Classical Composers - Roshan etc
mki...@my-deja.com
I am doing a study on indian fim music composers who have based their
compositions on classical music. I have managed to get the bio-data for
Naushad, Madan Mohan, Khayyam. Unfortunately, I cannot find information
on Roshan. Can somebody help me in this regard. I am interested in
Roshan's biography, i.e when/where was he born etc. From what I know
about him, he was famous for his qawwalies. I also noticed that he has
not composed as many fim songs comparred to other composers. Perhaps he
composed non-film songs as well!!! If somebody can also guide me to
where can I get a photo of Roshan, I would be grateful!!!
Thanks a lot,
Kidwai
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Ke...@iag.net
Roshan was born in 1917 in Jabalpur Bhattian. At the age of 8 he joined the
troupe of Master Manhar Barve. Later on he joined the Marris College of Music in
Lucknow. After graduation he went to Maihar for further study under Baba
Allaudin Khan. He was also the disciple of Pt. Ratanjanker. He joined AIR Delhi
as an instrumentalist, and came to Bombay in 1948. He was the assistant to
Khwaja Khurshid Anwar for a short while, and also sat in on the recording
sessions of Anil Biswas. Made his debut at age 32 in Neki Aur Badi in 1949.
Ketan
Hard not to be a Roshan fan(atic)
Ke...@iag.net
>
>Hi,
>
>I am doing a study on indian fim music composers who have based their
>compositions on classical music. I have managed to get the bio-data for
>Naushad, Madan Mohan, Khayyam. Unfortunately, I cannot find information
>on Roshan. Can somebody help me in this regard. I am interested in
>Roshan's biography, i.e when/where was he born etc. From what I know
>about him, he was famous for his qawwalies. I also noticed that he has
>not composed as many fim songs comparred to other composers. Perhaps he
>composed non-film songs as well!!! If somebody can also guide me to
>where can I get a photo of Roshan, I would be grateful!!!
Should have included this in the earlier post...
He has composed quite a few Hindi film songs. The table given below gives you
the breakup of his songs. I hope the formatting stays in the table though.
ROSHAN – YEAR WISE
YEAR MOVIES SONGS SOLOS DUETS MIX UNKNOWN
1949 1 10 5 3 0
1950 1 9 5 4 0
1951 3 26 21 5 0
1952 5 45 35 7 0
1953 3 25 14 9 2
1954 4 28 21 5 2
1955 3 27 15 10 0
1956 2 16 7 7 1
1957 3 25 16 7 1
1958 1 8 4 3 1
1959 6 43 28 13 0
1960 2 17 10 2 5
1961 1 6 4 1 1
1962 4 28 19 8 0
1963 3 28 17 10 1
1964 2 17 11 6 0
1965 3 20 14 6 0
1966 3 22 14 8 0
1967 2 17 11 6 0
1968 1 5 5 0 0
TOTAL 53 422 276 120 14 12
mki...@my-deja.com
>
> Roshan was born in 1917 in Jabalpur Bhattian. At the age of 8 he
joined the
> troupe of Master Manhar Barve. Later on he joined the Marris College
of Music in
> Lucknow. After graduation he went to Maihar for further study under
Baba
> Allaudin Khan. He was also the disciple of Pt. Ratanjanker. He joined
AIR Delhi
> as an instrumentalist, and came to Bombay in 1948. He was the
assistant to
> Khwaja Khurshid Anwar for a short while, and also sat in on the
recording
> sessions of Anil Biswas. Made his debut at age 32 in Neki Aur Badi in
1949.
>
> Ketan
>
> Hard not to be a Roshan fan(atic)
>
> >Kidwai
> >
> >
Dear Ketan,
Thanks a lot for the info. Yes it is hard not to be a Roshan fan(atic).
One good thing about his music is that it sounds fresh even today,
I find the same true for Madan Mohan and Khayyam. Unfortunately, I dont
find it true for Naushad. His compositions somehow don't appeal to me as
much as the other three. He has made some very difficult compositions
based on classical Indian music, but I find them too classical!
Thanks again for the info
Ashok
>
>
>Thanks a lot for the info. Yes it is hard not to be a Roshan fan(atic).
This juxtaposition of Roshan and fanaticism sets my teeth on edge. Fanaticism
is a form of "thought" totally alien to the spirit with which artists like Roshan,
Khaiyyaam, and Jaidev approached their metier and the dignity and sobriety they
brought to even such an uncongenial milieu as the Bombay film industry.
Fanaticism is the appropriate cast of mind for the sheep that mewl after
the likes of RD Burman, Naushad, Shankar-Jaikishan, et al., the ones hyped
way beyond their talents or accomplishments. These slogan-mongering groupies
exhibit certain easily recognized symptoms: tattoos, t-shirts, slogans as
sig lines, etc. While such behaviour resonates well with dignitaries who are
fully involved in the rat race, it is very jarring when directed at genuine
artists who maintained some distance from the commercial pressure.
Here's an article remembering Roshan by Nalin Shah that appeared a few years ago.
timed for the anniversary of his passing away.
Ashok
-----------------------------------------
Remembering Roshan
Nalin Shah
Offtrack column in Midday, 15-11-1996
It is an irony oc commercial cinema that Roshan's mediocre (by his
own standard) works in 'Taj Mahal' (jo vaada kiyaa vo nibhaanaa
pa.Degaa) won wide recognition, whereas his truer classic compositions
done earlier did not get the exposure they deserved.
It is sad that many of his songs which can be described as connoisseurs'
delight are rarely heard, especially the Lata songs like "kahaa.N hai tu,
kahaa.N hai, meri duniyaa looTanevaale" ('Naubahar'), "yahi bahaar hai
duniyaa ko bhool jaane ki" ('Raag Rang') and "kisi ki aa.Nkh ke aa.Nsoo
hai, sitaare na kaho" ('Aagosh').
Sarangi maestro Pandit Ram Narayan, who played for most of the composers,
has always considered Roshan as a composer par-excellence. But competence
and saleability are two different things in the world of music.
Roshan, unlike some of his high profile contemporaries, was not so lucky
in the matter of banners. Many of his Lata songs had inherent charm and
finesse which would have grown on listeners, if only his films had fared
better. It is creditable on the part of Roshan that some of his songs
did become popular despite the failure of films like 'Malhaar' ("ba.De
aramaano.n se rakhkhaa hai balam teri qasam" and "kahaa.N ho tum zaraa
aavaaz do" both Mukesh-Lata duets) and 'Mashuqa' ("dil naa lagaanaa,
jeene na degaa ye zamaanaa" Mukesh). Roshan first drew attention with
the film 'Bawre Nain' ("sun bairi balam sach bol re tujhe"/Rajkumari
and "khayaalo.n me.n kisi ke is tarah aayaa nahi.n karte"/Geeta Roy and
Mukesh) early in his career which incidentally remained his crowning
glory.
'Hum Log' ("chalija chalija chalija chhoD ke duniyaa"/Lata, "bahe
a.Nkhiyo.n se dhaar jiyaa meraa beqaraar"/Lata) which followed soon
after had no star-cast to boast of. It ran only on the strength of the
music. It is significant to note that in the face of competition from
formidable rivals, Roshan proved himself different and carved a niche
for himself in the hall of fame. Unlike some of his rivals in music
he was more of an artist than a showman. Orchestration in his songs
was always subservient to melody and was never flashy.
Judging his songs in their entirety, one is compelled to draw the
inescapable conclusion that he had thorough knowledge of every
instrument, and a faultless sense of orchestration. Not once was he
tempted to play to the gallery.
He could lay bare the intrinsic beauty of a traditional bandish
("ayri aali piyaa bin" in raag yaman/'Raag Rang') with the orchestral
dressing to make it all the more alluring. His successes in films like
'Naubahar' ("aeri mai.n to prem divaani mera") and 'Raag Rang' were not
flukes. His grounding in the classical music earlier, under Pandit
Ratanjankar at Lucknow had stood him in good stead.
Roshan believed more in creating the desired atmosphere than in
impressing the masses. Hence at times, songs like "duniyaa kare savaal
to ham kyaa javaab de.n" ('Bahu Begum') and "tum ek baar mohobat kaa
imtehan to lo" ('Babar') which sound more like verses than traditional
film songs, but succeed in creating the desired impact.
Roshan, like Madan Mohan, might have been unlucky in the matter of
business, but his music will remain a subject of close study for anyone
hoping to make mark in the situational melody and the proper use of
orchestra to enhance its impact. The song "aa ke ab aataa nahi.n dil
ko qaraar" ('Mehbooba') is a classic example of Roshan's craftsmanship.
His use of rhythm in the song reminds one of Ghulam Haider and the way
he made Lata negotiate the words "intezaar", "beqaraar", and "ye bahaar"
proclaims Roshan's sensitivity and creativity.
It is not without reason that Lata's choice fell on Roshan when she
herself planned a film 'Bhairavi' in the mid-50s. If the song "aa ke
ab aataa nahi.n dil ko qaraar" is the most memorable, then "aa jaa
aye jaanevaale" from 'Chandni Chowk' is no less significant. While
talking of orchestration as an integral part of songs, one must mark
the finishing orchestral touches in the song "kiski mast nazar ka
ishaara hai zi.ndagi" ('Raag Rang') and the use of flute (almost
imperceptible) in "teri duniyaa me.n dil lagataa nahi.n" ('Bawre Nain').
If Mukesh ("dil ki pareshaaniyaa.N"/'Hum Log' and "sataaegaa kise tu
aasamaa.N"/'Sheesham') dominated in the earlier part of Roshan's career,
Rafi ("zi.ndagi bhar nahi.n bhoolegi vo"/'Barsaat Ki Raat', "paa.nv chhoo
lene do phoolo.n ko inaayat hogi"/'Taj Mahal' and "man re tu kaahe na
dheer dhare"/'Chitralekha') with his soft caressing touch became
inevitable in the latter half.
Roshan never wasted a voice. If Talat sang the popular "mai.n dil hu.N
ek aramaan bharaa"/'Anhoni', he also got to sing one of the most memorable
songs of his career in "mere khayaalo.n me.n aa kar gale lagaa jaa
mujhe"/'Gunah'.
Many earlier composers might have influenced Roshan, but the end result
showed him at his creative best. He was inspired by Mubarak Ali and Fateh
Ali in the three-part qawwaali "ye hai ishq hai ishq" in 'Barsaat Ki Raat',
but it also carried the unmistakable Roshan stamp. Anil Biswas has still
not forgotten how Roshan used to sit behind him listening intently, while
he was composing.
Once Biswas heard a muffled sound of sobbing when he was composing "kahaa.N
tak ham uThaae gham" ('Arzoo'). As he looked back, he saw Roshan in tears.
"Dada," he said in an emotion-charged voice, "When will I be able to compose
something like this?" "Shut up," shouted Biswas, in a fit of rage. "Don't
say such a thing. Who knows you might create something even better than
this."
Biswas's eyes were moist when he narrated the above incident to me last week
in his house in Delhi. "What a master composer he turned out to beQ" he
exclaimed. Anil Biswas's influence is perceived in a number of Roshan's
songs in the voice of Lata, including "vo paas nahi.n majboor hai.n ham"
('Naubahar').
It is rather unfortunate that many of Roshan's songs including "yahi bahaar
hai duniyaa ko bhool jaane ki"/'Raag Rang', "dil bhi teraa, ham bhi tere"/
'Taksal', "dard-e-dil tu hi bataa"/'Jashn', "mohabbat ek sholaa hai"/'Aghosh'
now adorn the dark recesses of collectors' libraries, preventing listeners
from assessing Roshan's worth as a composer in its true perspective.
Roshan was a jovial man in life. His wife Ira once narrated an incident to
me, to illustrate his sense of humour. He had an appointment with Satyajit
Ray. Roshan was short in stature and Ray exceptionally tall. She jokingly
asked him if he would feel embarrassed to stand before such a tall man.
Roshan replied matter of factly that it was Ray who would have to 'bow down'
while talking to him. And fate too willed Roshan to die laughing, of a sudden
heart failure while in the midst of a party, at a friend's house on November
16, 1967. He was 50.
Considering the many creative years that lay ahead of him, he died young.
-----------------------
il_kh...@my-deja.com
(Rest of this fine article deleted)
> And fate too willed Roshan to die laughing, of
a sudden
> heart failure while in the midst of a party, at a friend's house on
November
> 16, 1967. He was 50.
I am sure this has been mentioned in this NG earlier.
But, to complete the story, it was Pran who cracked a
joke at this party. Roshan had a "hearty" laugh,
suffered a massive attack and succumbed before any
medical assistance could be provided.
Afzal
Ke...@iag.net
>> And fate too willed Roshan to die laughing, of
>a sudden
>> heart failure while in the midst of a party, at a friend's house on
>November
>> 16, 1967. He was 50.
>
>
> But, to complete the story, it was Pran who cracked a
> joke at this party. Roshan had a "hearty" laugh,
> suffered a massive attack and succumbed before any
> medical assistance could be provided.
>
Atleast one newspaper article that I came across says that it was Roshan who
cracked the joke to his producer friend Homi Wallia, and while in the midst of
laughing, suffered the heart attack, and died with a laugh on his lips.
Ke...@iag.net
>In article <8jf207$s0p$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>, mki...@my-deja.com writes...
>>
>>
>>Thanks a lot for the info. Yes it is hard not to be a Roshan fan(atic).
>
>
>This juxtaposition of Roshan and fanaticism sets my teeth on edge. Fanaticism
>is a form of "thought" totally alien to the spirit with which artists like
>Roshan,
>Khaiyyaam, and Jaidev approached their metier and the dignity and sobriety they
>brought to even such an uncongenial milieu as the Bombay film industry.
Regarding Roshan,
This juxtapositon of Roshan and sobriety/dignity--made without checking the
background stories and some of the articles on him--set my teeth on edge. I
suggest you err on the side of verbosity. Superstardom did come to the name
Roshan--with the name Hritik ahead of it. He would have loved to be where his
grandson is today. Lack of F3--fame, fortune and fanaticism is what drove
him--and Madan Mohan--to the bottle. Considering drink is what hastened his
demise,
it is therefore ironical, that you would use Roshan and the word sobriety in the
same sentence.
>Fanaticism is the appropriate cast of mind for the sheep that mewl after
>the likes of RD Burman, Naushad, Shankar-Jaikishan, et al., the ones hyped
>way beyond their talents or accomplishments. These slogan-mongering groupies
>exhibit certain easily recognized symptoms: tattoos, t-shirts, slogans as
>sig lines, etc. While such behaviour resonates well with dignitaries who are
>fully involved in the rat race, it is very jarring when directed at genuine
>artists who maintained some distance from the commercial pressure.
Again re: Roshan, factually incorrect. Just as you advise others on here, I will
leave you to do the homework.
mki...@my-deja.com
>
> Regarding Roshan,
>
> This juxtapositon of Roshan and sobriety/dignity--made without
checking the
> background stories and some of the articles on him--set my teeth on
edge. I
> suggest you err on the side of verbosity. Superstardom did come to
the name
> Roshan--with the name Hritik ahead of it. He would have loved to be
where his
> grandson is today. Lack of F3--fame, fortune and fanaticism is what
drove
> him--and Madan Mohan--to the bottle. Considering drink is what
hastened his
> demise,
> it is therefore ironical, that you would use Roshan and the word
sobriety in the
> same sentence.
>
Did Roshan and Madan Mohan really take to the bottle??? I am surprised
that they did not make as much a 'fortune' as comparred to the other
composers. And as far as 'Fame' is concerned they must have had quite a
number of admirers. I guess Roshan never compromised his standards in
composing music and must have had differences with some produers, but
surely the listeners must have loved his music. His compositions, urdu
lyrics and style are one of the best I have come across in Indian film
music, comparrable only to Madan Mohan and Khaiyyam. I am reminded of
the excellent gem from Mamta, composed by Roshan and written by Majrooh:
'Rahe na rahen hum, mehka karengey,
banke kali, banke saba, bagh-e-wafa mein'
If someone can provide me with more articles on Roshan, I would be
grateful.
Kind regards,
Kami
il_kh...@my-deja.com
> >a sudden
> >> heart failure while in the midst of a party, at a friend's house
on
> >November
> >> 16, 1967. He was 50.
> >
> >
> > But, to complete the story, it was Pran who cracked a
> > joke at this party. Roshan had a "hearty" laugh,
> > suffered a massive attack and succumbed before any
> > medical assistance could be provided.
> >
>
> Atleast one newspaper article that I came across says that it was
Roshan who
midst of
> laughing, suffered the heart attack, and died with a laugh on his
lips.
My recollection is based on contemporary reports and
articles. Pran's name was mentioned in all these reports
and magazine articles. Pran's feelings of remorse were
also commented upon at the time.
Afzal
Srinivas Ganti
Ashok wrote:
> Here's an article remembering Roshan by Nalin Shah that appeared a few
years ago.
> timed for the anniversary of his passing away.
Thanks for the article.Arguably Roshan's output of 1952(Anhonee,
Nau Bahaar,Raag Rang,Sanskaar,Shisham)might well be the best by an
MD in a single year.His 50's work with Lata is outstanding.
>It is sad that many of his songs which can be described as
>connoisseurs' delight are rarely heard, especially the Lata songs like
>"kahaa.N hai tu, kahaa.N hai, meri duniyaa looTanevaale"
>('Naubahar'), "yahi bahaar hai duniyaa ko bhool jaane ki" ('Raag Rang')
>and "kisi ki aa.Nkh ke aa.Nsoo hai, sitaare na kaho" ('Aagosh').
This is certainly a tragedy.The feminine touch he encrafted to songs
like "Dhaani chunar mori haaye re"(Madhu) and jaari meri..chunariya ab
main nyaari is unparalleled.
Srinivas.