Laxmikant–Pyarelal (also known as L-P) were an Indian composer duo, consisting of Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar (1937–1998) and Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma (born 1940). In their career span, stretching from 1963 to 1998, they composed music for about 750 movies, working with several prominent film-makers. Laxmikant's father's friend, a musician himself, advised Laxmikant and his elder brother to learn music. Accordingly, Laxmikant learned to play the mandolin and his elder brother learned to play the tabla. He spent two years in the company of the well-known mandolin player Hussain Ali. He began organising and performing in Indian Classical instrumental music concerts to earn some money. Later, in the 1940s, he also learned mandolin from Bal Mukund Indorker and violin from Husnalal (of the Husanlal Bhagatram fame). Laxmikant began his film career as a child actor in the films Bhakt Pundalik (1949) and Aankhen (1950). He also acted in some Gujarati films.

Pyarelal

Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma (born 3 September 1940) is the son of a renowned trumpeter Pandit Ramprasad Sharma (popularly known as Babaji), who taught him the basics of music. He started learning violin at the age of 8 and practised it 8 to 12 hours daily. He learnt to play violin from a Goan musician named Anthony Gonsalves. The song "My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves" from the movie Amar Akbar Anthony is regarded as a tribute to Mr. Gonsalves (the movie had music by Laxmikant–Pyarelal).

Music career

1960s: Rise to prominence

Laxmikant–Pyarelal begin their career in 1963 by composing music for Babubhai Mistri's Parasmani. It proved to be financially successful and two songs from the film, "Hansta Hua Noorani Chehra, Kali Zulfen, Rang Sunehra" and "Woh Jab Yaad Aaye, Bahut Yaad Aaye" were superhits and part of the year-end annual list of Binaca Geetmala. They established themselves the following year when they composed the soundtrack of Rajshri Productions's blockbuster musical drama film Dosti. Its songs, "Jaanewalon Zara Mudke Dekho Mujhe", "Chaahunga Main Tujhe Sanjh Savere", "Mera To Jo Bhi Kadam Hai", "Koi Jab Raah Na Paaye", all solos by Mohammed Rafi were chartbusters which made Dosti one of the best-selling Hindi film albums of the 1960s and won Laxmikant–Pyarelal their maiden Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. Apart from Dosti, their other musical hits during this period were Mr. X in Bombay (1964) and Aaye Din Bahar Ke (1966), both of which had chartbuster songs, such as "Mere Mehboob Qayamat Hogi", "Khoobsurat Haseena Jaan-E-Jaan Jaan-E-Man" in the former and "Mere Dushman Tu Meri Dosti", "Suno Sajna" in the latter. Two songs from the film "Sawan Ka Mahina" and "Yug Yug Se", both duets by Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar topped the year-end annual list of Binaca Geetmala.

Laxmikant–Pyarelal concluded the decade with Mere Hamdam Mere Dost (1968), Izzat (1968), Sajan (1969), Intaqam (1969), Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke (1969), Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke (1969), Anjaana (1969), Jeene Ki Raah (1969) and Do Raaste (1969). While, the first six albums were hits, the last two proved to be huge chartbusters. Notable songs from these films, included "Chhalka Yeh Jaam", "Yeh Dil Tum Bin Kahin Lagta Nahin", "Kya Miliye Aise Logon Se", "Resham Ki Dori", "Aa Jaane Jaan", "Kaise Rahoon Chup Ki Meine Pee Hi Kya Hai", "Aa Mere Humjoli Aa Khele Aankh Michaulee Aa", "Je Ham Tum Chori Se Bandhe Ek Dori Se", "Rim Jhim Ke Geet Sawan Gaye", "Aane Se Uske Aaye Bahar", "Bindiya Chamke Gi Chudi Khanke Gi" and "Yeh Reshmi Zulfen". At the 17th Filmfare Awards, they got nominated in the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director category for both Jeene Ki Raah and Do Raaste, and they won it for the former. With continuous success in the late-1960s, Laxmikant–Pyarelal entered the big league and eventually overtook Shankar–Jaikishan, who had ruled the roost from 1949 onwards.

Despite this, Laxmikant–Pyarelal continued to deliver musical hits, including Mohan Kumar's romantic drama Aap Aye Bahaar Ayee (1971), which had Rajendra Kumar in the lead role, Satyen Bose's crime drama Jeevan Mrityu (1970) and Raj Khosla's action drama Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971), both starring Dharmendra, Mukul Dutt's romance Aan Milo Sajna (1970) and M. A. Thirumugam's comedy drama Haathi Mere Saathi (1971), both having Rajesh Khanna in the lead.

In 1972, they composed for Manoj Kumar's third directional venture Shor. One of its song "Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai", a duet by Mangeshkar and Mukesh with lyrics written by Santosh Anand emerged a mass favorite and got Laxmikant–Pyarelal another nomination in the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director category.

The year 1973 proved to be milestone year in their career as they got the chance to compose for Raj Kapoor's romantic musical Bobby. The songs of the film like "Main Shayar To Nahin", "Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Band Ho", "Mujhe Kuchh Kehna Hai", "Na Mangun Sona Chandi" were huge chartbusters and remain popular till date. For Bobby and Daag, Laxmikant–Pyarelal received two more nominations in the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director category. Other memorable songs composed by the duo during this phase were "Gaadi Bula Rahi Hai" (Dost), "Ruk Jana Nahin" (Imtihan), "Yeh Public Hai" (Roti), "Aadmi Jo Kehta Hai" (Majboor), "Jaaneman Jaaneman" (Jaaneman), all solos by Kishore Kumar, "Baith Ja Khadi Ho Ja" (Amir Garib), "Gore Range Pe Na Itna" (Roti), "Prem Kahani Mein" (Prem Kahani), "Kal Ki Haseen Mulaqat Ke Liye" (Charas), all duets by Kumar and Mangeshkar, "Main Jat Yamla Pagla Deewana" (Pratiggya), a solo by Rafi and "Yeh Duniya Ek Numbri" (Dus Numbri), a solo by Mukesh.

The final years of the decade saw the trend change from romantic to action oriented multi-starrers with filmmakers like Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra leading the road. In 1977, Laxmikant–Pyarelal composed for four films of Manmohan Desai, which were - Amar Akbar Anthony, Parvarish, Dharam Veer and Chacha Bhatija. They made Mohammed Rafi sing majority of the songs as he was going through a rough patch owing to the meteoric rise of Kishore Kumar post-Aradhana (1969). At release, all the four films proved to be huge commercial successes, especially Amar Akbar Anthony and Dharam Veer, both of which were mega blockbusters. The songs of Amar Akbar Anthony like "Parda Hai Parda", "Taiyabali Pyar Ka Dushman" and "Shirdi Wale Sai Baba", all three solos by Rafi were huge hits among the masses and marked his comeback. The cherry on the top were the chartbuster songs of Dharam Veer - "O Meri Mehbooba" and "Main Galiyon Ka Raja", again both solos by Rafi. The soundtracks of Amar Akbar Anthony and Dharam Veer were the seventh and ninth best-selling Hindi film album of the 1970s, respectively. Their other hit songs of the year, include "Yaar Dildar Tujhe Kaisa Chahiye" (Chhailla Babu), "Aate Jate Khoobsurat Awara" (Anurodh), "Dream Girl" (Dream Girl), "Aadmi Musafir Hai" (Apnapan) and "Teri Meri Shadi Seedi Saadi" (Dildaar). For the former, Laxmikant–Pyarelal won their fifth and second consecutive Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. The music of Sargam was one of the best-selling Bollywood album of the decade and won Laxmikant–Pyarelal their sixth and third consecutive Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. At the box office, they emerged successful and their songs proved to be hugely popular among the masses, which were - "Sheesha Ho Ya Dil Ho" and "Tune Mujhe Bulaya Sherawaliye" (Aasha), "Om Shanti Om", "Paisa Yeh Paisa", "Ek Hasina Thi" and "Dard-E-Dil, Dard-E-Jigar Dil Mein Jagaaya Aap Ne" (Karz), "Mar Gayi Mujhe Teri Judaai" and "Mausam Suhane Aa Gaye, Pyar Ke Zamane Aa Gaye" (Judaai), "Ek Rasta Do Rahi" and "Ladki Pasand Ki" (Ram Balram), "Salamat Rahe Dostana Hamara", "Mere Dost Kissa Yeh Kya Ho Gaya" and "Dillagi Ne Di Hawa" (Dostana), "Mere Hosh Ley Lo" and "Rang Bhare Mausam Sey" (Bandish). The soundtracks of Karz and Aasha proved to be two of the best-selling Hindi film albums of the 1980s with Laxmikant–Pyarelal winning their seventh and fourth consecutive Filmfare Award for Best Music Director for the former. They continued their winning streak from 1981 to 1983 by composing highly popular numbers in blockbusters, such as "Zindagi Ki Na Toote Ladi" and "Durga Hai Meri Maa" (Kranti), "John Jani Janardan" and "Mere Naseeb Mein" (Naseeb), "Tere Mere Beech Mein", "Hum Bane Tum Bane Ek Duuje Ke Liye" and "Solah Baras Ki" (Ek Duuje Ke Liye), "Bhanware Ne Khilaaya Phool", "Main Hoon Prem Rogi" and "Yeh Galiyan Yeh Chaubara" (Prem Rog), ""Lambi Judaai" and "Tu Mera Hero Hai" (Hero), "Andhaa Kaanoon" and "Rote Rote" (Andhaa Kaanoon), "Din, Maheene, Saal Guzarte Jayenge" and "Chalo, Bulaawa Aaya Hai, Maata Ne Bulaaya Hai" (Avtaar), "Sari Duniya Ka Bojh Hum Uthate Hai", "Lambuji Tinguji" and "Humka Ishq Hua" (Coolie). For Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), Prem Rog (1982) and Hero (1983), Laxmikant–Pyarelal received three successive Filmfare Award for Best Music Director nominations and their soundtracks emerged as three of the best-selling Bollywood albums of the decade along with that of Kranti (1981) and Naseeb (1981). The songs from these films, such as "Tum Se Mil Kar Na Jaane Kyon", "Chaahe Laakh Toofaan Aayen", "Sridevi Tu Nahi", "Zeehale Muskin Makun ba-Ranjish", "Teri Meherbaniyan", "Dil Bekraar Tha Dil Bekraar Hai", "Yashoda Ka Nand Lala", "Main Ka Piya Bulaave Apne Mandirwa", "Duniya Mein Kitna Gham Hai", "Gori Ka Saajan Saajan Ki Gori", "Har Karam Apna Karenge", "Zindagi Har Kadam Ik Nayi Jung Hai", "Chiththi Aayi Aayi Hai Chiththi Aayi Hai", "Tu Kal Chala Jaayega To Main Kya Karunga", "Na Tum Ne Kiya Na Maine Kiya", "Ram Ram Bol", "Naam Sare Mujhe Bhool Jane Lage", "Tu Nache Main Gaoon", "Zindagi Ek Dard Hai", "Baat Pate Ki Kahe Madaari", "Hawa Hawai", "Karte Hain Hum Pyaar Mr. India Se" and "Zindagi Ki Yahi Reet Hai", topped the year-end annual list of Binaca Geetmala.

For their music in "Pyar Jhukta Nahin", "Meri Jung" and "Sur Sangam", Laxmikant–Pyarelal received three Filmfare Award for Best Music Director nominations in the same year. Songs from both films emerged chartbusters and played a major role in their box office success and making Madhuri Dixit an overnight sensation.

The following year, they delivered two more musical hits in Khuda Gawah and Prem Deewane, both of which received acclaim for their melodious songs and topped the sales-chart as well as the year-end annual list of Binaca Geetmala. For Khalnayak, Laxmikant–Pyarelal received their final nomination in the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director category. The soundtracks of Khalnayak and Trimurti were among the best-selling Bollywood albums of 1993 and 1995, respectively. Their standalone success during this period was David Dhawan's 1997 directional Deewana Mastana, which emerged a hit and had popular songs like "Tere Bina Dil Lagta Nahin" and "Dil Chaahe Kisi Se".

With Laxmikant's death in 1998, the duo's 35 years long partnership came to an end. Pyarelal has done a show with Kakas Entertainment called Maestros: A musical Journey of Laxmikant–Pyarelal.

Style

Laxmikant–Pyarelal experimented with different genres, such as creating a disco-like sound for the film Karz (1980). They also westernized a ghazal for the same film, "Dard-e-dil Dard-e-jigar". They were also known for using large orchestras. For example, they used around 72 violinists for the song "Chanchal Sheetal Nirmal Komal" from Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978).

Achievements

  • Bobby has been rated the 17th best soundtrack ever by Planet Bollywood on their "100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks". Other soundtracks in the list include Amar Akbar Anthony (25), Roti Kapada Aur Makaan (27), Dosti (32), Hero (36), Ek Duuje Ke Liye (44), Karz (50), Ram Lakhan (59), Kranti (61), Tezaab (65), Do Raaste (74), Milan (75), Khalnayak (77) and Prem Rog (85).

Frequent collaborations

Laxmikant–Pyarelal worked with several successful directors of Indian cinema in a career spanning almost 35 years. They frequently teamed up with Manmohan Desai, Raj Khosla, Manoj Kumar, Mohan Kumar, Subhash Ghai, K. Viswanath, Mukul Anand, J. Om Prakash, J. P. Dutta, Dulal Guha and T. Rama Rao. They also worked with Raj Kapoor (3 films), Basu Chatterjee (3 films), Mahesh Bhatt (3 films), Asit Sen (3 films), Hrishikesh Mukherjee (2 films), Ramanand Sagar (2 films), Vijay Anand (2 films) and Yash Chopra (1 film).

Mohammed Rafi gave Laxmikant–Pyarelal their first big break with Dosti (1964) and they together delivered a huge number of memorable songs. When Rafi was going through a rough patch in the early-1970s, they played a major role in his comeback. Apart from Rafi, they also shared great rapport with Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh and lyricist Anand Bakshi with whom they worked in 302 films. Bakshi made his singing debut for Laxmikant–Pyarelal in Mome Ki Gudiya (1972), and then sang in Charas (1976) with a total of three songs, all hits. None of the four songs he sang for other music directors were hits.

Plagiarism allegations

Some of Laxmikant–Pyarelal's songs featured the tunes of popular foreign-language songs, such as "Ek Rasta Do Rahi" from Ram Balram (1980) was inspired by KC and the Sunshine Band's "That's the Way (I Like It)", "Ek Haseena Thi" from Karz (1980) was inspired by George Benson's "We as Love (Live)", "Saathiya Tu Mere Sapno Ka Meet Hai" from Insaan (1982) was inspired by Brotherhood of Man's "Angelo" and "Jumma Chumma De De" from Hum (1991) was found to be similar to Mory Kanté's "Tama". Responding to the allegations, Pyarelal said "There was a lot of pressure from actors and producers. For instance, the song "Jumma Chumma" was in the movie Hum just because of the pressure from Amitabh Bachchan. Out of the 500 odd movies that we have done, we must have copied 50 songs because of pressure".

Discography

References

Further reading

  • Pyarelal: The Legend grows