Hindi film music · 1950s–1970s
Madan Mohan
Hindi film composer remembered above all for his film ghazals.
- Born
- 25 June 1924, Baghdad, Iraq
- Died
- 14 July 1975, Mumbai, India
- On these dates
- Active period taken from the decades recorded in the era field; approximate. End year clamped to the documented year of death.
Official website & social links
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On screen
Songs & films
- Composer
- Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha
Music · 1962
- Lag Jaa Gale
Music · 1964
- Naina Barse Rimjhim
Music · 1964
- Mera Saaya Saath Hoga
Music · 1966
- Simti Si Sharmaayi Si
Music · 1971
Films
- Anpadh1962 · Music
- Woh Kaun Thi?1964 · Music
- Mera Saaya1966 · Music
- Parwana1971 · Music
Biography
Life
Madan Mohan was born in Baghdad in 1924, where his father Rai Bahadur Chunilal Kohli worked with the Iraqi police forces as accountant general. The family later returned to Chakwal in the Jhelum district of Punjab, and he spent school years in Lahore before the family settled in Bombay. He performed in children's programmes on All India Radio from the age of eleven. He had no formal training as a musician.
His scores for Anpadh (1962), Woh Kaun Thi? (1964) and Mera Saaya (1966) — all three written with the lyricist Raja Mehdi Ali Khan — are among the most widely heard Hindi film music of the 1960s. He was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director for Anpadh and for Woh Kaun Thi?, and won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for Dastak (1970).
Editorial note: this page summarises documented credits and career facts. Characterisations of his compositional method are left to the sources listed below.
Recognition
Honours and recognition
- 1971National Film Award for Best Music DirectionFor the score of Dastak (1970).
Community
Memories from the community
Personal recollections, not verified history
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Provenance
Sources and image credits
Photograph: India Post, Government of India (2013 commemorative stamp), GODL-India
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