Salil Chowdhury: Filmography

[Ashok]

The following is the entry for Salil Choudhury in the Encyclopoedia of Indian
Cinema.

Salil Choudhury (b. 1925)

Self-trained composer and music director. Active among peasantry in '24
Parganas' District, Bengal. Did music for IPTA (Indian People's Theatre
Association) plays and musical squads performing in Bengali countryside, calling
for cultural internationalism as opposed to an emphasis on regional folk
traditions (cf entry on Bhupen Hazarika; also Chowdhury's "Modern Bengali Music
in Crisis," 1951). His influences--in songs that have remained enduring
favourites with left cultural groups all over India--include Mozart, Hans Eisler
and contemporary Latin American forms. Ghatak, in Komal Gandhar, and Mrinal Sen,
in Akaler Sandhaney, used his music to typify the spirit of 40s Bengali
agitational theatre movements, which he also extended to cover other genres, like
Zia Sarhadi's Awaaz and Tarafdar's Ganga.

Entered films with Satyen Bose. First major hit was Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Zameen,
based on a story by himself, with full-blooded choral compositions celebrating
peasant vitality (monsoon song 'hariyala sawan'), a form still most associated
with him. Went on to score the pathbreaking soundtrack of Bimal Roy's Madhumati.
Also did notable work for Hrishikesh Mukherjee films, e.g., his debut Musafir and
the 70s hit Anand.

The only front-line Hindi composer to work in several languages: Assamese (the
experimental Aparajeya by the Chaturanga collective), Kannada (A.M. Samiulla's
films, including Samshayaphala, Onde Roopa Eradu Guna, etc., and Balu Mahendra's
debut Kokila), Tamil (Doorathu Idhi Muzhakkam) and Telugu (Chairman Chalamayya).
Most spectacular work outside Bengali and Hindi is, however, for Ramu Kariat,
scoring several hits in his breakthrough Chemmeen, followed by Ezhu Rathrikal.

Filmography

An astrisk indicates that the Encyclopoedia has a detailed entry for the movie.

1 1949 Paribartan *
2 1951 Barjatri *
3 1953 Do Bigaha Zameen *
4 Banser Kella
5 Bhor Hoye Elo
6 1954 Aaj Sandhya
7 Mahila Mahal
8 Biraj Bahu *
9 Naukri *
10 1955 Amanat
11 Tangewali
12 Rickshawala
13 1956 Raat Bhore
14 Awaaz *
15 Parivar
16 Jagte Raho (Ek Din Ratre) *
17 1957 Aparadhi Kaun
18 Gautam the Buddha Documentary
19 Ek Gaon ki Kahani
20 Lal Batti *
21 Musafir *
22 Zamana
23 1958 Madhumati *
24 1959 Bhari Theke Paliye
25 1960 Ganga *
26 Sunehari Raatein
27 Jawahar
28 Kanoon *
29 Parakh
30 Usne Kaha Tha
31 1961 Char Diwari
32 Chhaya
33 Kabuliwala *
34 Maya
35 Memdidi
36 Sapan Suhane
37 Raibahadur
38 1962 Half Ticket *
39 Jhoola
40 Prem Patr
41 Sunbai
42 1964 Kinu Goyalal Gali
43 Ayananta
44 Lal Patthar
45 1965 Chand Aur Suraj
46 Poonam Ki Raat
47 Chemmeen * Malayalam
48 1966 Pinjre Ke Panchhi Directed by SC also
49 Netaji Subhashchandra Bose
50 Pari Lyrics by SC also
51 1968 Ezhu Rathrikal * Malayalam
52 Jawab Ayega
53 1969 Ittefaq *
54 Sara Akash *
55 1970 Anand *
56 Abhayam
57 Aparajeya * Assamese
58 1971 Gehra Raaz
59 Mera Apne *
60 Samshayaphala Kannada
61 1972 Annadata
62 Anokha Daan
63 Anokha Milan
64 Mere Bhaiya
65 Subse Bada Sukh
66 Marjina Abdallah Lyrics by SC also
67 1973 Swapnam
68 1974 Rajanigandha *
69 Nellu
70 Chairman Chalamayya Telugu
71 1975 Chhotisi Baat *
72 Sangat
73 Onde Roopa Eradu Guna Kannada
74 Neela Ponman
75 Ragam
76 Rasaleela
77 Thomasleeha
78 1976 Aparadhi
79 Thulavarsham
80 Jeevan Jyoti
81 Mrigaya *
82 Uranchoo
83 1977 Kabita Lyrics by SC also
84 Sister Lyrics by SC also
85 Minoo
86 Chinna Ninna Muddaduve Kannada
87 Kokila Kannada
88 Madanolsavam
89 Vishukkanni
90 1978 Paruvamazhai
91 Ee Ganam Marakkumo
92 Etho Oru Swapnam
93 Samayamayilla Polum
94 Naukri
95 1979 Jiban Je Rakam Lyrics by SC also
96 Srikanter Will Lyrics by SC also
97 Kala Patthar * ?
98 Jeena Yahan
99 Chuvanna Chirakukal
100 1980 Chehre Pe Chehra
101 Byapika Biday Lyrics by SC also
102 Paribesh Lyrics by SC also
103 Akaler Sandhaney *
104 Doorathu Idhi Muzhakkam * Tamil
105 Chirutha
106 Nani Maa
107 1981 Plot No. 5
108 Agni Pareeksha
109 Batasi Jhada
110 1982 Dil Ka Saathi Dil
111 Darpok Ki Dosti Short film
112 1984 Kanoon Kya Karega
113 1985 Pratigya
114 Devika
115 Manas Kanya
116 1986 Jiban
117 1988 Trishagni
118 1989 Swarna Trishna
119 Jawahar
120 Kamala Ki Maut
121 1990 Triyartri
122 Vasthuhara *
123 1991 Netraheen Sakshi

Some omissions I noticed:

Komal Gandhar (mentioned in the text, but not in the list!)
Ananda Mahal (circa 1977)
Room No. 203 (circa 1980)
Dooradinda Bandantha (Kannada)
Honeymoon (about 1971)
(Intriguing. Has the Mukesh-Lata song 'mere khwaabon mein khayalon mein
chhupe' that was discussed on RMIM a while ago. There is a Kishore-
Lata song, from a movie called Honeymmoon, from the same year, which
according to HMV has music by Usha Khanna. Wonder if Salil Chowdhury
composed just one song for the film.)

?: I believe Kala Patthar had music by Rajesh Roshan and SC provided the
background score.

Source:
Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen (Editors)
Encyclopoedia of Indian Cinema
Published by British Film Institute and Oxford University Press
1994

It should be available in all major university libraries in the United States.
It is a massive coffee-table sized book of 568 pages. Don't know the price. The
International edition is likely to be prohibitively expensive. The Indian
edition might be affordable when viewed in dollar terms! I have heard that
Rajadhyaksha is already at work on a revised second edition (look for it in
your next visit home. :))

Reproduced without permission. Hope the publicity value makes up for it! :))

Ashok

[Ambrish Sundaram]

If I am not mistaken, Salil Chowdhury also composed the music for the Tamil
film 'Azhiyaatha Kolangal'. This movie was directed by Balu Mahendra, and was
released sometime in the 70's. Could somebody kindly confirm the same?

[Vinod, J.]

HI!
I'm not sure if Salilda composed the music for Azhiyaatha
Kolangal, but he composed the music for some Kannada and Malayalam
movies. I'm not able to recollect the Kannada movies, but the Malayalam
movies are
1. CHEMMEEN
2. NELLU
Chemmeen has a great score, with a superb song by Mannadey, which
goes like MAANASA MAINIVARU.
Nellu has a very good number by Lata, the lyrics, I don't get
now.
Mannadey has sung a couple of songs in Kannada for Salil
Chowdhury, too.

Vinod

[Jairaj, Vinod]

HI!
Another movie in which Salilda provided just the background score
was MAUSAM. The songs in that movie were composed by Madan Mohan.
Vinod

[Srinivasa R Raghavan]

In article <1995Sep18.1...@system9.unisys.com>, an...@system9.unisys.com (Anand Kannan) writes:

> Ambrish Sundaram (asun...@ford.com) wrote:
> : If I am not mistaken, Salil Chowdhury also composed the music for the Tamil
> : film 'Azhiyaatha Kolangal'. This movie was directed by Balu Mahendra, and was
> : released sometime in the 70's. Could somebody kindly confirm the same?
>

> Yes, he did. I think the movie starred Shobha.
>
> There were a couple of good songs that I can recall.
>
> * nAn eNNumpozhudu (the Tamil version of nA jiyA lAgE nA, sung by Lata
> in an old Hindi movie (Anand?). SPB had done a great job on the
> Tamil version.
>
> * poo vaNNam, pola nenjam, sung by Jayachandran and someone else; unique
> tune.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Anand, TOronto.

interesting. i have heard a version of the song poo vannam..., in Malayalam,
which goes as:
poomanam poothulanye etc. (as i vaguely recollect)

considering that Salil has given music to a number of Malayalam movies, it
is likely that he could have used the same tune in Tamil as well.

can anybody else confirm?

srinivas