Tu jahaa jahaa chalegaa, meraa saayaa saath hogaa…
This poignant song from Madan Mohan’s movie HAQEEQAT, today suits aptly to remember the legendary music director, Madan Mohan, who was born on June 25, 1924. On his 90 birth anniversary Raaga.Com pays him homage and unravels some untold facts about the great music director in a three part series.
Madan Mohan, the Monarch of Ghazal and the incredible music director may not be alive in flesh and blood but his immortal songs begin give solace to music buffs from morning till dawn either through radio, television or audio recorders. Thus akin to his super hit song Tu jahaa jahaa chalegaa, meraa saayaa saath hogaa… Madan Mohan’s music accompanies music buffs wherever they go.
Son of business tycoon Rai Bahadur Chunnilal, who was the co-owner of Mumbai’s premium production houses Bombay Talkies and Filmistan. As a child Madan had a passion for music and would send long hours listening to gramophone records and had an amazing memory. He could pick a record of any particular song from the heap of umpteen records that his father would fetch for him.
Whenever guest would come to his house his father would call young Madan and ask him to play a song of the gust’s request. Madan would instantly select the perfect record from a pile of hundreds of records and play. The guest would marvel at his amazing ability as Madan then was barely 3 to 4 years and didn’t knew to read or write. But he was so passionate about music that he would listen to a record several times so much that he could easily identify the record.
Madan Mohan’s father before plunging into film business was working as an Accountant General with the Iraqi Police. Madan was born in Iraq and till the age of five years he was living in Iraq until, Iraq won independence from British Raj and Madan’s father quit his job and returned to India.
An interesting anecdote from Madan’s life in Iraq is that when Madan turned two, his father gifted him a drum on his birthday, looking at his passion for music but the gift created trouble!
It so happened that once the Iraq Police Band was marching on the streets. Young Madan was fascinated by its drum beats and immediately ran out from his house with his little drum that his father had gifted and began playing his drum and marched with Iraq Police Band! Later when he was not found around in the house, there was chaos and a hunt to trace him began. Eventually Madan was found playing his drum and enjoying sweets at the Police station!
NOTE: In the next issue you will read about Madan Mohan’s journey from Army to film music.
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