(By: Yogesh K Upadhyaya)
 | Omkar Prasad Nayyar was born on 16 January, 1926 at Lahore (now in Pakistan). He died on 28 January, 2007 at Bombay at the age of 81. On his first death anniversary, let us go through the life and accomplishment of this legendary music director Bollywood has ever seen.
O P Nayyar had provided his memorable music to over 70 Hindi films, mostly in 1950s and 1960s era. His music was a superb mix of Punjabi folk music and western tunes. OP said proudly that it was he who bought the sarangi; an instrument traditionally associated with the mujrewalis and kothas, into mainstream film music and gave it respectability. His specialty was the profound use of western instruments and split-second rhythm. Who can forget the use of tabla in song “Bahaut shukria, badi meherbani”, clarinet in “mein pyarka rahi hoon” and guitar in “Jaaiye aap kahan jaayenge”? |
In 1955, after displacing Naushad as the most sought after music director, OP has not looked back. There was magic and romance in his songs. Producers used to write the story around his music, and audience will wait for his movies to come out. Although there were great composers like Sankar-Jaikishan, S D Burman, Madan Mohan, etc. at that time, but no one could come near the compositions by OP. On being asked why he used to have song based on tanga (horse-cart), he laughed and said, “At that time, travel by horse-cart was a luxury.” Almost all of his songs were super hit. Many tried to copy his style, but failed. His romantic songs made actors like Joy Mukherjee, Bishwajit, Asha Parekh, Sadhna, etc. look most magical.
He was earlier employed in All India Radio, Jullundur. Nayyar scored very popular music for many 1950's films like Baaz, Aar Paar, Mr and Mrs '55 and Kishore Kumar films like P.L.Santoshi's Cham Chama Cham and Kardar's Baap Re Baap.
He dropped out of college to compose music. Not long afterwards HMV, the recording company, released his compositions “Pritam aan milo” and “Kaun nagar tera door thikanaâ”.
His family shifted from Lahore to Amritsar after partition. In 1949, Nayyar came to Bombay and met the producer-director Krishan Kewal who was making Kaneez. Thus his career started with scoring the background music for Kaneez.
In the late 50s, his films include Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Presley Image, and Howrah Bridge with the most famous song, Mera naam Chin Chin Choo. He also scored the Shammi Kapoor's hit film, Kashmir Ki Kali.
In the 1960s he did one film a year and crafted exquisite scores for Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963), Kashmir Ki Kali (1964) and Mere Sanam (1965). His limited musical education did not come in the way of embellishing his melodies with well-chosen instruments like the sarangi which he popularised or the piano which ripples through Aapke haseen rukh pe from Baharein Phir Bhi Aayegi.
Guru Dutt and Nayyar reunited for Baharein Phir Bhi Aayegi (1966), but Asha was singing instead of Geeta in a Guru Dutt film. Nayyar's luck had begun to run out when it came to the box-office. Despite composing some truly timeless melodies like Dil ki awaz bhi sun for Joy Mukherji's Humsaaya (1968), the film didn't do well.
In the late 1960s, Nayyar fell out with his favourite Mohammad Rafi but managed to conjure memorable songs even with Mukesh (Chal akela), Mahendra Kapoor (Lakhon hai yahan dilwale) and Kishore Kumar (sabereka suraj tumhare liye hein).
It was amazing to see highs and lows of octaves and scales in each of his composition. The songs were highly romantic and melodious. Please note that song recording was very different, unlike of today. They used to have over 100 musicians, with one mike, and the recording has to be completed in 2 or 3 settings. He used to charge Rs. 100,000 per film in 1950s, which was a princely sum at that time, considering that the price of a typical suburban flat in Bombay was only Rs. 10,000 at that time.
O P Nayyar used to say that good music is the one that pleases our ears. He also claimed that he was romantic in nature. Although he worked with many singers and song-writers, the trio of O P, singer Asha Bhosle and song-writer S H Bihari produced the most memorable songs. He was romantically involved with Asha till they parted their ways in 1974 in utter bitterness. Asha then found her love in music director R D Burman.
In the early 1990s, Nayyar made a surprise comeback with Zid and the Salman Khan-Karisma Kapoor starrer Nischay, with his unmistakable tunes. However, the younger generations did not like his old fashioned music.
Over the last few years, OP Nayyar had quit music completely. He said during an interview: “The people with whom I stay as a paying guest (at Thane, near Bombay) heed my request that the moment my song comes on TV, they must switch the set off if I am around! Music is medicine for the soul. But now I am giving medicines for the body. It is equally fulfilling! Music and medicine go together.’
He was very stubborn in his personal life. He lost films around 1970 due to his non-negotiable extreme price for composing the music. Moreover, with the entry of Amitabh Bachhan’s action films, the demand for romantic music died down. He had spoiled the relations with his family and passed last few years working on homeopathy practice in his native Punjab. He died in the state of loneliness in Bombay, and no family member was present during his cremation.
You may listen to his wonderful songs on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=o+p+nayyar&search_type=&search=Search
- Additional Links
- O P Nayyar in Wikipedia
- Rare video of Rafi-Asha-O P Nayyar and song-writer Kamal Jalalabadi
- List of Movies of O P Nayyar
- Brief Biography of O P Nayyar
- The stubborn note of O P Nayyar
- O P Nayyar-Hit man of golden era
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