Music Composer Duos who took Indian Cinema by Storm!

Following the film’s, success  they composed the song Mere Mehboob Qayamat Hogi for the film Mr X In Bombay (1964) which was a Kishore Kumar hit. Their song Chahoonga Main Tujhe from Dosti (1964) brought yet another feather in Rafi Saheb’s cap. Although the film didn’t do well at the box office, went on to be remembered for its music from  LP who won their first Filmfare Award, post which they gave several hits.

Suno Sajna from Aaye Din Bahar Ke (1966) was a beautiful melody rendered by Lata Mangeshkarji, while their song Saawan ka Mahina from Milan (1967), filmed on Sunil Dutt and Nutan became a huge hit of it’s time. Sung by Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar, the song’s opening became legendary with ‘Pawan Kare shore nahi baba sore’. While the song Baar Baar Yeh Din Aaye – Farz (1967) sung by Rafi and written by Anand Bakshi, became a trademark song for any birthday celebration.

Laxmikant-Pyarelal composed for some 635 movies in their four decade career to include some of the most notable songs in the movies Humjoli, Abhinetri, Karz, Utsav, Shagird, Patthar Ke Sanam, Bobby, Amar Akbar Anthony, Mr India, Chaalbaaz, Ram Lakhan, Khuda Gawah, and Deewana Mastana among many others. 

Shankar- Jaikishan 

Music composers Shankar-Jaikishan are known for their Raga based immortal melodies which created an everlasting impact on their listers in the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. Having worked together for over four decades from 1949- 1979, their lilting compositions bestowed a rare sonority.

Shankar belonged to Hyderabad where he learnt tabla during his formative years and eventually learnt to play piano, sitar and accordion at the Prithvi theatre. He also assisted the then leading composer duo of Husnlal Bhagatram, which gave him a distinct sense of rhythm and percussion. While, Jaikishan was adept at playing the harmonium and mastered the instrument under Vinayak Tambe after moving to Mumbai.

Eventually, Shankar met Jaikishan at a producers office in Mumbai, and later introduced him to Prithvi theatre as a harmonium player. Their friendship grew and they were together addressed as ‘Ram Laxman ki Jodi’ amongst their music circuit. 

Over the time the duo became friends with Raj Kapoor who took them onboard to compose for his film Barsaat along with lyricists Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri. Lata Mangeshkar did the female vocals and Mukesh who was considered as Raj Kapoor’s ghost voice, rendered all the songs of the film.

Thereafter the duo gave many hits for the films namely; Awara, Badal, Poonam, Nagina, Aurat, Parbat, Kali Ghata, Aah, Patita, Shikast, Badshah, MayurPankh, Naya Ghar, Seema, Shree 420, Basant Bahar, Halaku, Rajpath, New Delhi, Kathputli, Anari, Chori Chori, Daag, Begunah, Yahudi, Main Nashe Mein Hoon, Kanhaiya, Boot Polish, Choti Behan, Shararat, Love Marriage and Ujala. 

Shankar Jaikishan are also credited to develop the new genre of Indo-Jazz style with their album Raaga-Jazz in 1968. The duo created 11 songs based on Indian Classical Ragas in the most innovative way by incorporating western and Indian instruments like saxophone, trumpet, bass guitar, sitar, tabla. Their songs topped the charts in Binaca Geeta Mala and were declared most popular on six occasions. Some of their Major hits were Mera Joota Hai Japani in 1955 (Shree 420), Teri Pyari Pyari Surat Ko in 1961 (Sasural), Ehsaan Tera Hoga Mujh Par in 1962 (Junglee), Bol Radha Bol in 1964 (Sangam), Baharon Phool Barsaao in 1966 (Suraj), and Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana in 1971 (Andaaz). In 1959, seven of the top ten songs for the year were composed by S-J, The music director duo received Padmshri and 9 Filmfares during their career.

Shiv-Hari

Shiv Hari refers to the music composer duo of Indian classical instrumentalist the Santoor Maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and celebrated flautist Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia. From a young age, the duo collaborated somewhere in the late 1960s to give some of the finest Indian classical music pieces for albums and also composing for movie scores. 

There was a time when the duo faced criticism for diluting classical music, but they took the plunge to prove them right and stood to the occasion. They signed Silsila with Yash Chopra who gave a chance to the young music directors, while they discussed with him situations, locations and stories. The lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi did not have the dates so Javed Akhtar came on board, this being his first project as a Film Writer. 

Eventually, Hariji suggested having a typical Hori song in UP dialect to be sung by Amitabh Bacchan himself. He requested Amitji to not only render the song,but also to get a song written by his father Hariwansh Rai Bacchan, who took no time to write ‘ Rang Barse’ since his son was to enact and sing it. Amitji practised and gave his best to render it and the song became a legend in itself. Directed by Yash Chopra the song depicts exotic onscreen chemistry between the actors Amitabh and Rekha and is still reckoned as one of the most popular Hori songs of Indian cinema.

Shiv Hari composed music for some of the most popular melodies in the films  including Silsila (1981), Faasale (1985), Vijay (1988) Chandani (1989), Lamhe (1991), Parampara (1999), Sahibaan (1993), Darr (1993). The duo was nominated thrice for Filmfare Awards for Silsila, Chandani and Darr.

Kalyanji – Anandji 

Kalyanji Virji Shah and Anandji Virji Shah were real brothers born to a Gujarati merchant from Kutch, who came and settled in Bombay, today’s Mumbai. The young brothers were put to learn music to pay the bills of their father. Eventually Kalyanji developed an interest to learn an electronic instrument  Clavioline which sounded like a Nagin Been and was used in the film Nagin (1954). The brothers began their intitial career together by conducting live bands and film orchestras.

The brothers first entered the film industry as a music composer duo in the times when it was ruled by RD Burman, Shankar Jaikishan and Laxmikant-Pyarelal. With their initial hits like  Dum Dum Diga Diga they created a mark in the industry. Following which the duo composed some of the most evergreen songs like Man Dole Mera Tan dole, Wada Karle Sajana, Kya khoob lagti ho, Jivan Se Bhari Teri Ankhein, Na Na Karte Pyar, Arey Diwano Mujhe Pehchano,Kaike Pain Benaras Wala and many more.

Kalyanji Anandji also introduced many new singers to the industry like Manhar, Udit Narayan, Anuradha Paudwal, Sadhna Sargam, Alka Yagnik, Kanchan and Sunidhi Chauhan.

 Vishal- Shekhar

Music composers, producters, singer & songwriter duo Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani come from very different musical backgrounds, complimenting each other while they create music.

Vishal Dadlani comes from a strong electronica, heavy metal and rock background, and began his career being the lead vocalist for the electronic band Pentagram.He also happens to be a songwriter having penned many Bollywood songs like Musu Musu Hasi, Allah Ke Bande, Tu Aashiqui Hai and Tinka, to name a few.

While Shekhar is a trained Hindustani classical musician  who has learnt under the guidance of Ustad Niyaz Ahmad Khan. Music being in the family he learnt to play the accordion from his father Hasmukh Ravjiani.Shekhar began his music career as a contestant on Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, while he also composed for Ad jingles.

It’s an interesting story of how the duo got together as they both met at a recording studio, initially recollecting, where had they met before. Finally realising that they performed with a local band in South Mumbai, wherein Shekhar played the Keyboards,while Vishal was the lead guitarist. Eventually, they became friends and teamed up for the first time as the Music composer duo Vishal- Shekhar for the film Pyaar Main Kabhi Kabhi in 1999.

Vishal- Shekhar rose to fame with the song ‘Tu Aashiki Hai’ for the film Jhankaar Beats, for which they won the Filmfare RD Burman Award for New Music and many more in the coming years. In a career span of almost 20 years, the duo has given many hits for the films namely Salaam Namaste, Dus, Bluffmaster, Dostana, Student of the year, Ra One, Om Shanti Om, Bang Bang, Tiger Zinda Hai amongst many more.

The duo has been ruling the YouTube space with their songs  ‘Nashe Si Chad Gayi” which became an overnight YouTube sensation with 600 million and ‘Swag Se Swagat’ which became the fastest song in the world to hit 100 million views,which reached 650 million views on YouTube in its first year.