Like all fans of Hindi film music in 1976, director Hariharan was bowled over by the songs of Chitchor . The film directed by Basu Chatterjee, starring Amol Palekar and Zarina Wahab, had some lovely songs that topped the charts, such as Jab deep jale aana …, Gori tera gaon bada pyara… and Tu jo mere sur mein …
All the songs were sung by Yesudas, who created a sensation with those songs in Bollywood, though he had made his debut a few years ago under the baton of Salil Chowdhury. “I was very impressed by Jain’s tunes in Chitchor and wanted him to compose for my new film, Sujatha ,” Hariharan told The Hindu on Friday. “So I contacted Yesudas, who introduced me to Jain.”
That was how Jain made his debut in Malayalam. The lyrics for the tune he first set were written by Mankombu Gopalakrishnan. Sujatha had four songs and all of them became hits. Yesudas sang two of them – Kalidasante kavyabhavanayil… and Thalippoo peelippoo…
Another one was rendered by Asha Bhonsle, Swayamavara shubhadina …, which remains the only song the legendary singer has sung in Malayalam. The other song, Asritha valsalane… , was also sung by a Bollywood singer, Hemlata, who was a Jain favourite.
Despite the smashing debut, he did only two more films in Malayalam, Sukham Sukhakaram and Akasathinte Niram , though he composed a popular album of Onam songs for Yesudas. “Yes, he could have been used more by Malayalam,” Hariharan said.
Jain’s contribution to Malayalam cinema may not have been considerable, but he played the most important role in making the Malayali’s favourite singer Yesudas heard all over the country. Some of Yesudas’s most popular songs in Hindi were composed by him, including Sunaina aaj in nazaron… , ( Sunayana ) O Goriyare… ( Naiyya ) and Aaj se pehle … ( Chitchor ).
Jain also tuned one of the finest songs Yesudas has sung in his entire career – the semi-classical Shadjane paya… , for the unreleased film Tansen . In Jain’s own words, Mohammed Rafi had refused to sing the 13-minute song, which, the legend felt, would be difficult for him.
Jain, who was blind but also wrote the lyrics of most of his songs, was indeed quite at home in classical, light and folk music.
His songs, such as Ghugroo ki tarah … ( Chor Machaye Shor ), Akhiyon ke jharokhon se… ( Akhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se ), Shyam tere bansi … ( Geet Gata Chal ), Kaun disa mein leke … ( Nadiya Ke Paar ), Sun sahina sun … ( Ram Teri Ganga Maili ) and Dil mein tujhe bitha ke … ( Fakira ), are for ever.
Composer Ravindra Jain died in Mumbai on Friday at the age of 71.
