The fact that OP Nayyar never got lata Mangeshkar to croon his tunes but gave several immortal chartbusters proves his mettle. On the birth anniversary of the legend, Subhash Kumar Moitra looks back at his musical journey and contribution to Hindi cinema
OP Nayyar set his own rhythm. With guitar, accordion, violin, drums and dholak, dexterously arranged by his assistant Sebastian and mouth organist Milon Gupta, he catapulted himself to an exalted place by the side of the thespians like SD Burman, Shankar Jaikisan, Naushad and C Ramchandra.
Born in lahore on January 16, 1926, Nayyar during his early days was associated with Ustad Amir Khan and Reza Khan and played Sarod in AIR Jalandhar. Thereafter he moved to Bombay for a career in film music where he got a breakthrough with Guru Dutt’s films like Aar Paar (1952), Mr and Mrs 55 and C.I.D. (1956), that stormed the country giving him a separate identity.
The captivating vamp in Geeta Dutt’s voice found its fullest expression in songs like Babu Ji Dheere Chalna, Hun Abhi Main Jawan (Aar Paar), Are Tauba Yeh Meri Ada (12 O’Clock) and Meera Naam Chin Chin Chon (Howrah Bridge) etc which were well orchestrated with accordion and guitar.
The chemistry of sweetness and pathos in Geeta’s voice was neatly crafted by Nayyar in songs like Elo Main Hari Piya and Pritam Aan Millo. His exclusive contribution to Hindi music was Mohd Rafi and Geeta Dutt’s duet based on fat western tunes like Jaane Kahan Mera Jigar Gaya Ji, Mohabbat Kar lo Ji Bhar lo and Ankhon He Ankhon Mein Ishara Ho Gaya, lyricked by Majrooh Sultanpuri.
like SD Burman and Salil Choudhary, Nayyar was an expert composer of comic songs. His Rafi numbers like Churi Ban Kanta Ban (Jaali Note) and Main Bambai Ka Babu (Naya Daur) continue to titillate our senses. When Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhonsle sang that duet in Raagini with Bengali and Madrasi accentuations — Main Bangali Chokra Karu Pyar, the song became a bubbling memento.
Apart from Western tunes the music director showed his acquaintance to northern Indian folks and the inspiration came from the khanak sopped voice of Shamshad Begum. Her songs like Kahin Aar Kahin Paar, Bujh Mera Kya Naam Re, Kahin Pe Nigahe Kahi Pe Nishana and Raat Rangeeli Gaye Re resonate with the rustic and pleasant flavour of lahore (incidentally birth place of OP Nayyar and Shamshad) and gave a new twist to Hindi music.
However the new trend set by Nayyar defying the staid grammar of traditional music was not that palatable to the conservative section of the Bollywood raising their eye brows. Top producers started distancing themselves from Nayyar. Even his bosom friend and whistle blower Guru Dutt in his thought provoking films like Pyaasa and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam turned to SD Burman and Hemant Kumar respectively ignoring him. Nayyar was handicapped ab initio for lata Mangeshkar could never croon for him. He seldom got a standard movie to his credit. A large number of films carrying his scintillating music were frivolous or bogus and went into oblivion. Some brilliant musical scores sank deep into limbo and were lost to us.
Even then, Nayyar with a vast reservoir of tunes, went ahead and never looked back. He got an avalanche in BR Chopra’s Naya Daur, with exhilarating music onto the lyrics by Sahir ludhianvi. The Punjabi Bhangra type song Udi Jab Jab Julfe Teri facsimile of his earlier composition Sarpar Topi lal Hath Mein, combining Rafi with Asha Bhonsle and introducing peculiar group Thapdis, became his identification mark.
Perhaps the task of propelling Asha Bhonsle to stardom fell on Nayyar who made the best use of the jerk, ululation and sensuousness of her voice in songs like Yeh Hain Reshmi Zulfon Ka Andhera, Aaiye Huzoor Tumko Baharoon Pe le Chale, Kitna Haseen Hain Yeh Jahan and Aaiye Meherbaan and host of others. In film Kalpana, he showed command over raga Tilak Kamood over that mujra rendered by Asha, Bekhudi Had Se Jab Guzar Jaye, which evokes instant nostalgia of Madan Mohan’s composition in film Adalat by lata — Yeh Hasraton Kay Daag.
In composing ghazals and light classical Nayyar used raag Bhairavi with Rafi, for example Bahut Shukriya Bari Meharbaani and Mann Mora Banwara and once he even brought in Guru Dutt’s brother CH Aatma for that heart throbbing song drenched with sonority — Diya To Jala Sab Raat Re Balam Par Tum laut Na Aaye where Nayyar turns blue and completely out Nayyared himself.
One attribute of his music lies in assimilating the life and the scenic beauty across the Kashmir valley. The ‘Paradise on Earth’ with all its grandeur found its appropriate expression in songs voiced by Rafi and Asha picturised over Shammi Kapoor, Vishwajeet, Joy Mukherjee, Sharmila Tagore and Asha Parekh romancing, singing and dancing over the shikaras across the Dal lake. The songs in film Kashmir Ki Kali and Mere Sanam may still be heard echoing round the earthy flavour of the land carrying the message of peace, goodwill and love.
The mid 60’s sounded a discordant note for the voices of Geeta Dutt and Shamshad Begum became seniled. Rafi left him midway. Asha Bhonsle suddenly deserted him and went over to RD’s camp thereby moving from brilliance to balance. Nayyar felt alone frustrated and became ship without a radar moving along on an uncharted sea. His last recognised song written by Kavi Pradeep where he mixed rhythm with melody — Chal Akela Chal (Mukesh) — reminding Onkar Prasad Nayyar’s hey days now left behind. He turned to homeopathy and died January 27, 2007, leaving behind lilts that helps in recharging our emotions.