Roshan (music director)
Encyclopedia
Roshanlal Nagrath better known simply by his first name Roshan, was a Bollywood
film music composer. He was the father of the actor and film director Rakesh Roshan
and music director Rajesh Roshan
and grandfather of Hritik Roshan.
, Punjab
, British India (now part of Punjab
in Pakistan
). He began music lessons at a young age, and later attended Marris College (Bhatkhande College of Music) in Lucknow under the training of Pt. S N Ratanjankar (Principal of the University). In the early 1940s, Khawaja Khurshid Anwar
, Programme Producer/Music, AIR Delhi, hired Roshan as Staff Artist for Dilruba, the instrument which he used to play.
to find work as a Bollywood music director and became Assistant of Music Composer Khawaja
Khurshid Anwar in film Singaar. He struggled until meeting Kidar Sharma
, who gave him the job of composing for his film Neki aur Badi (1949). While this film was a flop, Roshan emerged as a player on the Bollywood music scene with the film Baawre Nain, released the following year.
In the early 1950s, Roshan worked with singers Mukesh
and Talat Mahmood
. Malhar, Shisham, and Anhonee were some of the movies that he scored during the '50s. It was during this time that he composed, Aeiri main to prem diwani mera dard na jane koyi sung by Lata Mangeshkar
for the movie Naubahaar. He was not always commercially successful. He gave Indeewar and Anand Bakshi
their first breaks in the industry as lyricists; these two would later became two of the most sought-after songwriters in Mumbai
from late 1960s onwards.
Anand Bakshi was given his first break in 1956 by Nissar Bazmi in the film Bhala Aadmi. Roshan gave Anand Bakshi the film CID Girl (1959), after Anand Bakshi wrote the 4 songs of Bhala Aadmi in 1956. Bhala Aadmi released in 1958.
Anand Bakshi and Roshan gave a super hit music film DEVAR (1966).
The 1960s proved to be the golden age for Roshan and his music. His ability to mould folk music with Hindustani classical music became his trademark and resulted in movies scores. During this time Roshan gave hits such as Na to karavan ki talaash hai and Zindagi bhar nahi bhoolegi woh barsaat ki raat (Barsaat Ki Raat
, 1960), Ab kya misaal doon and Kabhi to milegi, kahi to milegi (Aarti
, 1962), Jo vada kiya vo nibhana padega, Paao chhoon lene do and Jurm-e-ulfat pe (Taj Mahal
, 1963), Nigahen milane ko jee chahata hai and Laaga chunari mein daag (Dil Hi To Hai, 1963), Sansaar se bhaage phirte ho and Man re tu kaahe (Chitralekha, 1964), and Oh re taal mile and Khushi khushi kar do vida (Anokhi Raat
, 1968). He composed some melodies for the movie Mamta
(1966) like 'Rahen na rahen hum' and 'Rehte the kabhi jinke dil mein'. Devar (1966): "Aaya hai mujhe phir yaad woh zalim, guzara zamana bachpan ka";
"Baharon ne mera chaman loot kar"; "Duniya mein aisa kahan sab ka naseeb hai".
Roshan's marked speciality was the Qawwali
. He was known for the creation of hit qawwalies like "Na to karwaan ki talaash hai", "Nigahen milane ko jee chahta hai", "Na khanjar uthega, na Talwar tumse, Yeh bajoo mere ajmaye hue hain"....
in Bombay, Maharashtra
, India
, on 16 November 1967 aged 50, leaving behind a wife, three sons and a daughter. Besides immediate family, Roshan left great admirers of extended family—Nagrath and Khokha family. Nagrath built Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Lahore. Roshan was a great attraction at Gazals Mefil at Nizamuddin East where Mr.I.K. Gujral was present.
Mumbai based troupe Musicolor, which is promoting vintage music, presented an exclusive tribute programmes featuring the gems of Roshan at Dinanath Mangeshkar auditorium on 22 January 2010.
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film music composer. He was the father of the actor and film director Rakesh Roshan
Rakesh Roshan
Rakesh Roshan Rakesh Roshan Rakesh Roshan (Hindi: राकेश रोशन (born Rakesh Roshan Lal Nagrath on 6 September 1949 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India) is a producer, director and former actor in Bollywood films who was born in a Punjabi Hindu Kayastha family...
and music director Rajesh Roshan
Rajesh Roshan
Rajesh Roshan is a Hindi cinema music composer.-Personal life:Rajesh Roshan is the son of Hindi film composer Roshan and younger brother of film director and actor Rakesh Roshan...
and grandfather of Hritik Roshan.
Early life and education
Roshan was born in GujranwalaGujranwala
Gujranwala is a industrial city in the north-east of the Punjab province. It is the sixth largest city in Pakistan with a population of approximately 2,661,360 as on 24 June 2011...
, Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
, British India (now part of Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
). He began music lessons at a young age, and later attended Marris College (Bhatkhande College of Music) in Lucknow under the training of Pt. S N Ratanjankar (Principal of the University). In the early 1940s, Khawaja Khurshid Anwar
Khawaja Khurshid Anwar
Khwaja Khurshid Anwar was a filmmaker, writer, director and music composer who gained extreme popularity both in India and Pakistan...
, Programme Producer/Music, AIR Delhi, hired Roshan as Staff Artist for Dilruba, the instrument which he used to play.
Career
In 1948, Roshan came to MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
to find work as a Bollywood music director and became Assistant of Music Composer Khawaja
Khurshid Anwar in film Singaar. He struggled until meeting Kidar Sharma
Kidar Sharma
Kidar Nath Sharma also Kedar Sharma , was an Indian film director, producer, Screenwriter, and Lyricist of Hindi films...
, who gave him the job of composing for his film Neki aur Badi (1949). While this film was a flop, Roshan emerged as a player on the Bollywood music scene with the film Baawre Nain, released the following year.
In the early 1950s, Roshan worked with singers Mukesh
Mukesh
Mukesh Chand Mathur was an Indian playback singer of Bollywood. He, alongside Mohammad Rafi, Manna Dey and Kishore Kumar, left such an impact on the Hindi film industry that they are still remembered to date....
and Talat Mahmood
Talat Mahmood
Talat Mahmood was a popular Indian playback singer and film actor. A recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 1992, he was famous for singing ghazals. For this quality he was known as the King of ghazals....
. Malhar, Shisham, and Anhonee were some of the movies that he scored during the '50s. It was during this time that he composed, Aeiri main to prem diwani mera dard na jane koyi sung by Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
for the movie Naubahaar. He was not always commercially successful. He gave Indeewar and Anand Bakshi
Anand Bakshi
Anand Bakshi was a popular Indian poet and lyricist.-Early days:Anand Bakshi was born in Rawalpindi, now in Pakistan, on 21 July 1930. His ancestors were from Kurree, near Rawalpindi, and had origins in Kashmir. His mother, Sumitra, died 1940, when he was 10...
their first breaks in the industry as lyricists; these two would later became two of the most sought-after songwriters in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
from late 1960s onwards.
Anand Bakshi was given his first break in 1956 by Nissar Bazmi in the film Bhala Aadmi. Roshan gave Anand Bakshi the film CID Girl (1959), after Anand Bakshi wrote the 4 songs of Bhala Aadmi in 1956. Bhala Aadmi released in 1958.
Anand Bakshi and Roshan gave a super hit music film DEVAR (1966).
The 1960s proved to be the golden age for Roshan and his music. His ability to mould folk music with Hindustani classical music became his trademark and resulted in movies scores. During this time Roshan gave hits such as Na to karavan ki talaash hai and Zindagi bhar nahi bhoolegi woh barsaat ki raat (Barsaat Ki Raat
Barsaat Ki Raat
Barsaat Ki Raat is a 1960 Bollywood film starring Bharat Bhushan, Madhubala, Shyama, Mumtaz Begum and K.N. Singh. It was directed by P. L. Santoshi....
, 1960), Ab kya misaal doon and Kabhi to milegi, kahi to milegi (Aarti
Aarti (film)
Aarti is a 1962 Indian Bollywood film directed by Phani Majumdar and produced by Tarachand Barjatya. The film stars Meena Kumari in the title role of Aarti, with Ashok Kumar, Pradeep Kumar and Shashikala appearing in pivotal roles...
, 1962), Jo vada kiya vo nibhana padega, Paao chhoon lene do and Jurm-e-ulfat pe (Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal (1963 film)
Taj Mahal is a 1963 film based on the historical legend of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. As per the legend Shah Jahan created the Taj Mahal in fond remembrance and as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal....
, 1963), Nigahen milane ko jee chahata hai and Laaga chunari mein daag (Dil Hi To Hai, 1963), Sansaar se bhaage phirte ho and Man re tu kaahe (Chitralekha, 1964), and Oh re taal mile and Khushi khushi kar do vida (Anokhi Raat
Anokhi Raat
Anokhi Raat is a 1968 Hindi film produced by L. B. Lachman and L. B. Thakur and directed by Asit Sen. The film stars Sanjeev Kumar, Zaheeda Hussain, Aruna Irani, Keshto Mukherjee and Parikshat Sahni. It has music by Salil Choudhary and Roshan...
, 1968). He composed some melodies for the movie Mamta
Mamta
Mamta may refer to:* Mamta , the title of at least five films spanning 1936 to 1966* Mamta * Mamta * Mamta * Mamta * Mamta ...
(1966) like 'Rahen na rahen hum' and 'Rehte the kabhi jinke dil mein'. Devar (1966): "Aaya hai mujhe phir yaad woh zalim, guzara zamana bachpan ka";
"Baharon ne mera chaman loot kar"; "Duniya mein aisa kahan sab ka naseeb hai".
Roshan's marked speciality was the Qawwali
Qawwali
Qawwali is a form of Sufi devotional music popular in South Asia, particularly in the Punjab and Sindh regions of Pakistan, Hyderabad, Delhi, and other parts of northern India...
. He was known for the creation of hit qawwalies like "Na to karwaan ki talaash hai", "Nigahen milane ko jee chahta hai", "Na khanjar uthega, na Talwar tumse, Yeh bajoo mere ajmaye hue hain"....
Death and legacy
Roshan had been suffering from chronic heart trouble for over 20 years. He died of a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in Bombay, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, on 16 November 1967 aged 50, leaving behind a wife, three sons and a daughter. Besides immediate family, Roshan left great admirers of extended family—Nagrath and Khokha family. Nagrath built Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Lahore. Roshan was a great attraction at Gazals Mefil at Nizamuddin East where Mr.I.K. Gujral was present.
Mumbai based troupe Musicolor, which is promoting vintage music, presented an exclusive tribute programmes featuring the gems of Roshan at Dinanath Mangeshkar auditorium on 22 January 2010.