Entertainment News Desk – As soon as music director Vasant Desai is mentioned, many songs start appearing in our memories like clouds. Such songs on which even the shadow of changing times has not fallen. Even after changing so many calendars from the walls, they still look fresh. Both new and old generations are equally fascinated by them.
Vasant Desai composed a prayer for V. Shantaram’s ‘Do Aankhen Barah Haath’ in 1953 – ‘Aye Malik Tere Bande Hum’. Even today, this prayer brightens the day in many schools. In many schools another prayer is sung every morning – ‘Give us strength of mind, let the mind conquer/ Let us conquer ourselves before conquering others’. This was also composed by Vasant Desai for Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s ‘Guddi’ (1971).
A sweet blend of classical and folk music
Vasant Desai was a magician of music. Perhaps because before coming into the film world, he had taken training in classical music from Ustad Alam Khan and Ustad Inayat Khan. Since he was a Marathi, he had a deep hold on Marathi folk music. In his tunes, the sweet confluence of classical and folk music, the fragrance of the soil, reaches from the ears to the heart and from the heart to the soul. ‘Jo Tum Todo Piya’ and ‘Nain So Nain Nahi Milao’ from ‘Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje’ or ‘Tere Sur Aur Mere Geet’, ‘Dil Ka Khilona Hi Toot Gaya’, ‘Jeevan Mein Piya Tera’ from ‘Ghunj Uthi Shehnai’ Listen to ‘Saath Rahe’ or ‘Saiyan Jhooton Ka Bada Sartaj Nikla’ from ‘Do Aankhen Barah Haath’. There is such a sweet coolness in each composition that it does not irritate the mind, but instead brings peace.
Tell me no one should love here…
Pratidhano in film music is the contribution of Vasant Desai. He first wrote the first resonant song ‘Jo Dard Banke Jamane Pe Chhaye Jaatein’ (Zohra Bai) in ‘Parbat Pe Apna Dera’ (1944). He further expressed this echo in ‘Kah Do Koi Na Kare Yahaan Pyar’ (Ghoonj Uthi Shehnai) sung by Mohammed Rafi. He made Ashok Kumar sing ‘Railgaadi’ in ‘Aashirvaad’, which is considered to be India’s first rap song.
there was a childhood
In ‘Goonj Uthi Shehnai’ Vasant Desai used Ustad Bismillah Khan’s Shehnai as well as Ustad Abdul Halim Zafar Khan’s sitar and Ustad Amir Khan’s voice very intelligently. His other evergreen songs include ‘Nirbal Se Ladai Balwan Ki’ (Toofan Aur Diya), Nighain Ladein Hai Dil Ka Chalna (Nazneen), Ae Kale Badal Bol (Dowry), Jiki Dhundti Phirathi Hai Meri Nazar (Sheeshmahal), Charan Tumhare Phool Hamare. (Narasimha Avtaar), the clouds are covered with years from the core of the eyes. (Sampoorna Ramayan), Mukhda Dekh Le Pranik (Do Sister), Ek Tha Bachpan, Jhir Jhar Barse Sawani Ankhiyaan (Aashirvaad) and ‘Bole Re Papihara’ (Guddi).
Lift accident took away his life
Despite his immense talent, Vasant Desai got limited opportunities in films because he could never understand the mathematics of the manipulative world of Mayanagar. On 22 December 1975, he was entering the lift for a non-film recording, when suddenly the lift started moving and the journey of a precious musician came to a halt forever.
