O. P. Nayyar - Artists

Artists

O.P. worked extensively with the singers Geeta Dutt, Asha Bhosle, and Mohammed Rafi. He never worked with Bollywood's leading female singer Lata Mangeshkar. The Lata Mangeshkar song "Ek To Balam Teri Yaad Satayein or Sari Sari Raat Teri Yaad Satayein" from 1958 film Aji Bas Shukriya is used in a 1973 movie Taxi Driver, for which O. P. Nayyar was the Music Director. This song was originally composed by Faruk Kaiser & Roshan Lal.

After a breakup with Mohammed Rafi, O.P. started to work with Mahendra Kapoor, an upcoming male singer. Mahendra Kapoor sang O.P.'s compositions in several films. He sang for Dharmendra, Badal Jaaye Agar Maali, Chaman Hotaa Nahi Khaali in Bahaaren Phir Bhi Aayengi. He worked in the movie, Sambandh, with Mukesh and in the movie, Shrimanji 1968, with Kishore Kumar for majority of the songs alongwith Mahendra Kapoor.

Based on one of Rabindranath Tagore's Bengali compositions, O.P. composed the song, Chal Akelaa, Chal Akelaa, sung by Mukesh. The same movie also included a baritone rendering by Hemant Kumar.

O.P. did produce a few songs with Shamshad Begum, including "Kajra Mohabbatwala". After Madhubala's death, heroines like Vyjayanthimala, Mala Sinha, Padmini, Asha Parekh, and Sharmila Tagore lip-synced several of the O.P.-Asha Bhosle numbers.

O.P. and Asha Bhosle parted ways in 1974. After the breakup, he tried to work with several singers, including Dilraj Kaur, Alka Yagnik, Krishna Kale, Vani Jayaram, and Kavita Krishanmurthy.

Majrooh Sultanpuri and Sahir Ludhianvi wrote lyrics for some of O. P.'s earlier compositions such as in Naya Daur. During making of Tumsa Nahin Dekha, the film director Nasir Hussain developed differences with Sahir Ludhianvi and Majrooh Sultanpuri had to write the remaining songs other than the tile song. O. P. always experimented with different upcoming lyricists like Jan Nisar Akhtar, Qamar Jalalabadi, S. H. Bihari, and Ahmed Wasi.

O.P.'s wife, Saroj Mohini Nayyar, is a lyricist. She wrote the C H Atma sung song, Preetam Aan Milo, which was later sung by Geeta Dutt in Mr. & Mrs. 55 album. For Shrimati 420 (1956), Mukhda of "Yahan Hum Wahan Tum" Song was also written by his wife Saroj Mohini Nayyar.

O.P. started the tradition of assigning to comedians full three-minute long songs. Comedian Om Prakash sang O.P.'s composition, Churi Bane Kanta Bane Oo My Son in Jaali Note. Comedian Johnny Walker sang aO.P.'s song, Aye Dil Hai Mushkil Jeena Yahaan in C.I.D., "Jaane Kahan Mera Jigar Gaya Jee" (Mr. & Mrs. 55),Main Bambaika Baaboo, Naam Meraa Anjaanaa in Naya Daur and Bajewala in Basant. There was later a movie titled Johnny Walker where Johnny Walker himself was the hero, for which, however, he was not keen on composing music. When its film director Ved Madan was persuading him to compose the album, he demanded the Latest Cadillac Limousin jokingly for the fee hoping that Ved Madan cannot fulfill the demand and he can get out of it. To his surprise, however, the car was delivered to his house and he could not back up and ended up composing the music for this album.

Along with some other numbers in the last movie, Asha Bhosle/Gita Dutt's, Thandi Thandi Hawaa, he composed a song, Yeh Desh Hai Veer Jawaanonkaa featuring Dilip Kumar and Ajit in Naya Daur (1957), for which he won the 1957 Filfare Best Music Director Award. The last O. P. composition which Asha sang was Chain Se Humko Kabhi. It was meant to be included in the movie, Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye (1973), but it was dropped in the final version of the movie. However, it won Asha Bhosle a 1974 Filmfare Best Female Playback Singer Award.

Though O. P. was still active in his musical career in the 1960s and '70s, he did not compose music for Rajesh Khanna or Amitabh Bachchan. He also did not provide music for movies starring Sanjeev Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, and Jitendra. With the exception of Rekha, O. P. did not compose music for heroines like Hema Malini, Raakhee or Zeenat Aman. He gave music to only one movie with the late Raj Kapoor (Do Ustad).

Sachin Dev Burman composed tunes for a succession of Bollywood stars. With Asha Bhosle singing for Nargis his composition, Koi Aayaa Dhadkan Kehti Hai in Lajwanti.

Apart from Hindi films, O. P. also composed music for a few South Indian movies, including Neerajanam in Telugu.

O.P. faded from the Bollywood scene in early 1970s, though he made a comeback attempt in the 1990s --- "Mangni" and "Nishchay" in 1992 and "Zid" in 1994.