, directed by Chetan Anand and set against the 1962 Sino-Indian War, included "Kar chale hum fida", written by Kaifi Azmi and sung by Mohammed Rafi, which has since acquired the status of a patriotic standard.
  • Jahan Ara showcased his command of the Mughal-era ghazal idiom in songs such as "Phir wohi shaam" and "Woh chup rahein toh".

1970s

His later work included Dastak (1970), Heer Raanjha (1970), Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973) and Mausam (1975). For Dastak he received the National Film Award for Best Music Direction. Mausam, directed by Gulzar and released the year of his death, contained "Dil dhoondhta hai" and "Ruke ruke se qadam", and won him a second National Film Award posthumously.

After his death, several of his unused compositions were preserved by his family. A number of these tunes were used in Yash Chopra's Veer-Zaara (2004), with lyrics by Javed Akhtar, providing him a credit as music director nearly three decades after his death.

Style and significance

Madan Mohan's compositions are characterised by a strong grounding in Hindustani classical raga, restrained orchestration and a marked sensitivity to Urdu poetry. He worked closely with lyricists such as Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, Rajinder Krishan, Kaifi Azmi and Sahir Ludhianvi. His ghazals for Lata Mangeshkar, Talat Mahmood, Mohammed Rafi and Begum Akhtar are considered benchmarks of the form within Hindi cinema. Lata Mangeshkar has frequently described him as her favourite composer, and the singer–composer pairing is often discussed alongside Lata's collaborations with Madan Mohan's contemporaries such as Naushad, S. D. Burman and Salil Chowdhury.

While he never enjoyed the box-office dominance of some of his contemporaries during his lifetime, his reputation among musicians, lyricists and listeners has grown steadily, and he is now considered one of the defining composers of the so-called golden era of Hindi film music.

Personal life and death

Madan Mohan was married to Prabha; the couple had four children. His son Sanjeev Kohli later worked as an executive in the music industry, including with Saregama and Yash Raj Films, and was instrumental in the use of his father's unused tunes in Veer-Zaara. Madan Mohan died in Mumbai on 14 July 1975 at the age of 51.

Selected filmography

  • Aankhen (1950)
  • Madhosh (1951)
  • Baagi (1953)
  • Railway Platform (1955)
  • Bhai-Bhai (1956)
  • Dekh Kabira Roya (1957)
  • Adalat (1958)
  • Anpadh (1962)
  • Woh Kaun Thi? (1964)
  • Haqeeqat (1964)
  • Jahan Ara (1964)
  • Mera Saaya (1966)
  • Dulhan Ek Raat Ki (1967)
  • Naunihal (1967)
  • Chirag (1969)
  • Dastak (1970)
  • Heer Raanjha (1970)
  • Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973)
  • Mausam (1975)
  • Laila Majnu (1976, released posthumously)
  • Veer-Zaara (2004, posthumous, using preserved compositions)

Awards and recognition

  • National Film Award for Best Music Direction for Dastak (1970).
  • National Film Award for Best Music Direction (posthumous) for Mausam (1975).
  • Numerous Filmfare nominations during the 1960s.

References

  • National Film Awards, Directorate of Film Festivals, Government of India.
  • Archives of All India Radio, Lucknow and Delhi.
  • Interviews and writings on Hindi film music by Raju Bharatan and Pavan Jha.
  • Production records of Filmistan Studios and associated Hindi film banners.