Maestros of the 1st Order. Review on Ten Best Hindi Music Directors

One of my favorite passions is listening to music and Hindi movie music has always been my favorite. I especially love listening to the Golden Oldies and some of those music directors have been my all time favorites. So here are my top 10 music directors of Hindi movies. There have been no new music directors in this list, but the bitter truth is none of them have been consistent in their output. They come, give a couple of good scores and then just crash out.

There have been some really good music directors in recent times like M.M.Kreem, Sandeep Chowta, Vishaal etc, but for reasons best known they are not getting their due share of recognizition. Annu Mallik gives the occasional good score, but the rest of his music is pandemomium, and while Jatin Lalit are good, they still are unable to get over that RD hangover.

1. Salil Choudhury

Whats common to the first songless movie in Hindi?Kanoon?, the Mallu classic?Chemeen? and Bimal Roy?s reincarnation drama? Madhumati? A genius called Salil Choudhury. That he could score music for such a different range of movies speaks a lot about Salil da?s talent. His music was a mix of Western classical and folk songs.

Yet he could compose a pure classic song like?Oh Sajna Barka Bahaar Ayee? from Parakh. He was at much as ease with Mozart?s 41st in?Itna Na Mujhse? from Chaya as with a folky?Bichua? song from Madhumati. He could use the sounds of nature to good effect in?Suhana Safar? from Madhumati. His best albums were Madhumati, Anand, Mere Apne, Annadata, Rajnigandha and Choti Si Baat.

1. S.D.Burman

A really talented and multifaceted composer, he was home for any type of song and his range was not restricted. He could be melancholic(?Jaaye to Jaaye Kahan?), peppy(? Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke?, ?Mana Janab Ne Pukara Nahin?), philosophical(?Jaane Who Kaise Log The?), humourous(?Sar Jo Tera Chakraye?) and romantic(?Pholon Ke Rang Se?). In fact a few lines is not sufficient to describe?Dada? who is a genius of the first order.

Only a genius like him could score music for two diametrically different personalities like Dev Anand and Guru Dutt. And consider the roll call of directors he worked with Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt, Vijay Anand, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Shakti Samanta reads like a who?s who of Indian movie directors.?Aaye Tum Yaad Mujhe? was his swansong and what a haunting song it was to go out with. His best albums are all Dev Anand starrers for which he scored music, Abhimaan, Mili, Pyaasa, Aaradhana, Guide( his masterpiece).

1. Hemant Kumar

That Hemant da is a singer par excellence could never be disputed. Yet what is not very well known, is that he was an outstanding music director himself. Prior to Rehman?s Vande Mataram, he composed the first movie version of Vande Mataram in the 1952 movie?Ananda Math?. He also composed patriotic songs for movies like Jagriti But he shot into fame with his music for the snake drama?Nagin?. Can any one of us forget the been sound before that?Man Dole Tan Dole? song? His other great album was Khamoshi which had that haunting solo by him?Tum Pukar Lo?, Kishore da?s great solo? Who Shaam? and Lata?s touching and moving ditty?Hum Ne In Aankhon Mein?.

1. O.P.Nayyar

The 60?s were the age of the hill station love stories featuring powder puff heroes like Rajendra Kumar, Biswajeet, Joy Mukherjee wooing in the heroine in a host of forgettable romances. Not so forgettable were the songs, without which those movies would have been unwatchable. Yes and the man was O.P. Nayyar, who graced many a 60?s hill station love story with his soothing melodies.?Deewana Hua Badal?, ?Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon?, ?Jaiye Aap Kahan?, ?Lakhon Hain Nigahon Mein? are but just some of the songs. And of course can we forget those lovely cabaret numbers?Aiye Meherbaan?, ?Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo?, ?Yeh Hai Reshmi Zulfon Ka?. And he used the Punjabi folk tune effectively in songs like?Sar Par Topi Laal?, ?Hai Re Hai?, ?Yeh Desh Hai Veer Jawano Ki? and yes the trademark tonga sound like effect in?Tumsa Nahin Dekha?, ? Maang Ke Saath Tumhara?. O.P. was a rebel and a genius of his times.

1. Madan Mohan

This man should be renamed as Melody Mohan, since Melody seems to be ingrained in every song of his. It?s a pity that he didn?t get his due, as all the big banners preferred SJ, Naushad or S.D.Burman and some of his best songs have been on either 3rd rate heroines or rank mediocre movies which no one even remembers of. Lata gave some of her best songs with him like?Woh Bhooli Daastan?, ?Naina Barse?, ?Mayi Re?, ?Mera Saaya?, ?Naino Mein Bhadra Chaye? to name a few. He gave some beautiful tunes to Gulzar?s movies like Mausam and Koshish.

And oh yes, can any one even forget that mother of all patriotic songs?Kar Chale Hum Fida? from Haqeeqat? Among the well known filmmakers only Raj Khosla and Chetan Anand backed him to some extent. While he gave some great hits with Rafi(?Rang Aur Noor?, ?Kabhi Na Kabhi?, ?Aap Ke Pehloo?), he also gave great hits with Kishore da and Mukesh also.

1. R.D.Burman

Only one word describes Panchamda. Genius of the first order. Imagine coming up with a?Dum Maro Dum? and?Naam Gum Jaayega? at the same time? Cabaret, folk, western, light, romantic, name the genre and he could do it. He could cater to a commercial market like Shakti Samanta, Ramesh Sippy as well as he could to a more artistic genre like Gulzar, Hrishida etc. In fact he and Gulzar were a class apart. For more please read my article on 20 best songs of R.D.

1. Khayyam

Brilliant but underrated composer of Hindi movies. Again this was due to the fact that he often composed for smaller movies and except Yash Chopra didn?t work much for the bigger banners. He made his debut with Footpath, which has that wonderful duet?Shaam E Gham Ki Kasam?. His other great albums around the same time were Phir Subah Hogi., Shola Aur Shabnam, Aakhri Khat. After a brief hiatus in the 60?s he came back in the late 70?s and 80?s with a series of hits. During this period he gave his best for Yash Chopra?s movies like Trishul, Kabhie Kabhie and Noorie. Other good albums of his are Thodisi Bewafai, Bazaar, Umrao Jaan, Razia Sultana etc.

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