( The Legendary Singer & Celebrated Music Composer )
( The Doyen of Bengali and Hindi Music )
( One of the Foremost exponents of Rabindra Sangeet )
Music Training | Bengali Playback singer | Legendary Uttam Kumar's Voice |
Hemanta-Salil Combination |
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Sailesh Datta Gupta was Hemanta's first music tutor. Hemanta approached a Classical Music trainer to train in Classic music but couldn't continue. He had started learning Hindustani classical music under the tutelage of Ustad Faiyaz Khan, but the Ustad's untimely death cut short his learning. Sailesh Datta Gupta introduced Hemanta to Rabindra Sangeet in which he became an exponent later. He had no format training on Rabindra Sangeet. Sailesh Datta Gupta one day asked him if he knew Rabi Thakur's Songs. When he said in negative, he was given by Sailesh Datta Gupta a book that had the notations of the Song "Aamar Mallika Bone". He learnt the song immediately. This was the first time that he learnt Rabindra Sangeet. It was Rabindra Sangeet that gave Hemanta all sorts of inspiration through out his music career. To fine tune and embellish his technique for singing Rabindra Sangeet, he took Rabindra Sangeet lessons from Suchitra Mitra – the celebrated Rabindra Sangeet Legend and continued to hear Rabindra Sangeet Classes given by Pankaj Mallik in All India Radio.
Hemanta's initiation into Rabindra Sangeet made an everlasting impact on his composition of music through out his music career. Initially the listeners =upon hearing his Rabindra Sangeet - would dub him as a clone of Pankaj Mallik as he emulated Pankaj Mallik's style of singing in the very beginning. If we hear the Rabindra Sangeet of Hemanta's early years, we can find a similarity between his voice and that of Pankaj Mallik. But in late 50s and 60s, he developed his distinctive style of singing Rabindra Sangeet. His distinctive style distinguished himself from other Rabindra Sangeet Singers.
In 1937 ho got an opportunity to sing in the cultural program of the University Institute. He was supposed to sing in the program if some of the reputed singers were absent in the program.. But he returned home broken hearted as all of them were present in the program.. Since 1945 he used to get an opportunity to sing songs in the University Institute cultural programs. In 1945 he married Bela Mukhopadhyay who herself was a singer.
In 1940, he first emerged as playback singer for a Bengali Movie "Nimai Sannyas" directed by Phani Burma. In that movie, he sang 4 devotional style songs, one of which "Kotha Krishna, Kotha Krishna, Dekha Dao" became very hit. Since then there was no retreating in his ascendance the pinnacle as an undisputed singer in Bengal. The Bengali movie in which he established himself a Music Composer was Ajay Kar's Jighansha though his debut in Bengali movie as a Composer was in the Film "Purborag.
Hemanta worked for hundreds of Films as Music Composer and Director. The notable among those are "Jighansha", Sandipan, Pathshala, Shapmochon, Harano Shur, Shesh Paryonto, Lukochuri, Suryomukhi, Suryotoron, Khokababur Pratyaborton, Shikar, Dui Bhai, Morutirthahinlaj, Neel Akasher Niche, Deep Jwele Jay, "Baishe Shrabon", Sathihara, Jautuk, Agni Samshkar, Sonar Horin, Modhyorater Taara.
The glory of Hemanta as playback singer of the utmost repute can't be described, unless his playback singing for Uttam Kumar in the Bengali Movies - that fetched him enormous fame – is not talked about in details. Songs play backed by him for Uttam Kumar one after another became super-hit in almost all the movies. This trend began when he was requested by Sudhin Mukherjee to play back for a romantic movie "Shapmochon" starred by Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen. All 3 songs of Uttam Kumar play backed by Hemanta were super hit and thus began a journey of Hemanta-Uttam Era which dominated the Bengali Movies domain for a long period. Once the audience watched the movie Shapmochon, they could hardly ascertain whether the songs ware sung by Uttam Kumar or Hemant. In another famous move "Harano Shur", the director thought that it would be nice of the actor to call the actress by her name "Roma". But Uttam Kumar wasn't available for that moment. So, it was Hemanta who lent the voice on behalf of Uttam Kumar. The voice was so stunningly synonymous that hardly the audience could realize it. Since then both Uttam Kumar and Hemanta appeared to be such as if they were two brothers of the same mother. Coincidently in a move titled "Dui Bhai", there was a situation in which two brothers starred by Uttam Kumar and Hemanta had the identical voice that could hardly be realized. Hemanta play backed for Uttam Kumar. Then Hemanta-Uttam enthralling combination continued with the movies "Tasher Ghar" ( Shunye Dana Mele Pakhira Ure Gele" ), Maru Tirthahillaj ( "Pother Klanti Bhle", "Tomar Bhubone Mago Eto Pap" ), Kuhak ( "Nolo Kishore Go", Bishnupriya Go Aami Chole Jay" ), Bondi ( "Mou Bone Aaj Mou Jomeche" ), Adwitiya ( "Chanchalo Mon Aanmona Hoy ), Indrani ( Neer Choto Khoti Nei ), Saptapadi ( Ei Poth Jodi Shesh No Hoy ) etc.
Salil Chowdhury, the celebrated lyricist and music composer met Hemanta in the mid 40s. In 1949 Hemanta recorded the song "Kono Ek Gayer Bodhu" written and set to tune by Salil Chowdhury. This song was favourite amongst the listeners especially the middle class and rural people that this song was reverberated amongst their lips. Since then Hemanta and Salil Combination churned out super hit songs one after another turning both of them into Legendary Status. This song was followed up by "Runnar", "Abak Prithibi Abak Korle Tumi", "Duronto Bhurnir Ei Legeched Pak", "Aami Jharer Kache Rekhe Gelam", "Path Harabo Bole Ebar, Dhitang Dhitange Bole, Thikana Aamar Cheyeche, Moner Janale Dhore.
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