{"id":3027,"date":"2016-07-14T00:00:40","date_gmt":"2016-07-13T18:30:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/?p=3027"},"modified":"2021-07-14T12:24:40","modified_gmt":"2021-07-14T06:54:40","slug":"remembering-madan-mohan-music-director","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/remembering-madan-mohan-music-director\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Rehearsals were Never Easy, Music Sittings were Always Fun’ – Remembering Madan Mohan"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Madan-Mohan-moments<\/p>\n

\"Madan<\/a>

Madan Mohan<\/p><\/div>\n

For\u00a0us, the lovers of the\u00a0music of yesteryear, it is\u00a0an endless stream of questions that\u00a0keep coming to our mind regarding those music personalities. In my\u00a0quest to find answers I have spoken to a number of persons and many\u00a0such interviews have\u00a0been published in Silhouette before. In this rare opportunity, when the music loving daughter of a legendary music composer accepted to answer some of my questions, I found myself on cloud nine. From here I invite all my readers to be part of the excitement that Sangeeta Gupta<\/a><\/span>, daughter of music director, Madan Mohan, shares through her answers.<\/p>\n

SD Burman – The Mentor<\/strong><\/p>\n

Peeyush Sharma: <\/strong>Please tell us about his days when he was an assistant to SD Burman – anything in particular that he learnt from SD Burman and used it in his compositions or style of composing.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Madan<\/a>

Madan Mohan with S.D.Burman and Manna Dey.
Madan Mohan assisted SD Burman in two film including Do Bhai<\/em>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Sangeeta Gupta:<\/strong> Burman Dada and Madan Mohanji were close from the time when Burman Dada composed for films produced by Filmistan where Madanji\u2019s father was the administrative partner. Madanji assisted him in two films, including Do Bhai<\/em>. Dada saw spark in him and encouraged him to venture out independently.<\/p>\n

I would not be able to\u00a0say about what he learnt from Burman Dada\u2019s style of composing, but he held him in high esteem\u00a0to be his Guru\u00a0and had the greatest respect and regard for him. Burman Dada too was very fond of him. Madanji, along with Nargisji were the two comperes for the first ever S D Burman Nite held in 1967 at the Shanmukhanda Hall which we were privileged to attend as children. What an experience that was.<\/p>\n

I recall, after the release of Heer Ranjha<\/em> Burman Dada landed up at our residence early one morning, just to bless Madan Mohanji and compliment him for the music of the film.<\/p>\n

Peeyush Sharma: <\/strong>You had written in your memoir that he was more disappointed about Burman Dada not getting the award for Guide, forgetting that he himself had been nominated for Mera Saya. Did he share his feelings with Burman Dada?<\/em><\/p>\n

Sangeeta Gupta:<\/strong> Oh yes, he did. He made no bones about his feelings. \u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad<\/p>\n

\"Legends<\/a>

Legends All – At the S. D. Burman nite in 1967, with Mukesh, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Talat Mahmood, S.D Burman, Lata Mangeshkar, Nargis, Mohd Rafi and Manna Dey
(Pic courtesy: Madanmohan.in)<\/p><\/div>\n

Camaraderie with Contemporaries<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Peeyush Sharma: <\/strong>His opinion on other contemporaries, Naushad, Shankar Jaikishan, C.Ramchandra, Salil Chowdhury, Hemant Kumar, Chitragupt, Roshan, Kalyanji Anandji, Laxmikant Pyarelal, RD Burman and others. Who did he hold in esteem and why?<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Roshan,<\/a>

The Music Makers of the Golden Era – Roshan, Anil Biswas, Hemant Humar, Mohd. Shafi, Naushad, Jaikishan, C. Ramchandra and Madan Mohan<\/p><\/div>\n

Sangeeta Gupta:<\/strong> In those days, even though the composers were contemporaries and were professional\u00a0 rivals, they maintained\u00a0a very friendly relationship on a personal level and each one of these legends did not have any qualms in acknowledging the good work which the others were doing, time and again.<\/p>\n

Amongst them Jaidevji, Roshan Saab were very dear to him. We visited Khayyam Saab\u2019s house regularly for family dinners\u00a0 and also occasionally Naushad Saab\u2019s place.<\/p>\n

He was very fond of Jaikishanji, and they met regularly for morning coffee at Gaylord\u2019s. C Ramchandraji, Salil Chowdhury, O P Nayyar, Hemant Kumar and Chitraguptji were contemporaries for whom he had great regard, personally and professionally. Of the others he mentioned he admired\u00a0R D Burman’s work even though he\u00a0was junior to him. Laxmikant Pyarelal too, more so as Pyarelalji had worked under him as musician and held Madanji in great respect. He was very happy that they had moved forward and admired them and their work. With Kalyanji Anandji he\u00a0shared a formal relationship.<\/p>\n

\"Dev

Moti Lal, Dev Anand, music director Shankar (of Shankar-Jaikishan duo) and Madan Mohan<\/p><\/div>\n

Mohd. Rafi held a special place in his heart<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Peeyush Sharma: <\/strong>What was his opinion on the male singers of that time? <\/em><\/p>\n

Sangeeta Gupta:<\/strong> Talat Mahmood and Manna Dey were very close friends of his and the family.\u00a0 He was friends with Mukeshji, but for some reason did not work with him too often.\u00a0 Mohd. Rafi Saab held a special place in his heart and work as well, though Rafi Saab was a reserved person and did not socialise too much.<\/p>\n

Peeyush Sharma: <\/strong>I believe, he never worked (or very negligible) with Hemant Kumar as singer. Any reason?<\/em><\/p>\n

Sangeeta Gupta:<\/strong> No, I cannot think of any particular reason. One must not forget that Hemantda was also a respected and leading composer who may not have had the time to sing for other composers. I think he sang about four songs for Madanji, and I admire him for taking out the time to sing for other composers, especially S D Burman and a few more.<\/p>\n

\"Recording<\/a>

Madan Mohan, Bhupinder, Manna Dey at recording of Hoke Majboor (Haqeeqat)<\/p><\/div>\n

Peeyush Sharma: <\/strong>Madan Mohan ji introduced Bhupinder Singh in Haqeeqat (Hoke majboor mujhe) and gave superb work in Mausam. How did he talk about Bhupinder Singh?<\/em><\/p>\n

Sangeeta Gupta:<\/strong> Madanji discovered Bhupinderji in Delhi and invited him to come to Mumbai and was instrumental in giving him his debut song Hoke majboor mujhe<\/em> from the film Haqeeqat<\/em> along with the three legendary greats Manna Dey, Talat Mahmood and Mohd. Rafi. Bhupiji enacted the song on screen as well. Oh, he was and we all too are very very fond of Bhupiji. Apart from getting him to sing the two songs, Bhupinderji also played the guitar in very many of his songs as he is an ace guitarist.<\/p>\n

Bhupinderji reminisced about his association with Madan Mohanji recently, and he remembered him so very fondly with tears in his eyes.<\/p>\n

Hoke majboor mujhe usne bhulaya hoga<\/em><\/strong>(Haqeeqat<\/em>, 1964) – Madan Mohan \/ Kaifi Azmi\u00a0 \/ Mohd Rafi<\/span><\/p>\n