O.P.Nayyar…Not forgotten
28th Jan07: Legendary Music Director O.P. Nayyar has passed away. An era, uniquely individualistic, has come to a close with him. None can replicate him and never will there be another Nayyar saab..May his soul rest in peace, in the knowledge that he is loved, admired, respected and will never be forgotten..Hopefully it will erase the destituteness of his final years. Sad but true.
The finality of death is stark. One cannot die with the dead..can at best can mourn for them.. Let us feel solace in the fact that he perhaps lives on in his melodies, and will continue to do so for aeons. The sadness that creeps in at such news is beyond words.
He died of a sudden cardiac arrest in Thane, probably still under the care of his foster family
Who can forget the lilting, romantic numbers unforgettable renderings, which had a distinct feel, recognisable in the choice of accompaniments, the piano, sax, acoustics and then the soulful strain of melody..
*Pukarta chala hoon main.. galli galli bahaar ki..bas ek shaakh zulf ki..bas ikk nigaah pyar ki
*Chain se humko kabhi aapne jeene na diya (electrifying combination of asha Bhosle and O.P)
*balma khuli hawwayein.. mehki hooyi fizaayein, dil chhahta hai mera, behekna iddhar uddhar
*Woh huns ke mile humse..hum pyar samajh baithe
*Aap yunhi agar humse milte rahe.. dekhiye ek din pyaar ho jaayega (makes you want to fall in
love all over again)
*Sawan ki ghata chhayi, yeh dekh ke dil jhooma.. lee pyar ne angdayi , deewaana hua badal. (Rafis attitude..unbeatable)
*Aap ke hassen rukh..pe aaj naya noor hai..mera dil machal gaya..toh mera kya qasoor hai
*Ishaaraon ishaaron mein dil lene wale bataa yeh hunar tune seeha kahaan se
*humdum mere maan bhi jaao kehna mere pyaar ka..
The list is endless..I can go on and on.. singing and typing.. reliving the days of school and college competitions when many of his compositions had led me to the coveted goal.
The news that fate had dealt him a rather severe hand, chokes one with despair. Apparently, his family had forsaken him and he had to seek refuge with some kindly souls who took him in as their guest…for the last few years. The vicissitudes of life can daze even the most unfazed by emotion. But the smile never left him, nor did the glow from his face. I guess this is the mettle saintliness depicts. A calm beatific demeanour, even if everything material has been lost.
My father always said “chadhte sooraj ko hi salaam hai”..Who worships the setting sun, its only the rising which is heralded.
This man a powerhouse of talent, perhaps the only Music Director of those days whose name would appear on the billboards of the films over and above the cast and crew and read something like ‘O.P.Nayyars so and so”. Today he is forgotten, unknown, to most .
In the days of yore, when his contemporaries were stalwarts who were steeped in classical training like S.D.Burman, Naushad, Jaidev, Madan Mohan, he was perhaps the only music director who could not read music and had no classical training. His heart spoke and he recorded music which has eventually defied time. I cannot recall any of his tunes, being unsuccessful, which is a commendable feat in itself.
I remember seeing him recently on the musical show “Sa re ga ma pa” which I watch because of the high calibre of the participants, where he was accorded a standing ovation by the audience and a programme was dedicated to just his songs. His quiet dignity and poise apart from his signature white attire and hat, made him a striking picture of health and elegant calm.
Who could have imagined that after the adulation and celebration of an hour of the show, he returns to an almost monastic solitude of either a Hotel room or an adopted family !!
What is fame, then, in the final analysis. Only a fickle food on a shifting plate. A recognition by those who you dont know and whose concern for you is ephemeral..If this story does not prove it, none will.
‘Fame is a vapour, popularity an accident; the only certainty is oblivion”
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
The song that is apt for Nayyarsaab is
“Jayie aap kahan jaayenge. Yeh nazar laut ke phir aaegi.”
He surely has given us immortal music.
May his soul rest in peace for all eternity.
What a tragic day for cinema… that bubbliness, that spunk… may his soul rest in peace. It was indeed tragic to see how his last years went by.
Hi Muzzy,
So apt.. and also perhaps
‘Bahut shukriya badi meherbaani’
Hi Oz,
Indeed tragic. Some of his popular melodies weren’t even picturised but went on to becoming a rage by sheer dint of his magic e.g. ‘chaiin se humko kabhie aapne jeene naa diya’..
His family has not turned up at the funeral either. He has been living alone for the last 12 years..distributing homeopathic medicine free of cost to all who came at his doorstep. An astute astrologer, I believe he had predicted his end a fortnight ago, to his close friends. The trivia associated with him point to a gentleman who accepted his destiny with complete surrender to the Almighty and made the best of his adverse circumstances. A maharashtrian family , took him in,and that is where he breathed his last.
Voh Chale bahle hi gaye ho..lekin unke gaane peedi dar peedi , unhe amar rakhenge !!
He has given us some great memories to remember him by ..
Tumsa Nahin Dekha and Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo from Howrah Bridge will remain favourites of mine.
May his soul rest in peace.
He did wonders in old films but he was very good even in Salman Khan and Karishma Kapoor’s film Nishchay:
Teri surahee meetha pani etc were able to remind his old work.
He was one Music dirtector who brought Asha Bhonsle in lime light.
“Naya Daur” of Dilip saab, cemented OP Naiyar in all sense and its amazing to see the long life of two of its songs without which perhaps no marriage happens in India.
ude jab jab julfen teri
and ye desh hai veer jawanon ka albelon ka mastanon ka
If one has arranged a band party for marriage then its sure they will use theeir hands on these two songs. Its tradition.
Naiyaar saab was great music composer
Rasik jan:
Many of my friends’ and my adolescence was gently pushed into youth by ‘jawaaniyaa ye mast mast bin piye..’; our search for companionship continued through ‘laakho hai nigaah me..’ and ‘kisi na kisi se kabhi na kabhi..’; and later, the longing was expressed by ‘phir milogi kabhi..’.
The romance matured with ’savere ka sooraj tumhaare liye hai..’ and then withered away with ‘chain se hum ko kabhi..’
OPNayyar is – rather was – a ’soorila saakshi’ to most events of our lives that mattered!
He cannot die.. till we, ourselves die!
- relaxedesi
he was asha’s mentor, god-father and everythig but she had never given him the credit which he deserved and she always sings the ‘ragini’ of RD Burman. Both sisters are same in their temparament. All the time Lata praises her’Madan Bhayya’ without acknowlwdging music-directors like Husnlal-Bhagatram, Shankar-Jaikishan, SD Burman and NAUSHAD Who gave her countless fantastic tunes. BUT IN EVERY PROGRAMME she sings praise of Madan Bhayya AND her brother Hridynath.
Those who know music, will have tears in their eyes right now just thinking of O.P. Saheb. He gave tremendous contribution to the industry and to the people of India of his evergreen songs. Songs that no one can forget, songs with a distinct style. Every stage show, every party will be incomplete without his songs. He made Asha ji into what she is today. People may forget or simply ignore their mentors, but the truth stay truth. Kaveetaa has said it so right, chadte ko salaam, but aren’t we all going there one day? Every sun sets at night, so take this opportunity to recognize people who contribute to our lives, or one day we will be too late. It is said to know, even his death occured in solitude. Those who stood by him during his last days are commendable and God will be watching over them. May Nayyar sahibs soul rest in peace and may he be freed from death and life cycle. OM!
Sangeeta..such a touching comment.
I think you will be quite amazed to see a collection of his fans from across the globe who have left innumerable thoughts on him at my site..including his adopted daughter, a gentleman who is his biographer, a famed music Director from Pakistan who recounts his last conversation a week before his demise, or someone who has every single composition of his ever recorded, others who are willing to post a copy of their collections to anyone anywhere..its like a treasure trove of information on Nayyar Saheb.
here:http://sachiniti.wordpress.com/2006/04/16/opnayyarnot-forgotten/
His music will forever keep his memory alive in our hearts. There is also a podcast of my tribute and others as well.
Dear Kaveetaa,
Thanks for acknowledging my comments. I truly am very sensitive to these issues of death and dying. Specially so when it comes to such immortal souls who gave us songs to humm when we are happy, songs to humm when we are sad, songs with meaning. These people literally worshiped music and today they are no more. It just hurts to know that we will never run into these people physically ever. Lost time and lost people never come back, then why do we take them for granted? God bless his soul.
Dear editor, i am a malaysian fan of OP Nayyar ji.
If you come across a list of his hit musical songs, please send me a copy of the list so that i can compile all the songs into a cd-rom and pass it to all his fans here to keep the great musical genius`s memory alive, thank you, God bless you and your loved ones
O P Nayyar jinke gane aaj bhi un dino ki yaadain taaza karti jab hamare film industry ek phool ki tarah kheel rahee thi aur usme o p nayyar ke sangeet se khusboo aa rahi thi chahe woh film mere sanam,naya daur,naya andaaz,phir wahi dil laya houn yeh phir aar paar.ek era guzra hai o p nayyar ka jinhone film industry ko nae gano ka aayaam diya aur ek masokana andaaz main mooh liya.Aur main sukarguzaar houn app ka ki app ne unki yaadein is web site ke madhiyam se aaj tak hamlogoun ke beech jinda rakhee hain.Main aapka bahout abhari rahonga hamesha. Mujhe unke sare romantic songs ki ek copy chahta houn agar app de sakain hamre id taki unki gane hamesha mere jindagi main ek naya rang dete rahain. Thanks & God Bless U & Ur Team
I am having a few colour pictures of OP – alone, with asha, with runa laila and rafi etc.
If members are interested I will upload them in this column.
I seek the interest of members.
- kingram
I always find that there is no mention about the songs of OP Nayyar in his films NASIHAT – Dara singh and Rajshree starrer, CID 909 – Feroze khan and mumtaz starrer, KILLERS – Dara Singh and Helen starrer etc. These films have absolutely melodious songs though the films were mere flops. It is unfortunate that no person has ever written anything about the sweet songs in these films.
In the film Mere Sanam, always mention is being made about the lilting songs PUKARTA CHALA and JAYIYE AAP KAHAN etc. There is another beautiful song HUMNE THO DIL KO AAP KE KADHMON PE RAKH DIYA sung by Mohd. rafi. Very melodious song with continous overlapping of violin music.
-kingram
dear rajaram,kavitaji,
happy to note ur bhavaarpan on O.Pji.since two decades my days are always start with op’s tunes.with his vibrant melodies i used to get immense enthusiasm to do my work.often i wonder whether am i a blind fan without any music sense or O.P’s tunes are really have such tremendous power.
i’m a true listener of hindi film songs since decades.you can name me anysong of bet 55’s and 80’s.i can tell who is its composer.that is my SHROTRU experience.
i heard all composers tunes. but nayyars impact is something different.i enlisted 30 songs of O.P. and distributed CDs to my co police officers.though they are kannadigas and dont know much about O.P or hindi songs liked immensly and started listening repeatedly.they say O.Ps tunes induce AHLAADAKARA soothing effect on them.their moods are freshened while they are on night rounds.
that is the real magic of O.P !
# i’m greatful if anybody provide me the songs of KILLERS,NASIHAT,AISA BHI HOTA HAI AND KAHIN DIN KAHIN RAATH
…and then there was a film called ‘Jaan-e-Mehboob’ (my ‘Music Bank’ audio casette is dated 10-1991)
in which O P Nayyar has extracted Ashastyle singing from Anuradha Podwal in three solos and a duet with M Kapoor. Noor devasi penned the songs.
Not bad at all!!
Can anyone please tell me are O P Nayyar and R K Nayyer related?