Aasman Bhi Roya
During the last fifty years all the things that had quality and strength of their own were fresh and totally pure, slowly and continuously vanished from the forefronts rather got lost from our sight. The public taste has undergone a sea change with changing times, which in fact, is a normal and natural phenomenon. If we try to recall things fifty years old, which have survived till date, we may hardly find anything surviving today. However one thing that is a strong exception to this natural phenomenon is the soul stirring music by the cine musician Madan Mohan. Thirty four years have passed since the music maestro left us for his heavenly abode. More years have passed than the number of years during which he worked as music director but the fans have not forgotten him or his music. This is obvious from the facts such as - Ms.Keerti Rajput from Jabalpur gets her Ph.D in 2002 on his music ; the scientists from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre organize a one day musical seminar on his music and its specialities; organizations in Mumbai like Sur Shree Art Foundation, Swargandhar Swar Vikas, AVM Creation without fail offer him their fond musical tributes every year, on a grand scale.

Most of the compositions by Madan Mohan are older than a half century. However not only they have survived in the "mass memory" of the innumerable fans on the strength of their fragrance of freshness, but are extremely difficult to be dislodged from there. It is very interesting to observe that even today the young and budding talents in all the Talent Hunt competitions on most of the TV channels, make it a point to sing his compositions to prove themselves and thus derive a deep sense of satisfaction on its perfect rendering.

Having scored music for more than 600 film songs within the short duration of 25 years as music director, he left this world for heavenly abode on July 14, 1975. The noted writer and literary figure Ram Ganesh Gadkari has said "Jagnyasaarjkhe Javal Ase Paryanlach Marayaal Kharee Mauj Aahe" (It is pleasant to die only while the life is worth living) In spite of a short span of life, he made it real big on the music front on the strength of his talent and concerted efforts.

Madan Mohan embarked in the film industry in a "self-made" style solely on the strengths of his talent and self confidence and did not take any advantage of the reality that of being the son of the owner of the Filmistan Studio. In spite his possessing a charming and pleasing personality his self respecting father did not push him as an actor or music director not did Madan Mohan even think of requesting his father for this. Had this been even done, no one would have raised any eyebrows as Madan Mohan indeed possessed all the talents needed for an actor as well as for a music director. The name Madan Mohan dawned on the horizon of the film music industry when the famous and established music directors of that era - Sajjad, Anil Biswas, Naushad, S.D.Burman, C.Ramachandra and Shankar - Jaikishan were all at the peak of their creativity. It was really a tough challenge to establish oneself in the film music industry in the presence of so many stalwarts, but he pushed himself ahead with a challenge like determination and surely carved out a special slot for himself on the common platform shared by the existing great maestros.

Shelly had once said "Sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought". The element 'Pathos' and the class of poems called Ghazal which is based on this element of literature, were the subjects Madan Mohan chose for his works in the field of music. The credit to bring the Ghazal into "Mehfils" of a common man goes to the famous singers "Kundanlal Sehgal" and "Begum Akhtar". But the credit to take the Ghazal from such "Mehfils" into the homes and drawing rooms of the common man goes to Madan Mohan. While creating the music for Ghazals, Madan Mohan used to invoke the "Pathos" in such a unique manner which used to stir the heart strings and looked so natural, that the resulting composition at once used to enter one's psyche and get permanently lodged there. The effect of rendering of such compositions by the characters in the films was so powerful that not only the eyes of the listeners used to get moist due to intense flood of emotions but also the hearts at once used to get aligned with the state of mind being portrayed by that character. Noted critic of cine music Ajaatshatru said that "The Ghazal by Madan Mohan takes you beyond the realms of "pain" into a deep state of melancholy typical of the well known aspect of vairaagya (detachment) in Indian culture and cause you to feel more of "grief" than "sorrow".

I recall a distinct anecdote relating to the film Dastak. In this movie the heroine is shown casually humming two lines (sher) of a Ghazal. These lines are Ghut Ke Mar Jaaoon, Yeh Marzi Hai Mere Shayaad Ki, Na Tadapne Ki Ijaazat Hai Na Marne Ki". Madan Mohan had got these lines rendered by Lata Mangeshkar without any accompaniment. During a meeting with Madan Mohan while discussing the above event, I suggested, rather urged him to compose the full Ghazal to which above lines (sher) belonged because the very composition of these two lines was extremely heart rendering and catchy. The response I received through his eyes as well as the body language was unique and unforgettable as I had touched the chords of his heart by not choosing to speak about the other wonderful Ghazals from Dastak but had elaborated intensely on this piece - a merely few seconds long unscheduled song.

I was so much enchanted by the music by Madan Mohan that I had a strong urge to communicate with him through a letter. However in absence of the availability of his postal address, I could not quench my urge. One of my friends who knew of my love of Madan Mohan's music found an incomplete address of Madan Mohan which read - Madan Mohan - Music Director, Manor, Pedder Road, Bombay. I shall forever remain obliged to that "unknown postman" who dutifully delivered my letter at the correct address inspite of being incomplete. In response to this very letter with incomplete address, I received a reply from Madan Mohan on May 10, 1961. This led to a series of exchange of letters between the two of us culminating in my meeting with him later on in Mumbai. When I narrated this incident to Madan Mohan, he burst out laughing.

I met Madan Mohan many many times later and every time I was urging him to visit Dewas. One fine day in 1961, I got a telegram from Madan Mohan's secretary saying that Madanji is traveling from Mumbai to Delhi by road. He will have a halt at Indore and would like to see me in Indore. Accordingly I met him there and we had dinner together. He stayed there for the day and proceeded to Delhi the next day. While leaving he asked for my address and I hurriedly wrote it on a piece of paper and gave it to him. But the funny thing that happened is that instead of writing "Talao Road, Off Bombay Agra Road, Dewas" I translated the only Hindi word in the address into English in my own way and wrote it as "Tank Road, Off Bombay Agra Road, Dewas", Much later I came to know that he indeed visited Dewas on his return journey (after a month) and was searching for my address which he could not locate as there was no "Tank Road" in Dewas.

During a program organized on July 15, 2000 on the occasion of the 25th death anniversary of Madan Mohan, Sanjeev Kohli told the audience that it was pouring on July 14, 1975 i.e. the day of his father's demise. Heavy rains on that day had paralyzed the entire transportation system in Mumbai and they had considerable difficulty in proceeding with the antyatra. As a result one of the newspapers on July 15 i.e. the first day, captioned the news of passing away of Madan Mohan with an apt title "Aasmaan Bhi Roya" (Even the sky cried). Surprisingly when Sanjeev Kohli was narrating this incidence to the audience, it was pouring incessantly and the entire railway and bus transport system had come to a grinding halt.