Madan Mohan was born on 25 Jun 1924 at Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, where his father Rai Bahadur Chunilal was working as an Accountant General with the Kurdistan Peshmerga forces. Madan Mohan spent the early years of his life in the Middle East. After 1932, his family returned to their home town of Chakwal, then in Jhelum district of Punjab, British India. He joined the Army as a Second Lieutenant in the year 1943. He served there for two years until end of World War II, when he left the Army and returned to Bombay to pursue his musical interests. In 1946, he joined the All India Radio, Lucknow as Programme Assistant, where he came in contact with various artists such as Ustad Faiyaz Khan, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Begum Akhtar, and Talat Mahmood.
He was very fond of singing, and so in 1947 he got his first chance to record two ghazals penned by Behzad Lucknawi, Aane Laga Hai Koi Nazar Jalwa Gar Mujhe and Is Raaz Ko Duniya Jaanti Hai. Soon after, in 1948 he recorded two more private ghazals penned by Deewan Sharar, Wo Aaye To Mahfil Mein Ithlaate Huye Aaye and Duniya Mujhe Kahti Hai Ke Main Tujhko Bhoolaa Doon. In 1948, he got his first opportunity to sing a film duet Pinjare Mein Bulbul Bole and Mera Chhotasa Dil Dole with Lata Mangeshkar under composer Ghulam Haider (composer) for the film Shaheed (1948 film), though these songs were never released or used in the film. Between 1948 and 1949, he assisted music composers SD Burman for Do Bhai, and Shyam Sundar in Actress and Nirdosh.
As Music Director, he scored his first big break with the film Aankhen in 1950. He was soon to emerge as a music director par excellence especially for ghazals. Indeed, music director OP Nayyar once said about Madan Mohan that two of his ghazals were better than all that OP Nayyar composed. Some of the best songs of Lata Mangeshkar (she fondly called him “Madan Bhaiyya”) were composed by him on the lyrics of Raja Mehdi Ali Khan and Rajinder Krishan.
Some of my favourite songs of Madan Mohan are: Aaj soch to aansu bhar aaye, Betaab dil ki tamanna yehi hai, Tum jo mil gaye ho (Hanste Zakham 1973), Aapke pehlu mein aa ke ro diye, Naino mein badra chhaye, Jhumka gira re, Tu jahan jahan chalega (Mera Saya 1966), Aapki nazaron ne samajha, Hai isi mein pyaar ki aabru, Vo dekho jala ghar kisi ka (Anpadh 1962), Aapko pyaar chhupane ki buri aadat hai, Tere paas aake mera waqt nikal jaata hai (Neela Akash 1965), Agar mujhase mohabbat hai, Main nigaahen tere chehre se hatayun kaise (Aap Ki Parchhayiyan), Ai mere dil mujhe bata de (Bhai Bhai 1946), Ari vo shokh kaliyon muskara dena vo jab aayen (Jab Yaad Kisi Ki Aati Hai 1967), Baad muddat ke yeh ghadi aayi, Haal-e-dil youn unhe sunaya gaya, Jab jab tumhe bhulaya tum aur yaad aaye, Kisi ki yaad mein duniya ko jhain bhulaye huye, Main teri nazar ka saroor hoon, Phir wohi shaam wohi gham wohi tanhaayi hai, Teri aankh ke aansu pi jaayun, Wo chup rahen to mere dil ke daag jalate hain (Jahan Ara 1964), Hamare baad mehfil mein (Baghi 1953), Bainya na dharo O balma, Ham hain mataa-e-kuchcha-e-bazaar ki tarah, Mai ri main kaase kahun, Tumse kahun ik baat (Dastak, 1970), Bairan neend na aaye mohe (Chacha Zindabad 1959), Basti basti parbat parbat gaata jaaye banjara, Chand madham hai aasman chup hai, Dekh tere Bhagwan ki haalat (Railway Platform 1955), Bhooli hui yaado mujhe itna na satayo, Vo bhooli dastaan lo phir yaad aa gayi (Sanjog 1961), Chanda ja re ja re, Main to tum sang nain mila ke (Manmauji 1962), Chhadi re chhadi kaise gale mein padhi, Dil dhoondata hai fursat ke, Ruke ruke se kadam (Mausam 1975), Chhod kar tere pyar ka daaman, Jao hamane dastaan apni sunaayi, Lag jaa gale ke phir, Naina barse rimjhim rimjhim, Shokh nazar ki bijliyan (Woh Kaun Thi 1964), Do dil toote do dil haare, Doli chadate hi Heer ne bain kiye, Milo na tum to ham ghabraayen, Ye duniya ye mehfil mere kaam ki nahin (Heer Ranjha 1970), Ham chal rahe the wo chal rahe the (Duniya Na Maane 1959), Ham pyar mein jalane waalo ko chain kahan (Jailor 1958), Hamsafar saath apna chhod chale, Tujhe kya sunayun main dilruba (Aakhri Dao 1958), Hamse aaya na gaya, Kaun aay mere man ke dwaare, Meri veena tum bin roye, Tu pyar kare ya thukraye (Dekh Kabira Roya 1957), Har taraf ab yahi afsaane hain, Hai tere saath meri wafa main nahin to kya (Hindustan Ki Kasam 1973), Hoke majbuur mujhe usne bhualaya hoga, Kar chale ham fida, Khelo na mere dil se, Main ye soch kar uske dar se, Zara si aahat hoti hai (Haqeeqat 1964), Husn haazir hai mohabbat ki saza paane ko, Is reshmi paazeb ki jhankar ke sadake, Tere dar pe aaya hoon (Laila Majnu 1976), Ik haseen raat ko dil mera kho gaya, Kabhi ai haqeeqat-e-muntazar, Sapano mein agar mere (Dulhan Ek Raat Ki 1966), Ishq ki garmi-e-jazbaat kise pesh karun. Mere mehboob kahin aur mila kar mujhase, Naghma o sher ki saugat, Rang aur noor ki baraat (Ghazal 1964), Jaa jaa re jaa saajna, Jaana tha hamse door, Unako ye shikayat hai, Youn hasaraton ke daag (Adalat 1958), Kabhi na kabhi kahin na kahin koi na koi to aayega, Mujhe le chalo aaj us jagah, Sawan ke mahine mein (Sharaabi 1964), Koi shikwa bhi nahin koi shikayat bhi nahin (Neend Hamari Khwab Tumhaare 1966), Main paagal mera manwa paagal (Aashiyana 1952), Meri yaad mein tum na aasnu bahana (Madhosh 1951), Na tum bewafa ho na ham bewafa hain (Ek Kali Muskaaye 1958), Sapne mein sajan se do baaten, Do ghadi wo jo paas aa baithe (Gateway Of India 1957), Teri aankhon ke siwa duniya mein rakha kya hai (Chirag 1969), Tumhari zulf ke saaye mein shaam kar loonga (Naunihaal 1967), Tu mere saamne hai teri zulfen hain khuli (Suhagan, 1964), and Vo jo milate the kabhi hamsase deewano ki tarah (Akeli Mat Jaiyo 1963).
When I learnt singing, I soon got to sing Madan Mohan. Here I present some of his songs that I sang:
1. Tujhe Kya Sunayun Main Dilruba.
This song had a composition similar to Sajjad Hussain’s 1952 movie Sangdil song: Yeh hawa yeh raat yeh chandini. Indeed, Madan Mohan acknowledged that he copied Sajjad Hussain’s composition.
The lyrics were penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri and the song was sung by Mohammad Rafi.
The song was in Mahesh Kaul movie Aakhri Dao starring Nutan and Shekhar.
Please enjoy my own rendition of this iconic song:
2. Ek Haseen Shaam Ko Dil Mera Kho Gaya.
For this song, Madan Mohan paired with Raja Mehdi Ali Khan. Between the two of them we have Lata Mangeshkar’s most popular song: Lag jaa gale in Raag Pahadi.
The song is from the 1967 DD Kashyap movie Dulhan Ek Raat Ki starring Dharmendra and Nutan. This was the last movie of DD Kashyap who had made his second last movie in 1961: Maya starring Dev Anand and Mala Sinha. Two songs from that movie, composed by Salil Chowdhury, are my favourites: Tasveer teri dil mein and Jaa re jaa re udh jaa re panchhi. However, the movie’s second half dragged and I say the movie by fast-forwarding the second half almost entirely.
Thankfully, Dulhan Ek Raat Ki wasn’t as bad as Maya. Madan Mohan and Raja made memorable songs including Sapnon mein agar mere tum aao to so jaayun.
I saw the movie with my parents in a ramshackle cinema hall in the hill town of Dalhousie.
This song too was sung by Mohammad Rafi. Please enjoy my rendition of it:
3. Mujhe Le Chalo Aaj Us Gali Mein.
I sang this song about an year ago. The moment people heard it, they told me that no one sings this any more these days. But, I have my memories.
This 1964 Raj Rishi movie Sharabi starred Dev Anand and Madhubala and had some of the best songs of Rajinder Krishan and Madan Mohan. This one always was and is my favourite.
No guessing is required to say that this too was sung by Mohammad Rafi.
Please enjoy my rendition of it:
4. Bhooli Hui Yaadon.
Mukesh, in his entire singing career of 36 years, sang only nine songs for Madan Mohan. Madan Mohan, like Naushad, knew the limitations of Mukesh and didn’t want to use him. In any case, they had Mohammad Rafi and hence Mukesh wasn’t needed.
This happens to be one of the best that Mukesh sang in his career. Madan Mohan composed it in Raag Kalyan. These very beautiful lyrics were penned by Rajinder Krishan.
The song is from the 1961 movie Sanjog starring Pradeep Kumar and Anita Guha.
Please enjoy my rendition of it (I recorded it about ten months ago). I must caution you that the song has 60 seconds of prelude music:
5. Lag Jaa Gale Ke Phir.
As I told you, this happened to be the most popular song of Lata Mangeshkar. So, when she left us on the 06 February this year, I wrote two stanzas in tribute for her and used Madan Mohan’s composition to convey my tribute. The original lyrics of the song were penned by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan.
Please enjoy not just my lyrics but my own rendition of this iconic song:
6. Meri Yaad Mein Tum Na Aansu Bahan.
I published my rendition of this Talat Mahmood song on His Death Anniversary, 09 May this year.
It was originally sung by him for the 1951 JBH Wadia movie Madhosh starring Meena Kumari and Manher Desai.
The song was penned by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan and composed by Madan Mohan in Raag Jaunpuri, Tal Kaherava.
I hope you’ll enjoy my rendition of it:
So that this post won’t become too long, I shall end here today. Next time I shall give you another six songs of Madan Mohan sung by me in Part II.
