Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Music director Ravi dead


‘My son and his wife want to throw me out’
Mumbai, March 7 - Veteran music director Ravi Shankar Sharma, popularly known as Ravi who gave several hit songs like Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho" and "Dil Ke Aarman Aansu Bankey Rah Gaye", died here tonight following prolonged illness, family sources said. 86-year-old Ravi, who has composed music for over 70 Hindi and 14 Malayalam films, breathed his last at Bombay Hospital. Sharma’s wife Kanti died long ago and he is survived by son Ajay who is married to Varsha Usgaonkar, a Marathi and Hindi film actress. "He (Ravi) is no more with us. He was keeping ill for a week and was admitted to Bombay Hospital where he passed away today", one of his nephews told PTI. Among the music composer's popular numbers are ‘Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho’, ‘Tora Man Darpan Kahlaye’, 'Baar Baar Dekho Hazaar Baar Dekho' in Shammi Kapoor-starrer "China Town" (1962), 'Dil Ke Aarman Aansu Bankey Rah Gaye' from "Nikaa" (1982) and 'Milti Hai Zindagi Mey Mohabbat Kabhi Kabhi" from the 1968 movie "Aankhen" starring Dharmendra and Mala Sinha. Ravi began his career in 1955 by composing the music for "Albeli" and went to do the same for movies like "Dilli Ka Thug" (1958), "Humraaz" (1967), "Neelkamal" (1968), "Ek Phool Do Maali" (1969) and "Mehendi" (1984). "Just heard about the demise of composer Ravi saab. He was one of my most favourites. Never got a chance to meet him. Now I won't ever. R.I.P", national award-winning playback singer Shreya Ghoshal wrote on twitter.

Biography

Ravi was born in Delhi on March 3, 1926. He had no formal training in classical music; instead he learned music from listening to his father sing bhajans. He taught himself to play harmonium and other classical instruments and worked as an electrician to support his family. In 1950 he decided to shift to Bombay and become a professional singer. At first Ravi was homeless, living on the streets and sleeping in Malad railway station at night. In 1952, he was discovered by Hemant Kumar who hired him to sing backing vocals in Vande Mataram from the film Anand Math.[1] Ravi gave several hit songs and received Filmfare nominations for these films: Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960), Do Badan (1966), Humraaz (1967),Ankhen (1968), and Nikaah (1982). He won Filmfare awards for Gharana (1961) and Khandaan (1965).[2] His other successful films include Waqt, Neel Kamal and Gumraah. His songs Aaj mere yaar ki shaadi hai, Babul ki duyaen leti ja andDoli chadh ke dulhan sasural chali became very popular in wedding celebrations. He was one of the music directors who shaped the career of Asha Bhosle with songs like Tora man darpan. He was also instrumental in making Mahendra Kapoor a popular singer in Bollywood. After a successful career in Hindi films during the 1950s and 1960s, he took a long break after 1970 till 1982. In 1982, he gave music for the Hindi film Nikaah, and one of the film's songs Dil ke armaan aansooyon main beh gaye sung by Salma Agha won her the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award.
In the 1980s, he made a comeback as a music director in Malayalam (and some Hindi) films as Bombay Ravi. During 1986, the Malayalam director Hariharan convinced him to . The first movie was Panchagni. The songs Saagarangale andAa raatri maanju poyi (sung by Yesudas and Chitra) were hits. That same year, Hariharan's Nakhakshathangal also came out and Chithra won her second National Award for the song Manjalprasaadavum from the same film. All the songs from the Malayalam movie Vaisali released in 1989 were super hits and Chithra won her third National Award for the song "Indupushpam Choodi Nilkum" from the same film. Ravi has composed for many films produced by South Indian banners: Ghoonghat, Gharana Grihasti, Aurat, Samaj ko badal dalo (Gemini), Meherban, Do Kaliyan (AVM), Bharosa, Khandaan (Vasu Films).

Filmography

Hindi

  • Albeli (1955)
  • Vachan (1955)
  • Ek Saal (1957)
  • Narsi Bhagat (1957)
  • Dilli Ka Thug (1958)
  • Dulhan (1958)
  • Ghar Sansar (1958)
  • Mehndi (1958)
  • Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan (1959)
  • Nai Raahen (1959)
  • Pehli Raat (1959)
  • Apna Ghar (1960)
  • Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960)
  • Ghunghat (1960)
  • Tu Nahin Aur Sahi (1960)
  • Modern Girl (1961)
  • Gharana (1961)
  • Nazrana (1961)
  • Pyaar Ka Saagar (1961)
  • Wanted (1961)
  • Salaam Memsaheb (1961)
  • China Town (1962)
  • Raakhi (1962)
  • Tower House (1962)
  • Bombay Ka Chor (1962)
  • Aaj Aur Kal (1963)
  • Gehra Daag (1963)
  • Gumrah (1963)
  • Nartaki (1963)
  • Ustadon Ke Ustaad (1963)
  • Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke (1963)
  • Bharosa (1963)
  • Mulzim (1963)
  • Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya (1963)
  • Grahasthi (1963)-
  • Kaun Apna Kaun Paraya (1963)
  • Door Ki Awaaz (1964)
  • Shehnai (1964)
  • Kaajal (1965)
  • Khandaan (1965)
  • Waqt (1965)
  • Bahu Beti (1965)
  • Do Badan (1966)
  • Dus Lakh (1966)
  • Phool Aur Patthar (1966)
  • Sagaai (1966)
  • Yeh Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hai (1966)
  • Aurat (1967)
  • Humraaz (1967)
  • Meharban (1967)
  • Nayi Roshni (1967)
  • Aankhen (1968)
  • Do Kaliyaan (1968)
  • Gauri (1968)
  • Man Ka Meet (1968)
  • Neel Kamal (1968)
  • Paisa Ya Pyaar (1969)
  • Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969)
  • Anmol Moti (1969)
  • Badi Didi (1969)
  • Doli (1969)
  • Ek Phool Do Mali (1969)
  • Dharkan (1972)
  • Dhund (1973)
  • Mehmaan (1973)
  • Umeed (1974)
  • Ek Mahal Ho Sapnon Ka (1975)
  • Nikaah (1982)
  • Aaj Ki Awaaz (1983)
  • Tawaif (1984)
  • Ek Alag Mausam (2003)

Malayalam (as Bombay Ravi & Ravi Bombay)

Non-movie audio album (Malayalam)

Top 30 Songs Of Ravi The Music Director
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘My son and his wife want to throw me out’

  • April 17, 2011 
  • By Ravi Shankar Sharma
  • It’s sad when you are considered to be one of the finest music composers in the country, with several accolades and awards including the Padma Shri to your credit, and yet seem to be the unhappiest man alive.
    Today, I am being thrown out of my own house by my son Ajay and daughter-in-law Varsha Usgaonkar. My son has taken this decision of his wife’s persistence. Varsha filed a case against me and dragged me into a property dispute, while I was in the US. I was unaware of all this until I returned to Mumbai.
    Ever since my wife passed away, my daughter has been living with me and looking after me. Ajay and his wife live on the first floor of the bungalow. After I left for the US, Varsha started harassing my daughter for the property. I never wanted my son to marry someone from the film industry, but he wanted to marry her. At that time, both my wife and I didn’t appreciate his decision. My wife later passed away in grief.
    My son says that he revived my career by giving me a chance to compose music for television serials. But it is all my hard-earned money. How can I simply give everything away? I have now filed a case against both of them. Ajay’s claims bring tears to my eyes. I had no godfather in this industry. I struggled throughout my life and built this house, which he is now fighting for, brick by brick. Making a career in Mumbai has not been easy. I have lived on footpaths and in a tin house, before making a name for myself.
    I belonged to Delhi and was born and brought up there. As a child, I loved singing film songs. I would while away time flying kites and would keep failing my exams. However, I realised my true potential at the age of 11. My father belonged to the Kalki Bhagwan Mandal, where they would sing bhajans every evening. One day my father asked me to sing a song. Everyone appreciated me. The boy who sang before me felt jealous. The next day when I was asked to sing again, he played wrong notes and I couldn’t sing because I was not trained in music. Everyone laughed at me.
    That day, I promised myself to become a great singer some day. I went home and told my father that I wanted to learn the harmonium. One by one I learnt all the instruments. Meanwhile, in 1943, I got a job at the cantonment as an electrician for Rs 196. It was 13 km away from my house. I would leave home at six in the morning and would come back late at night. I quit the job after a few years and started doing odd jobs here and there. I finally got married in 1946. In 1950, I decided to come to Mumbai to try my luck in films as a singer. I did not know anyone here. I had no place to live, nor any food to eat. I spent my nights at Malad station and sometimes outside shops on the streets. My father later arranged for a small place in Kalbadevi. He sent me money from home. For days, I lived on one glass of tea and one meal for 50 annas.
    Many people cheated me with false promises. They would borrow money and never return it. During this time, music director Husnalal Bhagatram asked me to join his chorus group and offered to pay Rs 50. My clothes and chappals were torn. I was glad that I would earn some money, but after four rehearsals they rejected me. I pleaded with them, but nothing worked out. My father, however continued to send me Rs 40, out of the `80 that he earned. Despite my struggles, I never once gave up my dream of becoming a singer some day.
    When I had left Delhi, I had also carried my electrical tools with me. So, I started taking odd jobs of repairing appliances to earn extra money. In 1951, my wife and children came to Mumbai. Then one day, I met music director Hemant Kumar, who allowed me to sing in the chorus for the Vande Mataram song in the film Anandmath (1952). With the money, I bought a house made of tin in Kandivali. There was no electricity or water there. There were eight common toilets and we had to store water from the well, which was near a bungalow in the vicinity.
    Meanwhile, I continued to assist Hemant Kumar and also played the tabla for him. He was not well-versed with Urdu, so I would often help him out. From there on I never looked back. Soon, I started composing as well as writing lyrics. Slowly, I got more work. My song Chandamama Door Ke became a hit. I composed music for several films. Then Hemant Kumar told me to become an independent composer. I was dejected, I thought I would have to struggle again. But Guru Dutt gave me a chance in Chaudvin Ka Chaand. It is then that I built this house in 1962. Today, I have 200 hit songs to my credit. My life though, seems to be an endless struggle. Sometimes, your own people disappoint you.

at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)