Salil Chowdury, The Colossus Of The Indian Music

Born on 19th November 1922 at Harinavi, 24 Parganas of West Bengal. Do you know what? When I was inspecting SBI branches of West Bengal in the early '70s, I was given a couple of Branches in 24 Parganas at my request. I just wanted to visit Harinavi, the birth place of Salilda. I am so crazy about him. He composed music till the very last day of his life in 1995.
Being a Bengali, he started his career in Bengal with a Bengali film in 1949. His musical journey continued for 46 years. He married twice probably because he could not get a son through the first wife. He had two sons through his second wife one of whom being a highly successful music director like his father. If you are looking for good names for girls, here are his five daughters: Aloka, Tulika and Lipika through his first wife and Antara and Sanchari through his second wife.
Salilda's songs bear his distinctive print. He said about his music "I want to create a style which shall transcend borders – a genre which is emphatic and polished, but never predictable". He certainly lived up to his words.
Because of this spirit, he became truly multilingual. He became a very successful music director in Malayalam and Tamil. The songs he gave in the Award winning Malayalam movie Chemmen continues to be popular like his songs in Madumathi. He went on to compose for over 75 Hindi films, 41 Bengali films, around 27 Malayalam films, and a few Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati, Oriya and Assamese films.
The Maestro Illayaraaja, the truly greatest music maker of South was Salilda's guitarist. The Oscar awardee A.R.Rehman's father R.K.Shekhar was Salilda's assistant for a long time.
He won all the well known Music awards including 7th Cannes Film Festival (1954)
I can go on talking about him but I know you are more interested in his music than my prosaic commentary!


By Lata. Look at the twenty one year old Meena Kumari holding the baby and singing.
Balraj Sahni and Nirupa Roy played the lead roles.


From the movie Parakh by Lata. Besides directing the music for the movie, he wrote it's story too. It was nominated for Best Film and Best Story.


From Kabuliwala sung by Manna Day. It was based on a story by Rabindra Nath Tagore. The lead stars were Balraj Sahni and Usha Kiran.


Sung by Lata for Nargis. Jagte Raho was an overseas blockbuster at the Soviet box office, drawing 33.6 million Soviet viewers in 1965, due to Raj Kapoor's popularity in the Soviet Union. In the Soviet Union, the film earned an estimated 8.4 million SUR (US$9.33 million or ₹4.44 crore) in 1965, equivalent to US$72 million!


From the award winning blockbuster Chemmeen (Malayalam) sung by Manna Dey.
Chemmeen worked with the most elemental in individual and society, communal and personal life, human emotions and yearnings, which may be the reason why it still holds its mercurial charm.

Thank you for listening!

 

@GeetaKashyap
Dear Geetah
Those are lovely songs from Madhumati. I saw the picture half a dozen times when it was released. When I see Vyjayanti now, I feel sad. What a havoc age can play on our appearance!
Sri

 

@GeetaKashyap
Thanks for the songs Geeta but how did you forget
It's one of Salilda's great hits. You will notice that in the background of this young, Gadhi Gadhi song. That's Salilda for you.

 

@Rajijb
Thanks a lot for your selection of Salilda's hits. You have repeated, or shall I say endorsed, my selection of Jago Mohan Pyare. Same pinch

 

@Mistt
Dear Mistt
Lovely selections. Rajnigandha is a FilmFare Award Winner for the best movie. Do you know that the heroine of the movie Vidya Sinha is 70 now and is still acting? Amol Palekar is 73 and is still active. He has acted in Malayalam, Bengali and Kannada movies.
Sri

 

@GeetaKashyap
Talking of his unique orchestration, I would rate his Do Biga Zamin and Kabuliwala as the best.