Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay
Encyclopedia
Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay also known as Hemanta Mukherjee (16 June 1920 – 26 September 1989) was an Bengali
singer, composer
and producer
. He sang in Hindi films under the name Hemant Kumar.
, India
although his family hailed from a village named Baharu in West Bengal. They migrated to Kolkata
in the early 20th century. Hemanta grew up there and attended Mitra Institution school of Bhawanipore area. There he met his longtime friend, Subhas Mukhopadhyay who later became a Bengali poet. After passing the intermediate examinations (12th grade), Hemanta joined Jadavpur University to pursue Engineering. However, he quit academics to pursue a career in music, despite parental objection. He briefly tried his hand at literature and also published a short story in a prestigious Bengali magazine called Desh
, but by the late-1930s he was committed entirely to music.
in 1933. The first line of the song was Amar Ganete Ele Nabarupi Chirantanii. Hemanta's music career was primarily mentored by the Bengali musician, Sailesh Duttagupta. In an interview on television in the early 1980s, Hemanta had mentioned that he had also received classical music training from Ustad Faiyaz Khan
, but his tutelage was cut short by Ustad's untimely death.
In 1937, Hemanta cut his first gramophone disc under the Columbia label. The songs (non-film) on this disc were Janite Jadi Go Tumi and Balo Go Balo More whose lyrics were by Naresh Bhattacharya and music was composed by Sailesh Duttagupta. Thereafter, every year Hemanta continued to record non-film discs for the Gramophone Company of India (GCI) till 1984. His first Hindi songs were Kitana Dukh Bhulaya Tumne and O Preet Nibhanewali, released in 1940 under GCI's Columbia label. Music for these songs were composed by Kamal Dasgupta, lyrics were by Faiyaz Hashmi.
Hemanta's first film song was in the Bengali film Nimai Sanyas released in 1941. Music for this film was scored by Hariprasanna Das. Hemanta's first compositions for himself were the Bengali non-film songs Katha Kayonako Shudhu Shono and Amar Biraha Akashe Priya in 1944. Lyrics of these two songs were by Amiya Bagchi.
His first Hindi film songs were in Irada in 1944 under Pt. Amarnath's music direction. Lyrics were by Aziz Kashmiri.
Hemanta is considered a foremost exponent of Rabindrasangeet. His first recorded Rabindrasangeet was in the Bengali film Priya Bandhabi (1944). The song was Pather Sesh Kothaye. He recorded his first non-film Rabindrasangeet disc in 1944 under the Columbia label. The songs were Aamar Aar Habe Na Deri and Keno Pantha E Chanchalata.
His first movie as a music director
was the Bengali film Abhiyatri in 1947. Although many of the songs Hemanta recorded during this time received critical acclaim, major commercial success eluded him until 1947. Some contemporary male singers of Hemanta in Bengali around that period were Jaganmay Mitra, Robin Majumdar, Satya Chowdhury, Dhananjay Bhattacharya
, Sudhirlal Chakraborty, Bechu Dutta and Talat Mahmood
.
and Abak Prithibi. He also recorded a few Bengali songs in the 1960s.
In 1945, Hemanta married Bela Mukherjee
(died 25 June 2009), a singer from Bengal
. Although Bela (maiden name also Bela Mukhopadhyay) had sung some popular songs in a Bengali movie, Kashinath (1943), with music by Pankaj Mullick
– she did not actively pursue her musical career after marriage.
They had two children: a son, Jayant, and a daughter, Ranu. Ranu as Ranu Mukhopadhyay pursued a music career in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with somewhat limited success. Jayant is married to Moushmi Chatterjee, an Indian film actress who was popular in the 1970s.
(IPTA) and started an association with another active IPTA member – songwriter and composer – Salil Chowdhury
. One of the main driving forces behind the establishment of IPTA was the Bengal famine of 1943
and the inaction of the British administration and wealthy Indians to prevent it from happening. In 1948, Hemanta recorded a non-film song called ganyer badhu (literally translates to 'The rural bride') that had music and lyrics by Salil Chowdhury. The six minute song recorded on two sides of a 78 rpm disc was sung at a varying pace and lacked the conventional structure and romantic theme of a Bengali song. It depicted an idyllic, prosperous and caring rural woman's life and family, and how it gets ravaged by the demons of famine and ensuing poverty. This song generated an unforeseen popularity for Hemanta and Salil in eastern India, and, in a way, established Hemanta ahead of his male contemporaries. Hemanta and Salil paired again in several songs over the next four years and almost all these songs proved to be very popular.
Around the same period, Hemanta started receiving more assignments for music composition for Bengali films. Some of these films were for a director named Hemen Gupta. When Hemen moved to Mumbai
a few years later, he called upon Hemanta to compose music for his first directorial venture in Hindi titled Anandmath under the Filmistan
banner. Responding to this call, Hemanta migrated to Mumbai in 1951 and joined the Filmistan Studios. The music of Anand Math
(1952) was a moderate success. Perhaps, the most notable songs from this movie is vande mataram sung by Lata Mangeshkar
, which Hemanta set to a marching tune. Following Anandmath, Hemanta scored music for a few Filmistan movies like Shart in subsequent years, the songs of which received moderate popularity. Simultaneously, Hemanta also gained popularity in Mumbai as a playback singer
. His songs playbacked for actor Dev Anand
under music director Sachin Dev Burman
in movies like Jaal
, House No. 44, and Solva Saal
became quite popular.
(1954) which became a major success owing largely to its music. Songs of Nagin remained chart-toppers continuously for two years and culminated in Hemant receiving the prestigious Filmfare Best Music Director Award
in 1955. The very same year, he scored music for a Bengali movie called Shapmochan in which he also played back four songs for the Bengali actor Uttam Kumar
. This started a long partnership between Hemant and Uttam as a playback singer-actor pair. They were the most popular singer-actor duo in Bengali Cinema
over the next decade.
In the latter part of the 1950s, Hemanta composed music and sang for several Bengali and Hindi films, recorded several Rabindrasangeets and Bengali non-film songs. Almost all of these, especially his Bengali songs became very popular. This period can be termed as the zenith of his career and lasted for almost a decade. He sang songs composed by the major music directors in Bengal such as Nachiketa Ghosh
, Robin Chatterjee and Salil Chowdhury
. Some of the notable films Hemanta himself composed music for during this period include Harano Sur
, Marutirtha Hinglaj, Neel Akasher Neechey
, Lukochuri, Swaralipi, Deep Jwele Jaai
, Shesh Parjanta, Kuhak, Dui Bhai, and Saptapadi
in Bengali, and, Jagriti
and Ek Hi Raasta in Hindi.
, titled Neel Akasher Neechey
(1959). The story of this film was based on the travails of a Chinese
street hawker in Calcutta in the backdrop of India's freedom struggle. The movie went onto win the President's Gold Medal – the highest honour for a movie from Government of India
. In the next decade, Hemanta's production company was renamed Geetanjali productions and it produced several Hindi movies such as Bees Saal Baad
, Kohraa, Biwi Aur Makaan, Faraar, Rahgir and Khamoshi
– all of which had music by Hemanta. Almost all of these, except Bees Saal Baad and Khamoshi, weren't major commercial successes. Back in Bengal, Hemanta scored music for a movie titled Palatak in 1963 where he experimented with merging Bengal Folk Music and light music. This proved to be a major success and Hemanta's composition style changed noticeably for many of his future films in Bengal such as Baghini, and Balika Badhu. In Bengali films Manihar and Adwitiya, both of which were major musical as well as commercial successes, his compositions had a light classical tinge. In 1961, for commemorating Rabindranath Tagore
's birth centenary, Gramophone company of India featured Rabindrasangeet by Hemanta in a large portion of its commemorative output. This too proved to be a major commercial success. Hemanta also went on several overseas concert tours in this period including his trip to the West Indies. Overall, in the 1960s decade he retained his position as the major male singer in Bengal, and, as a composer and singer to be reckoned with in Hindi films.
in for his self-produced Bengali movie titled Anindita. The movie didn't fare exceedingly well at the box office. In the early to mid 1970s, two major music composers in Bengal, Nachiketa Ghosh
and Robin Chatterjee, who had worked closely with Hemanta since the early 1950s, died. Simultaneously, music composed by Hemanta for Bengali films like Fuleswari, Raag Anurag and Dadar Kirti
established Hemanta as the major film music composer in the Bengal movie scene. In 1979, Hemanta re-recorded some of his earlier works with composer Salil Chowdhury
from the 1940s and 1950s. This album, titled 'Legend of Glory, vol. 2' was a major commercial success, despite Hemanta's aged and slightly tired voice.
In 1980, Hemanta suffered a major heart attack (myocardial infarction) that severely affected his vocal capabilities, especially his breath control. He continued to record songs in the early eighties, but his voice was a shade of its rich baritone
past. In 1984, Hemanta was felicitated by different organizations, most notably by the Gramophone Company of India, for completing 50 years in music. Ironically, that very year Hemanta released his last album with Gramophone Company of India – a 45 rpm extended play disc with four non-film songs. Over the next few years, Hemanta released non-film songs under various small-time labels that had cropped up in the nascent cassette-based music industry. Only a few of these were commercially successful. He composed music for a handful of Bengali movies and one Bengali and one Hindi tele-series. However, by this time he had become an institution, a beloved personality, and a courteous and friendly gentleman. He continued to feature regularly on All India Radio
, Doordarshan
(TV) and live programmes/concerts during this period.
In September 1989, he travelled to Dhaka
, Bangladesh
to receive the Michael Madhusudan Award. He performed a concert in Dhaka as well. Immediately after returning from this trip, he suffered a major heart attack (myocardial infarction) on September 26 and breathed his last at 11:15 pm in a nursing home in South Calcutta. Interestingly, even 15 years after his death, Gramophone Company of India releases at least one album by him every year, repackaging his older songs, because of the commercial viability of his songs. His legacy still lives on through the numerous songs he has recorded, music he has composed and through many male singers in Bengal and the rest of India who continue to imitate his singing style.
Hemant Kumar also sang several Marathi songs, notably "Mee Dolkara, Dolkara, Dolakra dariyacha raaja...." (मी डोलकर, डोलकर दर्याचा राजा) with Lata Mangeshkar. This song became immensely popular. Another popular Marathi song by Hemant Kumar, "Gomu sangatina mazya tu yeshil kay" (गोमू संगतीनं माझ्या तू येशील काय), is filmed on the famous actor Kashinath Ghanekar in the film Ha Khel Saavalyancha, हा खेळ सावल्यांचा.
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
singer, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. He sang in Hindi films under the name Hemant Kumar.
Early life
Hemanta was born in the city of VaranasiVaranasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
although his family hailed from a village named Baharu in West Bengal. They migrated to Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
in the early 20th century. Hemanta grew up there and attended Mitra Institution school of Bhawanipore area. There he met his longtime friend, Subhas Mukhopadhyay who later became a Bengali poet. After passing the intermediate examinations (12th grade), Hemanta joined Jadavpur University to pursue Engineering. However, he quit academics to pursue a career in music, despite parental objection. He briefly tried his hand at literature and also published a short story in a prestigious Bengali magazine called Desh
Desh magazine
Desh is a Bengali language literary magazine published by Anadabazar Patrika Limited from India. This magazine, which is in publication since 1933, has been edited by editors like Sagarmoy Ghosh in the past. The present editor is Harsha Dutta...
, but by the late-1930s he was committed entirely to music.
Early music career
Under the influence of his friend Subhas Mukhopadhyay, Hemanta recorded his first song for All India RadioAll India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
in 1933. The first line of the song was Amar Ganete Ele Nabarupi Chirantanii. Hemanta's music career was primarily mentored by the Bengali musician, Sailesh Duttagupta. In an interview on television in the early 1980s, Hemanta had mentioned that he had also received classical music training from Ustad Faiyaz Khan
Faiyaz Khan
Ustad Faiyaz Khan is so far the best known exponent of Agra Gharana in Hindustani classical music. He was the master khayal vocalist of his time. Born at Sikandara near Agra in 1886 , he was the son of Shabr Hussain, who died three months before his birth...
, but his tutelage was cut short by Ustad's untimely death.
In 1937, Hemanta cut his first gramophone disc under the Columbia label. The songs (non-film) on this disc were Janite Jadi Go Tumi and Balo Go Balo More whose lyrics were by Naresh Bhattacharya and music was composed by Sailesh Duttagupta. Thereafter, every year Hemanta continued to record non-film discs for the Gramophone Company of India (GCI) till 1984. His first Hindi songs were Kitana Dukh Bhulaya Tumne and O Preet Nibhanewali, released in 1940 under GCI's Columbia label. Music for these songs were composed by Kamal Dasgupta, lyrics were by Faiyaz Hashmi.
Hemanta's first film song was in the Bengali film Nimai Sanyas released in 1941. Music for this film was scored by Hariprasanna Das. Hemanta's first compositions for himself were the Bengali non-film songs Katha Kayonako Shudhu Shono and Amar Biraha Akashe Priya in 1944. Lyrics of these two songs were by Amiya Bagchi.
His first Hindi film songs were in Irada in 1944 under Pt. Amarnath's music direction. Lyrics were by Aziz Kashmiri.
Hemanta is considered a foremost exponent of Rabindrasangeet. His first recorded Rabindrasangeet was in the Bengali film Priya Bandhabi (1944). The song was Pather Sesh Kothaye. He recorded his first non-film Rabindrasangeet disc in 1944 under the Columbia label. The songs were Aamar Aar Habe Na Deri and Keno Pantha E Chanchalata.
His first movie as a music director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
was the Bengali film Abhiyatri in 1947. Although many of the songs Hemanta recorded during this time received critical acclaim, major commercial success eluded him until 1947. Some contemporary male singers of Hemanta in Bengali around that period were Jaganmay Mitra, Robin Majumdar, Satya Chowdhury, Dhananjay Bhattacharya
Dhananjay Bhattacharya
Dhananjay Bhattacharya,son of Surendranath Bhattacharya was one of the finest Bengal singers. He was a great versatile Shyama Sangeet singer. He was eight years elder than his younger brother Pannalal. He studied in Rivers Thompson School, Bally, Howrah....
, Sudhirlal Chakraborty, Bechu Dutta and Talat Mahmood
Talat Mahmood
Talat Mahmood was a popular Indian playback singer and film actor. A recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 1992, he was famous for singing ghazals. For this quality he was known as the King of ghazals....
.
Family
Hemanta had three brothers and a sister, Nilima. His elder brother, Tarajyoti, was a short-story writer in Bengali. The youngest brother, Amal Mukhopadhyay, composed music for some Bengali movies, most notably HospitalHospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
and Abak Prithibi. He also recorded a few Bengali songs in the 1960s.
In 1945, Hemanta married Bela Mukherjee
Bela Mukhopadhyay
Bela Mukhopadhyay was an Indian singer and widow of composer Hemanta Mukherjee.Mukhopadhyay died in a private hospital in south Kolkatta on June 25, 2009, at the age of 89. She had been admitted to the hospital on June 15, 2009...
(died 25 June 2009), a singer from Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. Although Bela (maiden name also Bela Mukhopadhyay) had sung some popular songs in a Bengali movie, Kashinath (1943), with music by Pankaj Mullick
Pankaj Mullick
Pankaj Mullick, also known as Pankaj Kumar Mullick was a Bengali Indian music director, who was a pioneer of film music in Bengali cinema and Hindi cinema at the advent of playback singing, as well as an early exponent of Rabindra Sangeet.He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1970, followed by the...
– she did not actively pursue her musical career after marriage.
They had two children: a son, Jayant, and a daughter, Ranu. Ranu as Ranu Mukhopadhyay pursued a music career in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with somewhat limited success. Jayant is married to Moushmi Chatterjee, an Indian film actress who was popular in the 1970s.
Success and migration to Mumbai
In the mid 1940s, Hemanta became an active member of the Indian People's Theatre AssociationIndian People's Theatre Association
Indian People’s Theatre Association was an association of leftist theatre-artists and others mostly based in Kolkata, West Bengal, Mumbai and Assam, India. Its goal was to bring cultural awakening among the people of India. It was the cultural wing of the Communist Party of India...
(IPTA) and started an association with another active IPTA member – songwriter and composer – Salil Chowdhury
Salil Chowdhury
Salil Chowdhury was an Indian music composer. He mainly composed for Bengali, Hindi, and Malayalam films. He was also a poet and a playwright. He is affectionately called Salilda by all his admirers....
. One of the main driving forces behind the establishment of IPTA was the Bengal famine of 1943
Bengal famine of 1943
The Bengal famine of 1943 struck the Bengal. Province of pre-partition India. Estimates are that between 1.5 and 4 million people died of starvation, malnutrition and disease, out of Bengal’s 60.3 million population, half of them dying from disease after food became available in December 1943 As...
and the inaction of the British administration and wealthy Indians to prevent it from happening. In 1948, Hemanta recorded a non-film song called ganyer badhu (literally translates to 'The rural bride') that had music and lyrics by Salil Chowdhury. The six minute song recorded on two sides of a 78 rpm disc was sung at a varying pace and lacked the conventional structure and romantic theme of a Bengali song. It depicted an idyllic, prosperous and caring rural woman's life and family, and how it gets ravaged by the demons of famine and ensuing poverty. This song generated an unforeseen popularity for Hemanta and Salil in eastern India, and, in a way, established Hemanta ahead of his male contemporaries. Hemanta and Salil paired again in several songs over the next four years and almost all these songs proved to be very popular.
Around the same period, Hemanta started receiving more assignments for music composition for Bengali films. Some of these films were for a director named Hemen Gupta. When Hemen moved to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
a few years later, he called upon Hemanta to compose music for his first directorial venture in Hindi titled Anandmath under the Filmistan
Filmistan
Filmistan was a film production company and film studio of Indian film industry from Goregaon, Mumbai. It is located very near to Patkar College on SV road spread over seven acres. Many students have claimed to see superstars in the studio. Patkar College's reputation has increased due to this...
banner. Responding to this call, Hemanta migrated to Mumbai in 1951 and joined the Filmistan Studios. The music of Anand Math
Anand Math
Anand Math is a 1952 Hindi patriotic-historical film directed by Hemen Gupta, based on Anandamath, the famous Bengali novel written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1882...
(1952) was a moderate success. Perhaps, the most notable songs from this movie is vande mataram sung by Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
, which Hemanta set to a marching tune. Following Anandmath, Hemanta scored music for a few Filmistan movies like Shart in subsequent years, the songs of which received moderate popularity. Simultaneously, Hemanta also gained popularity in Mumbai as a playback singer
Playback singer
A playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...
. His songs playbacked for actor Dev Anand
Dev Anand
Dharam Dev Anand , better known as Dev Anand , is an Indian Hindi Cinema actor, director and film producer. Dev is the second of three brothers who were active in Hindi Cinema. His brothers are Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand. Their sister, Sheel Kanta Kapur, is the mother of renowned Hindi and...
under music director Sachin Dev Burman
Sachin Dev Burman
Sachin Dev Burman , also credited as Burman da, Kumar Sachindra Dev Barman, Sachin karta or S. D. Burman, was one of the most famous music composers for Hindi movies and a Bengali singer and composer. His son Rahul Dev Burman also achieved great success as a Bollywood music director in his own...
in movies like Jaal
Jaal (1952 film)
Jaal is an Indian film, released in 1952. This was Guru Dutt's second movie, after Dev Anand's production Baazi Guru Dutt was sort of finding his bearings through commercially successful movies...
, House No. 44, and Solva Saal
Solva Saal
Solva Saal is a 1958 Hindi movie. Produced by Chandrakant C Desai, the film is directed by Raj Khosla. The film stars Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman...
became quite popular.
Career rise
By the mid-1950s, Hemanta had consolidated his position as a prominent singer and composer. In Bengal, he was one of the foremost exponents of Rabindrasangeet and perhaps the most sought after male singer. In Mumbai, along with playback singing, He also carved a niche as a composer. He composed music for a Hindi film called NaginNagin (1954 film)
Nagin is a 1954 film directed by Nandlal Jaswantlal, starring Vyjayanthimala and Pradeep Kumar.- Synopsis :Two Adivasi tribes are in conflict for some local economic rights. The daughter of the Nagi tribe's chief, Mala vows to kill the son of the Ragi tribe's chief, Sanatan as revenge...
(1954) which became a major success owing largely to its music. Songs of Nagin remained chart-toppers continuously for two years and culminated in Hemant receiving the prestigious Filmfare Best Music Director Award
Filmfare Best Music Director Award
The Filmfare Best Music Director Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to the best composer/arranger of a soundtrack. This category was first presented in 1954. Naushad was the first recipient of this award for his song "Tu Ganga Ki Mauj"...
in 1955. The very same year, he scored music for a Bengali movie called Shapmochan in which he also played back four songs for the Bengali actor Uttam Kumar
Uttam Kumar
Uttam Kumar is one of the most famous names of Indian Bengali Cinema.Born Arun Kumar Chatterjee in 1926 at Ahiritola, North Calcutta he is widely known as Uttam Kumar and Mahanayak . He remains as much of a cultural icon as he had been in his lifetime...
. This started a long partnership between Hemant and Uttam as a playback singer-actor pair. They were the most popular singer-actor duo in Bengali Cinema
Bengali cinema
Bengali cinema refers to the Bengali language filmmaking industries in the Bengal region of South Asia. There are two major film-making hubs in the region: one in Kolkata, West Bengal, India and the other in Dhaka, Bangladesh .The history of cinema in Bengal dates back to the 1890s, when the first...
over the next decade.
In the latter part of the 1950s, Hemanta composed music and sang for several Bengali and Hindi films, recorded several Rabindrasangeets and Bengali non-film songs. Almost all of these, especially his Bengali songs became very popular. This period can be termed as the zenith of his career and lasted for almost a decade. He sang songs composed by the major music directors in Bengal such as Nachiketa Ghosh
Nachiketa Ghosh
Nachiketa Ghosh was one of the most powerful music director and composer of India. He mainly composed for Bengali, Hindi, and Oriya songs. He gave a new dimension to the Bengali music for both the arenas of Bengali modern song as well as Bengali film song...
, Robin Chatterjee and Salil Chowdhury
Salil Chowdhury
Salil Chowdhury was an Indian music composer. He mainly composed for Bengali, Hindi, and Malayalam films. He was also a poet and a playwright. He is affectionately called Salilda by all his admirers....
. Some of the notable films Hemanta himself composed music for during this period include Harano Sur
Harano Sur
Harano Sur is a 1957 film by Ajoy Kar, starring Suchitra Sen and Uttam Kumar, with music by Hemanta Mukherjee, and sung by Geeta Dutt.The film is regarded as one of the finest examples of Bengali cinema of this early golden period.-Synopsis:...
, Marutirtha Hinglaj, Neel Akasher Neechey
Neel Akasher Neechey
Neel Akasher Neechey is a 1959 Bengali language film directed by Mrinal Sen, starring Kali Bannerjee, Manju Dey, Bikash Roy and others....
, Lukochuri, Swaralipi, Deep Jwele Jaai
Deep Jwele Jaai
Deep jwele jai or Deep Jweley Jai was a Bengali movie directed by Asit Sen released in 1959.-Plot:This is a story of a nurse in a psychiatric hospital, played by Suchitra Sen. Sen's character is a part of a team exploring new therapy for patients who have suffered emotional trauma...
, Shesh Parjanta, Kuhak, Dui Bhai, and Saptapadi
Saptapadi
Saptapadi is the most important rite of a Hindu marriage ceremony. The word, Saptapadi means "Seven steps"...
in Bengali, and, Jagriti
Jagriti
Jagriti is a 1954 Hindi film that won the Filmfare Best Movie Award in 1956, and the lead, Abhi Bhattacharya, won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.-Plot:...
and Ek Hi Raasta in Hindi.
Movie production
In the late 1950s, Hemanta ventured into movie production under his own banner Hemanta-Bela productions. The first movie under this banner was a Bengali film directed by Mrinal SenMrinal Sen
Mrinal Sen is a Bengali Indian filmmaker. He was born on 14 May 1923, in the town of Faridpur, now in Bangladesh in a Hindu family. After finishing his high school there, he left home to come to Calcutta as a student and studied physics at the well-known Scottish Church College and at the...
, titled Neel Akasher Neechey
Neel Akasher Neechey
Neel Akasher Neechey is a 1959 Bengali language film directed by Mrinal Sen, starring Kali Bannerjee, Manju Dey, Bikash Roy and others....
(1959). The story of this film was based on the travails of a Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
street hawker in Calcutta in the backdrop of India's freedom struggle. The movie went onto win the President's Gold Medal – the highest honour for a movie from Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
. In the next decade, Hemanta's production company was renamed Geetanjali productions and it produced several Hindi movies such as Bees Saal Baad
Bees Saal Baad
Bees Saal Baad is a 1962 Bollywood film. The movie was produced by Hemant Kumar, who also gave the music and sings some of the movie's memorable songs, the film is directed by Biren Nag. The film stars Biswajeet, Waheeda Rehman, Madan Puri, Sajjan and Asit Sen.The plot is loosely based on Sir...
, Kohraa, Biwi Aur Makaan, Faraar, Rahgir and Khamoshi
Khamoshi
Khamoshi is a 1969 black-and-white Hindi film directed by Asit Sen, starring Rajesh Khanna and Waheeda Rehman. It especially remembered for its songs with music by Hemant Kumar and some haunting lyrics by Gulzar, who also wrote films equally effective dialogues...
– all of which had music by Hemanta. Almost all of these, except Bees Saal Baad and Khamoshi, weren't major commercial successes. Back in Bengal, Hemanta scored music for a movie titled Palatak in 1963 where he experimented with merging Bengal Folk Music and light music. This proved to be a major success and Hemanta's composition style changed noticeably for many of his future films in Bengal such as Baghini, and Balika Badhu. In Bengali films Manihar and Adwitiya, both of which were major musical as well as commercial successes, his compositions had a light classical tinge. In 1961, for commemorating Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
's birth centenary, Gramophone company of India featured Rabindrasangeet by Hemanta in a large portion of its commemorative output. This too proved to be a major commercial success. Hemanta also went on several overseas concert tours in this period including his trip to the West Indies. Overall, in the 1960s decade he retained his position as the major male singer in Bengal, and, as a composer and singer to be reckoned with in Hindi films.
Latter part of career
In the 1970s, Hemanta's contribution in Hindi films was nominal. He scored music for a handful of his home productions, but none of these movies were successful nor the music of them. In Bengal, however, he remained the foremost exponent of Rabindrasangeet. His non-film output was popular in the early part of the decade. In 1971, Hemanta debuted as a film directorFilm director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
in for his self-produced Bengali movie titled Anindita. The movie didn't fare exceedingly well at the box office. In the early to mid 1970s, two major music composers in Bengal, Nachiketa Ghosh
Nachiketa Ghosh
Nachiketa Ghosh was one of the most powerful music director and composer of India. He mainly composed for Bengali, Hindi, and Oriya songs. He gave a new dimension to the Bengali music for both the arenas of Bengali modern song as well as Bengali film song...
and Robin Chatterjee, who had worked closely with Hemanta since the early 1950s, died. Simultaneously, music composed by Hemanta for Bengali films like Fuleswari, Raag Anurag and Dadar Kirti
Dadar Kirti
Dadar Kirti is a Bengali comic- romantic cinema starring Tapas Paul, Mahuya Roychoudhury, Ayan Banerjee and Debasree Roy...
established Hemanta as the major film music composer in the Bengal movie scene. In 1979, Hemanta re-recorded some of his earlier works with composer Salil Chowdhury
Salil Chowdhury
Salil Chowdhury was an Indian music composer. He mainly composed for Bengali, Hindi, and Malayalam films. He was also a poet and a playwright. He is affectionately called Salilda by all his admirers....
from the 1940s and 1950s. This album, titled 'Legend of Glory, vol. 2' was a major commercial success, despite Hemanta's aged and slightly tired voice.
In 1980, Hemanta suffered a major heart attack (myocardial infarction) that severely affected his vocal capabilities, especially his breath control. He continued to record songs in the early eighties, but his voice was a shade of its rich baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
past. In 1984, Hemanta was felicitated by different organizations, most notably by the Gramophone Company of India, for completing 50 years in music. Ironically, that very year Hemanta released his last album with Gramophone Company of India – a 45 rpm extended play disc with four non-film songs. Over the next few years, Hemanta released non-film songs under various small-time labels that had cropped up in the nascent cassette-based music industry. Only a few of these were commercially successful. He composed music for a handful of Bengali movies and one Bengali and one Hindi tele-series. However, by this time he had become an institution, a beloved personality, and a courteous and friendly gentleman. He continued to feature regularly on All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
, Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
(TV) and live programmes/concerts during this period.
In September 1989, he travelled to Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
to receive the Michael Madhusudan Award. He performed a concert in Dhaka as well. Immediately after returning from this trip, he suffered a major heart attack (myocardial infarction) on September 26 and breathed his last at 11:15 pm in a nursing home in South Calcutta. Interestingly, even 15 years after his death, Gramophone Company of India releases at least one album by him every year, repackaging his older songs, because of the commercial viability of his songs. His legacy still lives on through the numerous songs he has recorded, music he has composed and through many male singers in Bengal and the rest of India who continue to imitate his singing style.
Bengali filmography as a composer
Total number of films: 138- 1947: Abhiyatri, Purbaraag
- 1948: Bhuli Naai, Padma Pramatta Nadi, Priyatama
- 1949: Diner Par Din, '42, Sandipan Pathshala, Swami
- 1951: Jighansa, Paritran
- 1952: Swapno O Samadhi-(Jointly with Khagen Dasgupta)
- 1955: Shapmochan
- 1956: Suryamukhi
- 1957: Shesh Parichay, Taser Ghar, Harano SurHarano SurHarano Sur is a 1957 film by Ajoy Kar, starring Suchitra Sen and Uttam Kumar, with music by Hemanta Mukherjee, and sung by Geeta Dutt.The film is regarded as one of the finest examples of Bengali cinema of this early golden period.-Synopsis:...
- 1958: Lukochuri, Shikar, Surjatoran, Joutuk, Neel Akasher NeecheyNeel Akasher NeecheyNeel Akasher Neechey is a 1959 Bengali language film directed by Mrinal Sen, starring Kali Bannerjee, Manju Dey, Bikash Roy and others....
- 1959: Deep Jwele JaaiDeep Jwele JaaiDeep jwele jai or Deep Jweley Jai was a Bengali movie directed by Asit Sen released in 1959.-Plot:This is a story of a nurse in a psychiatric hospital, played by Suchitra Sen. Sen's character is a part of a team exploring new therapy for patients who have suffered emotional trauma...
, Khelaghar, Marutirtha Hinglaj, Sonar Harin, Kshaniker Atithi - 1960: Baishey Shravan, Gariber Meye, Kuhak, Khoka Babur Prayabartan, Shesh Paryanta
- 1961: Dui Bhai, Agni Sanskar, Madhya Rater Tara, Punashcha, SaptapadiSaptapadi (film)Saptapadi Bengali Film is a 1961 film by Ajoy Kar, starring Suchitra Sen, Uttam Kumar, Chhabi Biswas, Chaya Debi.-Synopsis:Its a love story with a twist set in Bengal in pre independent India ; the time when young Indian students were competing equally with British 'goras' in all fields whether it...
, Sathi Hara, Swaralipi - 1962: Atal Jaler Ahwan, Agun, Dada Thakur, Hansuli Banker UpakathaHansuli Banker UpakathaHansuli Banker Upokotha is a novel by Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, made into a film in 1962 by Tapan Sinha starring Kali Bannerjee, Dilip Roy, Robi Ghosh and others. Set in 1941, the movie explores life in rural bengal, the realities of the Zamindari system that was responsible for much of the social...
, Nabadiganta - 1963: Badshah, Barnachora, Ek Tukro Agun, High Heel, Palatak, Saat Pake Bandha, Shesh Prahar, Tridhara
- 1964: Arohi, Bibhas, Natun Tirtha, Pratinidhi, Prabhater Rang, Swarga Hotey Biday, Sindure Megh
- 1965: Alor Pipasa, Ek Tuku Basa, Ek Tuku Chhonya Lage, Suryatapa
- 1966: Kanch Kata Hirey, Manihar
- 1967: Balika Badhu, Dushtu Prajapati, Nayika Sangbad, Ajana Shapath
- 1968: Adwitya, Baghini, Hansamithun, Jiban Sangeet, Panchasar, Parisodh
- 1969: Chena Achena, Man Niye, ParineetaParineeta (1969 film)Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's 1914 novel Parineeta was adapted into a 1969 film by Ajoy Kar. The English title for the film is The Fiancee. ...
, Shuk Sari - 1970: Deshbandhu Chittaranjan, Duti Mon
- 1971: Kuheli, Malayadan, Nabarag, Nimantran, Sansar, Mahabiplabi Arabindo
- 1972: Anindita, Shriman PrithvirajShriman PrithvirajShriman Prithviraj is a 1973 Bengali cinema starring Ayan Banerjee and Mahua Roy Choudhury directed by Tarun Majumdar.It is one of the sweetest Bengali films with a down to earth feel ever made on the subject of teenage love. The film continues to have a cult following.- Plot :Sriman Prithviraj...
- 1974: Bikele Bhorer Phool, Thagini, Phuleshwari
- 1975: Agniswar, Mohan Baganer Meye, Nishi Mrigaya, Raag Anuraag, Sansar Simantey
- 1976: Banhi Sikha, Datta, Sankhabish, Pratisruti
- 1977: Din Amader, Hatey Roilo Tin, Mantramugdha, Pratima, Proxy, Rajani, Sanai, Shesh Raksha, Swati
- 1978: Ganadevta, Nadi Theke Sagare, Pranay Pasha
- 1979: Shahar Theke Dooray, Nauka Dubi
- 1980: Bandhan, Dadar KirtiDadar KirtiDadar Kirti is a Bengali comic- romantic cinema starring Tapas Paul, Mahuya Roychoudhury, Ayan Banerjee and Debasree Roy...
, Paka Dekha, Pankhiraj, Shesh Bichar - 1981: Kapal Kundala, Khelar Putul, Meghmukti, Subarna Golak
- 1982: Chhoto Maa, Chhut, Uttar Meleni, Pratiksha
- 1983: Amar Geeti, Rajeshwari
- 1984: Agni Shuddhi, Ajantay, Bishabriksha, Didi, Madhuban, Suryatrishna
- 1985: Bhalobasa Bhalobasa, Tagari
- 1986: Pathbhola, Ashirwad
- 1987: Pratibha, Tunibou, Agaman, Boba sanai, Parasmani, Surer Sathi
Hindi filmography as a composer
- A: Anand Math, Anjaan, Anupama, Arab Ka Saudagar
- B: Bahu, Bandhan, Bandi, Bandish, Bees Saal Baad, Bees Saal Pehle, Bhagwat Mahima, Bin Badal Barsaat, Biwi Aur Makaan
- C: Chand, Champakali
- D: Daku Ki Ladki, Do Dil, Do Dooni Char, Do Ladke Dono Kadke, Do Mastane, Durgesh Nandini, Duniya Jhukti Hai,Devi Choudhurani
- E: Ek hi Raasta, Ek Jhalak
- F: Ferry, Faraar, Fashion
- G: Girl Friend
- H: Hamara Watan, Hill Station, Hum Bhi Insaan Hai
- I: Inspector
- J: Jagriti
- K: Khamoshi, Kohraa, Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan
- L: Lagan, Laalten, Love in Canada
- M: Maa Beta, Majhli DidiMajhli DidiMajhli Didi is a 1967 Bollywood film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, based on Bengali language story, Mejdidi by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, and starring Dharmendra and Meena Kumari....
, Miss Mary - N: Nagin
- P: Payal, Police
- R: Rahgeer
- S: Sahara, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Samrat, Sannata, Shart
- T: Taj
- U: Us Raat Ke Baad
- Y: Yahudi Ki Ladki
Other languages filmography as a composer
- Ayel Basant Bahar (1961)
- Balma Bada Nadaan (1964)
Hemant Kumar also sang several Marathi songs, notably "Mee Dolkara, Dolkara, Dolakra dariyacha raaja...." (मी डोलकर, डोलकर दर्याचा राजा) with Lata Mangeshkar. This song became immensely popular. Another popular Marathi song by Hemant Kumar, "Gomu sangatina mazya tu yeshil kay" (गोमू संगतीनं माझ्या तू येशील काय), is filmed on the famous actor Kashinath Ghanekar in the film Ha Khel Saavalyancha, हा खेळ सावल्यांचा.
Sources
- Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay, "Ananda dhara", Deb Sahitya Kutir Press, Calcutta, 1970.
- A. Rajadhakshya and P. Wilhelm, "An Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema," 2nd ed., British Film Institute, 1999.
- S. Bhattacharya, "Amar gaaner swaralipi," A. Mukherjee Press, Calcutta, 1988.