Sweet nostalgia is set to hit you in full force with the Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) invoking some of the finest Hindi film music of the yesteryears with the Kalyanji-Anandji Musical Evening.
The grand concert today (Thursday) at the auditorium of DPS Modern Indian School, Wakrah, at 7.30pm, presents a rare opportunity to listen to the classics, live, from Anandji, of the legendary Hindi film music director duo Kalyanji-Anandji, who at 83 still flies the flag of their endearing music, joined by a full-fledged orchestra.
?Arvind Patil, President, ICBF told Community, “It is heartwarming to have Anandji associate with ICBF, which is an organisation carrying out the benevolent task of supporting our less fortunate Indian brethren in Qatar. Their music will be brought to life by artistes such as Raj Sharma, Srikanth, Vinod, Supriya, Ashok Mishra, and Alok.
You can collect your passes, as soon as possible, by calling 55842693; 55814150; 55854791; or 30287133, or contact ICC/ICBF helpdesk to support generously towards a noble cause lead by ICBF.”
The gifted composer duo from the western Indian state of Gujarat is among one of the most prolific Bollywood music directors. Since 1954, Kalyanji-Anandji have composed some of the most iconic Hindi film music, more popularly for the action potboilers of the 1970s, and have collaborated with the finest singers, directors and actors of India.
Some of their famous songs are Yeh Mera Dil Pyar ka Deewana, Govinda Aala Re, Meri Desh ki Dharti, Chhalia Mera Naam, Dam Dam Diga Diga, Har Kisi Ko Nahi Milta, Kya Khoob Lagti Ho, Pardesiyon Se Na Ankhiyaan Milana, Salaam-e-Ishq Meri Jaan, and Zindagi Ka Safar.
Originally from a town called Kunrodi in Kutch, the brothers are sons of Virji Premji, a businessman who migrated from Kutch to Bombay in Maharashtra. The family started their small provisional store shop in Mangal Wadi, Girgaum, in Bombay in the ’50s.
The brothers began learning music from a music teacher who taught them in lieu of paying his bills to their father. Growing up among some bright musical talents in the vicinity only added to their skills.
The elder brother Kalyanji began his musical career playing Clavioline, an imported instrument, in the 1954 film Nagin, which would give him his first break. Soon, the brothers started an orchestral group called Kalyanji Virji and Party which organised musical shows in Mumbai and outside – their first attempt at holding live musical shows in India. Their foray into the Bollywood music industry came amidst the golden years of extremely talented music directors such as S D Burman, Hemant Kumar, Madan Mohan, Naushad, Shankar Jaikishan and Ravi. Yet the duo found their groove.
It was the Bharat Bhushan-Nirupa Roy hit Samrat Chandragupta (1959) that was Kalyanji’s first film as composer, and was a commercial success. As Kalyanji continued composing music scores for films such as Post Box 999, Anandji, who was assisting him, joined him officially to form the now legendary Kalyanji-Anandji duo, and gave us Satta Bazar and Madari (1959).
Perhaps their biggest hit early on was Chalia (1961). Two emphatic hits in 1965, Himalay Ki God Mein and Jab Jab Phool Khile, established the brothers as top-of-the-line composers.
What sustained their popularity as much were their live shows with their orchestra, which went by the name of Kalyanji-Anandji Night and toured all over India. They also did several charitable shows to raise funds for many organisations. In fact, Kalyanji-Anandji are perhaps the first music directors to start the trend of elaborate live music shows featuring the biggest actors and actresses of Bollywood of the respective eras.
The duo has scored music for nearly 290 films – some of which have still not released – and their songs provided platforms for a sea of singing talents such as Manhar Udhas, Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, Sadhna Sargam, Sapna Mukherjee, Udit Narayan, Sunidhi Chauhan, who are all popular names. Interestingly, in their career, the duo composed 297 songs for Lata Mangeshkar and 297 songs for Asha Bhosle, which speaks of how they utilised two of India’s iconic film music songstresses equally.
Unfortunately, Kalyanji passed away on August 24, 2000. His dream of honing young, new talents and promoting them was carried forward by Anandji in the way of children’s talent shows such as Little Stars.
WELCOME: Anandji, centre, with the members of the ICBF Committee at the Hamad International Airport yesterday.
