Naushad,
Shankar-Jaikishen, Laxmikant Pyarelal ,R.D.Burman, A.R.Rehman are the few names
that immediately popup as one mentions about Hindi film music. Though, it’s true that these legends have a
lion’s share in grooming the Hindi film music, yet, there are many who, despite
their elephantine contribution didn’t really received the kind of accolades
that these maestros derived, particularly in the arena of awards and recognition.
To
cite an example of one such ‘ignored’ musical wizard is ‘Ghulam Mohammed’, the
exceptionally brilliant music director who has the ‘lone’ distinction of
setting to tune Ghalibs complicated ghazals in the most commercially successful
form in Sohrab Modi’s ‘MIRZA GHALIB’.
In
fact, in the even Jagjit Sing’s superlative score in Gulzar’s T.V. serial Mirza
Ghalib too, falls short, in terms of the mass popularity which Ghulam
Mohammed’s music possessed in ‘Mirza Ghalib’. The songs were such a craze that
forgets the intellectual even the illiterate hummed on streets!!!
The
movie solely on the strength of its extraordinary music not just broke box –
office records but also fetched its maker the prestigious ‘Best film’ national
award, but alas! The man who injected life was left neglected!!! Even the
popular – Filmfare Award gave him a Nelson eye!
But
the maestro didn’t complaint. Though, genius don’t complain, rights thinking
people, do protest. And that’s exactly what happened when for the second time
‘Ghulam Mohammed’ was out played in the award games, when his master piece
creations in Meena Kumari ‘s PAKEEZAH lost to the lesser known creation of music
director ‘Shankar-Jaikishen’ in the movie BE-IMAAN during the Filmfare Awards
of 1972. Readers would agree that music of PAKEEZA, was the backbone of the
movie.
Angered
upon by the juries ‘indifferent’ decisions in the music categories, actor Pran
in a ‘loud’ protest declined to accept his Filmare trophy awarded to him for ‘Best
Supporting Actor’ in the movie BE-IMAAN.
More
than the award, it must be Pran’s touching gesture that must have made the
maestro Ghulam Mohammed proud! And why not? Because it is the people’s award
that is ultimate, while rest all awards are pigmies in front of them!!!
