The Composer C. Ramchandra

C. Ramchandra

C. Ramchandra

Ramchandra Narhar Chitalkar, also fondly called as Annasaheb, was born in 1918 in Punatambe, Maharashtra. He studied music under Vinayakbua Patwardhan at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya music school. His first movie as an actor was Y.V.Rao's flop Naaganand. After a short stint with Marathi cinema, then centered around Kolhapur, he veered towards Bombay and landed in a film directed by Sohrab Modi for his Minerva Movietone. Modi despaired over young Ramchandra's acting ability but recognised his ability as a harmonium player. A fateful shift to the music department followed. He became a harmonium accompanyist for Minerva composers Bindu Khan and Habib Khan in a 1939 film Pukaar. He debuted as a music director in Tamil films with Jayakoddi(1939) and Vanmohini. His first Hindi movie as an independent composer was Sukhi Jeevan (1942) for Master Bhagwan, which established a long-term association that culminated with the musical megahit Albela. He turned into a producer for a brief period with with New Sai Prod. in 1953 with JHANJHAR, LEHAREIN, and DUNIYA GOL HAI.

Influenced by Benny Goodman, he introduced e.g. the alto sax in combination with guitar and harmonica, also whistling in one of his most famous songs 'Aana meri jaan Sunday ke Sunday' in SHEHNAI. He also used a bongo, oboe, trumpet, clarinet and sax combination for 'shola jo bhadke' in ALBELA. He also introduced scat singing in AASHA. In SHIN SHINAAKI BOOBLA BOO, he featured his own voice along with Lata's to sing the title song, and incorporated the authentic blue note and rhythm. The raw blue sound seems not have been capitalized on by our composers. The Kishore- Rafi duet from OP's BHAAGAMBHAAG ("chhoD chaley pyaari duniyaa ko") and Asha's brilliantly rendered "tum jaiso.n ko to paayal mei.n baandh loo.n" from RD's GARAM MASAALA are by far the only ones that readily comes to mind.

He sang a number of songs using the name 'Chitalkar', mostly of his own composition. He was a tellingly effective match for Bhagwan (Albela) and for Raj Kapoor (Sargam), but did not quite do justice to this aspect of his music. For Azad, he had lined up Talat Mahmood to sing "kitna haseen hai mausam" but an emergency kept the singer from attending the recording. Ramchandra went ahead and recorded the song in his own voice, doing a fairly good imitation of the famed Talat tones.

Outside of the Hindi space, Anna worked on Marathi, Telugu, Tamil and Bhojpuri films. His style has inspired an entire generation of composers from the South. Quite a few of them have gone to school on the soft Chitalkar signature.

His fallout with Lata also signalled a major downturn in his music and his popularity. The Lata solo from the 1966 PAAYAL KI JHANKAAR ("tu aaye na aaye magar jaane waale") may well be her last song for CR. To overcome a fallow period in the late 60s, he relaunched himself as music director, producer and actor in successful Marathi films: DHANANJAY, GHARKUL. His autobiography in marathi called 'majhya jeevanachi sargam' (Melody of my life) was published in 1977.

On 22nd December 1981, he was admitted to the KEM hospital in Mumbai. He had been suffering from ulcers for some time. He was 72 when he breathed his last on 5th January, 1982. His death left behind a vacuum and a silence.

Always open and generous, Ramchandra created one of the strongest musical signatures in the business. The gentle orchestration, the clean melody devoid totally of unnecessary complications, a light approach to orchestration except when the situation really demanded it, total understanding of the Mangeshkar voices - the end result carried that unmistakable CR stamp.

He was not in the least embarrassed about borrowing the occasional musical phrase from his colleagues, as exemplified by the opening bars of "tum kyaa jaano", a Hemanta Mukherji orignial from the Bengali SOORYATORAN. Perhaps there was a special bond between the two contemporaries. Perhaps they shared their views on the virtues of simplicity. One doesn't quite know.

Notable Films : Anarkali, Azad, Albela, Asha, Jhanjhar, Navrang, Parchhain, Patanga, Sagai, Stree, Yasmin

C. Ramchandra

The days of closeness between C. Ramchandra and Lata had long passed. Lata was not even singing for any of C. Ramchandra's tunes. It was a musical night on Breborn stadium in Bombay. India's vocal empress Lata Mangeshkar was going to sing the famous patriotic number Ae mere watan ke logo by Kavi Pradeep. Dilipkumar - the movie mughal - was at the dias. In his great theatrical style he introduced the audiance to the song. Not that there was any need for its introduction. But he told them about the birth of the song, told that Pradeep had penned it, dramatically explained how Panditji had wept when he had listened to it for the first time when it was performed on Lal Kila. He told everything except that the music to this legendary song was composed by C. Ramchandra. He conveniently forgot that part. When he arrived at the back stage C. Ramchandra charged at him with clenched fists and furiously asked why he did not mention his name. Dilipkumar put on a mask of total innocence and said that he never knew that Anna had composed that song. C. Ramchandra said, "Don't lie Yusuf! You knew it very well. But you were told not to mention it by that woman!". "No one dictates terms to Dilipkumar.", said the thespian with some smugness. And bang came the reply from the magician of Thumari -- "Those days are gone, Yusuf. There was a time when no one dared to dictate terms to C. Ramchandra also. Now they dictate to both of them."

Ramchandra Narhar Chitalkar (from Puntambe, Maharashtra) was a true Mard Maratha in the sense that whatever he did in his life he did it openly and without any attempts of concealment -- be it his love for scotch or his relations with Lata. As a composer he was an unprecedented genius. Probably only Naushad has enjoyed a similar overwhelming popularity that C. Ramchandra commanded among both - classes and masses. C. Ramchandra was the so-called fastest music director who could compose brilliant tunes in moments.

C. Ramchandra was great in himself and his talents knew no bounds when he paired up with Lata to produce some pearls in the ocean of Indian Film Music. When he composed the awesome lori -- Dheere se aaja re ankhiyano mein (AAlbela) with her, even the demons were soothed to sleep. Not going into the much talked about controversy of his relationship with Lata, let us experience some divine moments in the songs that they did together. C. Ramchandra composed two brilliant Thumaris for Lata - Katate hai dukh mein ye din (Parchhaai) and Tum kya jaano, tumhari yaad mein (Shin Shinaki Bubala Boo). If you are missing even one of these in your collection then you cannot really claim for its completeness. The list of such gems is a long one. Aankhon mein sama jao, is dil mein raha karana (Yasmin) is one more of these. Anna has managed to create a fantastic effect in this song with minimum of instruments leaving most to Lata's magical voice. And Lata does it to perfection. Koi kisi ka deewaana na bane (Sargam), Yeh zindagi usi ki hai jo kisi ka ho gaya (Anarkali), Ae pyar teri dunaya se hum (Jhanjar), Wafaaon ka majboor daman bichha kar dua kar gume dil khuda se dua kar (Anarkali), and the one in which, according to Majrooh, C. Ramchandra has given a lesson to the composers how to compose a ghazal -- Muhobbat aisi dhadkan hai jo samjhayi nahi jati (Anarkali) - each of this compositions is a master piece.

And yet if I look at the list I find almost all of the finest ones missing from it. For example, what about Ab woh raate kahan ab woh baate kahan (Yasmin), Jo mujhe bhula ke chale gaye (Sangeeta), Mujh se mat poochh mere ishq mein kya rakha hai (Anarkali), Dekho ji bahar aayi (Azad), Jo dil ko jalaye sataye dukhaye aisi muhobbat se hum baaj aaye (Nirala) and Mujh pe iljaam-e-bewafaai hai (Yasmin). How can this list be complete without adding even one of these. And then there are the unforgettable ones from the duo - Ae chand pyar mera tujh se ye kah raha hai (Khazana), Muhobbat mein aise jamane bhi aaye (Sagaai), Aa ja ab to aa ja (Anarkali), Tere dar se khushi mangi magar gum de diya tu ne (Hungama), Tere phoolon se bhi pyar (Nastik), Kali kali ratiyan yaad sataye (Ghungaroo), Dil se bhula do tum humen (Patanga) and Dil ki duniya basa ke sawariyan (Sangeeta).

C. Ramchandra was a handsome fellow. Even more so when one looks at him from the eyes of a awestruck worshiper of his musical genius. He himself had some faculty of singing as well - which he exploited in many songs with Lata. Mere dil ki ghadi kare tik tik tik, Sham dhale khidaki tale tum siti bajana chhod do, Shola jo bhadake dil mera dhadake (All from Albela), Kitana hansi hai mausam kitna hansi safar hai (Azad) and Woh hum se chup hai hum un se chup hai (Sargam). But one wonders if he himself was not really his first choice when it came to male playback. The credit of that position undoubtedly goes to Talat. Though C. Ramchandra made some finest of his compositions for Hemant Kumar, he knew very well that only Talat could have done justice to so soulful a ghazal like Muhobbat hi na jo samajhe woh jaalim pyar kya jane. This master piece from Parchhaai which was written by Anjaan is, indeed, a song Talat fans would rate in his top few. C. Ramchandra has excelled himself in all respects in this song. Talat sang a few excellent duets with Lata for C. Ramchandra- Apani kaho kuchh meri suno kya dil ka lagana bhool gaye (Again Parchhaai), Tere raaste pe maine ek ghar bana liya hai (Kavi), Tum apani yaad bhi dil se bhula jaate to acchha tha (Yasmin), Gaya andhera hua ujaala (Subah ka Tara), and Kise maloom tha ek din muhobbat bejuban hogi (Saqi). His other solos like Bechain nazar betaab jigar ye dil hai kisi ka deewana (Yasmin) and Apani nakaami se mujh ko kaam hai (Subah ka Tara) are undoubtedly the ones that music lovers will find indispensible.

While Talat did justice to every song C. Ramchandra could give him after dedicating all his time to Lata, I do not think Hemant Kumar fell short in any respect. If Hemant Kumar was good singer, he was a far far better Music Director. But he did wonders when he sang under the masterful guidance of C. Ramchandra. He sang a very beautiful song Badali mein chhupe chand ne kuchh mujh se kaha hai in Shatranj. Gagan jhanjhana raha (Nastik) will be another number the critics would find notable by Hemant Kumar. C. Ramchandra stayed away from Rafi in most of the films for whatever reasons. But Rafi has a nice duet with Lata on his account owing to C. Ramchandra in Nausherwan-e-Adil. The song was Bhool jaye saare gum, doob jaye pyar mein.

C. Ramchandra was accused of setting the trend of occidental music into Hindi films. But then the trend has enjoyed its own popularity. Moreover, who else would have done that better than he did. The foot-tapping songs Gore gore, o baake chhore (Samadhi - Lata with Shamshaad) and Deewana parwaana, shama pe aaya (Albela -Lata with Chitalkar) are certainly enjoyable ones though one cannot regard them as immortal creations. Then there was the one which really set the popularity rolling for C. Ramchandra - Aana meri jaan meri jaan Sunday ke Sunday (Shahanai).

C. Ramchandra was admitted to KEM hospital in Mumbai on 22nd December 1981 owing to his long standing ulcer problems. He breathed last on 5th January 1982. The great music director who could suggest someone like S.D.Burman the superlative humming at the beginning of his fantastic Lata solo Thandi hawaein, lehara ke aaye (Naujavan) left a permanent vacuum in the world of melody. He will but outlive the death through his amazing melodies that had the tact of talking straight to ones heart.

Originally posted by: HariOm

Reading these articles, once again reminded me the dirty politics played by Lata "Didi". Actually Lata Mangeshkar was interested in marrying C.Ramachandra. She was totally in love with him because of his good looks and talent. But he rejected her. Hence she took her revenge by not singing with him.

or it is the reverse

she never wanted to marry, she had a responsibility of a entire family and children of her family(all her brothers and sisters were children then). C Ramachandra wanted to marry her and was infatuated by her

she refused, when a man of that stature is rejected by a woman of even higher stature, he goes beserk and C Ramachandra became one? We have an experience here with Salman/Aish here

We dont know anything about the personal lives of Lataji or C Ramachandraji, what actually happened then, all we have is accounts from C Ramachandraji when he was in depression, which is will be bad. All the people who have gone after her on the character angle have had serious character flaw's themselves. Lataji has always maintained her silence.

So perhaps it might be prudent to not talk about personal lives of such greats and stick to discussing their work which is enough for anyone's lifetime to discuss

Just a thought

Originally posted by: HariOm

Reading these articles, once again reminded me the dirty politics played by Lata "Didi". Actually Lata Mangeshkar was interested in marrying C.Ramachandra. She was totally in love with him because of his good looks and talent. But he rejected her. Hence she took her revenge by not singing with him.