I was born in Udaipur on January 10, 1933. Nobody at home was fond of music. Yet when I was eight or nine years old, we had rented out one room of our house to a Keertankar. He used to sing Keertans and eventually I was drawn to this form of devotional music. Then I started learning to play harmonium under the tutelage of Pandit Narayanlalji and Pandit Balkrishanji. My academic studies continued alongside and after completing my graduation in the science stream, I decided to move to Bombay. I wanted to make a career in music and Bombay was the only city of opportunities I knew.

I longed to work in the film industry, as also pursue my post graduation studies. I was 21 years old then and my elder brother accompanied me. We met several people who were in one way or the other connected to music within the film industry but gained precious little from them. Everyone politely listened to my recorded songs, but no one offered me any work. Then one day by sheer stroke of luck, I met actor Sajjan (Sajjanlal Purohit) who hails from my native state of Rajasthan. I requested him to put in a word to the people who knew so that I could get some work.

After a few days, Sajjan called me and said "I have spoken to music director Madan Mohan. He has asked you to see him tomorrow at his residence".

The following day, Sajjan and I went to Madanji's place located at 14th Road, Khar. Those were the days when Madanji was trying to find a niche for himself in the film industry. He had two assistants, Bipin and Babul. Oddly enough, both had started composing melodies independently and they could not devote enough time to Madanji's work. Madanji on his part, was looking out for a fresh talent to assist him. Luck favoured me. We met at that crucial time and he immediately took me on. It was just a matter of being at the right place at the right time. From that day onwards till he passed away - for almost 21 years - I worked with him.

When I started working, he was preparing the background scores for Railway Platform (1955). All the songs had already been recorded. On my first day of work, I went to the studio along with Madanji in his car. There, I sat in one corner and observed the movements around me. I slowly grasped the mode of working in that place. This was the period when Chic Chocolate was working as Madanji's arranger. I worked with Chic Chocolate and learnt the finer nuances of the craft.

Four to five months later, Rajinder Krishan came to Madanji's place along with Mr.Chettiyar (film producer) of A.V.M. Studios. He signed Madanji for the film Bhai Bhai (1956). The songs of the film became instant hits and several producers lined up at Madanji's place. Since all this happened within five to six months of my joining, Madanji felt I was lucky for him and within a short period, I was made permanent in the job.

In Bhai Bhai there is a song Meraa Naam Abdul Rehmaan sung by Kishore Kumar. A few days after the recording, director M.V. Raman and Mr.Chettiyar came to the music room and informed Madanji that while the song appealed to them, they had made some slight changes in the situation of the film. Therefore they felt that it would be better if the song is rendered as a duet. Lyricist Rajinder Krishan was in a quandary as the song was essentially written for the hero. Now that the heroine was also to sing, he would have to rework the lyrics. While Madanji and Rajinder Krishan were discussing the issue, I very wittingly suggested "Why are you thinking so hard? Just begin the song with Abdul Rehmaan Kee Main Abdul Rehmaniyaa..." Rajinder Krishan reacted: "People will thrash me up if I write so. What should I say if they ask me what Rehmaniyaa means?" Madanji was listening to all this and thinking. When Krishan completed his conversation, Madanji said "Why don't you write as he says?" Rajinder Krishan was thus forced to write the song using the words I had suggested and that song turned out to be the highlight of the movie.

I recollect one more incident. One day somebody told Madanji that a sadhu had come to a village called Nirmal near Nalasopara and whatever predictions he made were supposed to be accurate. Madanji decided to pay a visit to Nirmal. We boarded the last local train to Virar and reached Nalasopara post midnight. There we learnt there was no conveyance available to reach the village until next morning. So we spent the night on the railway platform. It was almost 2.00 am and the sky was dark with stars twinkling all around and the moon shining brightly. Such a heavenly experience! It inspired Madanji to such an extent that he composed two melodies on the spot. He also wrote down the sign lines for those melodies. One of them was Kaise Kategee Zindagee which was later on used in Madan Saigal's film Jahan Tum Wahan Hum. The other one was Chain Kee Bansee Bajaa Mere Dil, Neel Gagan Ke Neeche, Ankhiyan Ko Tum Meeche. It had a mellifluous tune but he did not make use of it in any film. There were several such songs that he had composed but never used as he did not find a suitable situation in the film. Well, this was just to explain how spontaneous he was in his work. He never thought or pondered over his compositions. They came to him automatically.

Good Shaayaree always inspired Madanji. He would often read a refrain and promptly set a melodious tune to it. He was very quick at composing tunes, in almost five minutes he would do the job and in the next twenty minutes he would come up with four to five variations. In effect, he always had four to five tunes ready for a single song. Then he would ask me which one I preferred. I used to give my opinion and invariably he agreed with it. Honestly we were really tuned to each other.

Once when we were busy in a "sitting" for the film Anpadh (1962), lyricist Raja Mehadi Ali Khan said: "I have a superb sign line that O.P.Nayyar has rejected. I shall read it aloud. If you like it, you may use it" He read out: "Aapkee Nazron Ne Samajhaa Pyaar Ka Qaabil Mujhe". Madanji liked it so much that he said "Give it to me I shall use it when I get a suitable situation". Mohan Kumar, director of Anpadh who was present at the sitting also liked the sign line and said: "Let us use them in Anpadh. I will create a situation for it in the film". Then immediately Raja saab wrote the rest of the stanzas. Madanji was also quick to set the scores and the very next day that song was recorded. Thus a memorable song was born in a simple and effortless manner. Would anyone believe this?

Just as in Anpadh, in the film Mera Saaya Madanji used the sign line of a folk song, Jhumkaa Giraa Re and set the scores of the rest of the song within a few minutes in his own original style. In this song, Vinod Sharma has used the words Phir Kya Hua. Later for the film Ghazal, Sahir Ludhianvi sent the lyrics, Rang Aur Noor Ke Baaraat Kise Pesh Karoon. As soon as Madanji got the lyrics in hand, it took him only five minutes to compose the melody. Then he took a few rehearsals and recorded the song on the very next day. In short, if Madanji liked the lyrics he would simply set the tunes within a few minutes. Yet this was not the case for all songs.

If he did not like a line or a word written by a lyricist, he would ask that person to change them. I recollect an incident that happened while the film Akeli Mat Jaiyo (1963) was being produced. Majrooh Sultanpuri was writing the lyrics. He was expert at writing songs based on tunes that were already set. Madanji did not like a particular line in the song Woh Jo Milate The Kabhee Hamse Deewaano Kee Tarah. The recording was scheduled on the next day when Madanji told me to go to Majrooh's place and get the line modified. I obeyed and went to Majrooh's house to request him to change the line. He flared up: "What does Madan think of himself? Have I ever told him to change his tune? What I have written is pat. There cannot be anything better than this". The following day, I narrated to Madanji Majrooh's response. He immediately called up Majrooh: "I had sent Ghanshyam to get the line modified". Majrooh replied: "Madanji you are unnecessarily insisting on changing such a lovely line". Madanji reacted: "I do not like that line. It will be better if you change it, otherwise I will do it". Saying so, he put the phone back on the cradle. Within five minutes Majrooh called back and gave the alternate lyrics over the telephone. Such was Madanji's attitude. He never compromised on quality.

Madanji was usually very calm and quiet by nature. He would get furious if things went wrong with his music. Everyone was scared of his anger. One such incident took place when we were working for the song Har Koee Chaahataa Hai Ek Mutthee Aasmaan from Ek Mutthi Aasmaan (1973). The recording was scheduled at 11.00 am at Famous Studios in Tardeo. On the same day, Kishoreda was leaving for an overseas trip at 4.00 pm. Yet he had given time to Madanji and R.D.Burman for recording in the morning. In Famous Studio, Madanji had made all arrangements and was waiting for Kishoreda. He waited for a long time and then enquired about Kishoreda's whereabouts. When he learnt that Kishoreda was recording a song for R.D.Burman at Film Centre close by, he got angry and told me "Go, bring Kishoreda here for the recording". When I went there and explained the situation to Kishoreda, he became tense. He knew how terrible Madanji's anger could be. Immediately but quietly, he left via the backdoor and reached Famous Studios via Peddar Road. Madanji quickly calmed down on seeing Kishoreda and geared up for the "take".

On the other side, at Film Centre, the room was set for the recording and Kishoreda was no where to be found. Everyone hunted high and low. When Pancham learnt that Kishoreda was busy in a recording at Madanji's place, he came there along with his musicians and pleaded with Kishoreda to get to Film Centre for his recording. Kishoreda refused to leave the place till Madanji's recording was over. Madanji who was watching this exchange of words, threw a fit. In his rage, he banged the door of the studio so hard that its glass pane broke and his hand was injured. On seeing his rage Pancham quickly made an exit and the rest of the recording took place without an interruption. Madanji could not stand any disturbance in his work. He took his work very seriously.

There are two methods of preparing compositions. One is where the tune is set first and then the lyrics are written. The other is where the lyrics are ready first and then the melody is prepared. Madanji had mastered both these methods. Additionally, he had an extremely good understanding of poetry. Out of the songs he had composed, 70 percent have sign lines written by Madanji. It so happened that once the director explained the situation of the song to Madanji, he would get completely involved in it and would produce wonderful sign line Ye Duniyaa Ye Mahafil from the film Heer Ranjha (1970) he acknowledged, "There can be no better sign lines than these for the given situation". As a result Kaifi retained those lines and penned down the remaining stanzas. Later on, Madanji also wrote the sign lines of the song Woh Bhoolee Daastaaan from the film Sanjog for which the rest of the stanzas were written by Rajinder Krishan. In fact Rajinder and Madanji were such close friends that for any "sitting", Rajinder would first have a discussion with Madanji and then write the lyrics on the spot. Other lyricists would normally take home the tune and then write the song. Each lyricist had a style of functioning. Kaifi Azmi and Naqsh Layalpuri would always prepare eight to nine stanzas. Madanji would then choose the ones that he felt were the best. Once the tune was finalized he would compose the music pieces required in between the stanzas and the rest was left to us to be completed.

Madanji was also gifted with a good voice. If he was in a good mood, he would sing for two hours at a stretch. More often than not, it was a thumri. In such a mood, he would get inspired and would compose a few melodies. We used to record those pieces if he sang them aloud. While singing, he would come up with such diverse variations that we forever remained spellbound.

When he explained a song to a singer, musicians like Rais Khan and Hariprasad Chaurasia would make it a point to be there to listen to what he said. They all called Madanji Harkaton Ke Badshah (the King of variations). When Lataji was not available for recording, he used to record the song in his voice and later Lataji would dub it in her voice. In fact, there are two such songs that are available even today in his voice, Maee Ree Main Kaase Kahoon and Nainaa Barase Rimjhim Rimjhim. If you listen to those records you will get a better idea of his style of singing.

In those days, we used to put a lot of efforts in our work. Neverthless, we were never sure if justice would be done to our efforts in the film. For the film Adalat (1958) Madanji had recorded an amazing song "Jaana Tha Humse Door". During the first show, when the song was screened many people in the audience got up and left the theatre hall. From the very next show the song was cut from the film. I can give you one more example. The song, Khelo Naa Mere Dil Se was never included in the film Haqeeqat (1964). It was released only on a record. All the efforts that went into the preparation of such wonderful songs went waste. However, though the songs were not included in the films, music buffs devour them even today.

The case of the film Woh Kaun Thi? (1964) was absolutely different from the rest of the movies. The song Tikee Rikee Tikee Rikee Taakaree was included in the film but was never released in the form of a record because Madanji did not like the song.

There are yet some other songs that were recorded, but were neither used in films nor released in form of discs. They just simply got lost with time and age and there is absolutely no trace whatsoever of them. There was a qawwali recorded for Jahanara (1964) which is not available at all today. That qawwali had been rendered by the Mangeshkar sisters Lata, Asha, Usha and Meena. Probably that is the only song sung by the four sisters together. The recordings took place at Mehboob Studios for which four matka (earthen pot) players were especially invited. After the recordings, the players were so happy that they broke the pots out of sheer joy and pleasure. The words of that qawwali were Ek Din Chaand Aur Taaron Ne Jaa Ke Allaah Se Shikaayat Kee, Noor Maangaa Thaa Teree Rahamat Se Aur Toone Hamein Siyaahee Dee, Hanske Allaha Ne Ye Farmaayaa, Noor To Maine De Diyaa Saaraa, Allaah Se Poocho Kisko Diya, To Usne Farmaayaa Jahaanaraa, Jahaanaaraa, Jahaanaaraa.

After Madanji passed away, I recorded the song Rahee Thaa Main Aawaaraa that he had composed. There was one more song whose scores he had not set. So I took up the responsibility and prepared the melody of Yeh Pyaar Kaa Nashaa Nashaa Bhee Hai Aisaa. I worked with some other music directors after Madanji's death but I was unable to get involved totally in their work. As I had worked with a versatile person like Madanji, I found it very difficult to work with any other music director. Therefore I decided to wind up and return to my native land of Udaipur. Now I stay there and reminisce about the time that I spent with Madanji.

(This article excerpted from the book "Madan Mohan - Ultimate Melodies" by Vishwas Nerurkar)