Birthday greetings to the living music legend of the Hindi film industry, Sri Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma.
Birthday greetings to the living music legend of the Hindi film industry, Sri Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma (03/09).
The iconic music director duo #LaxmikantPyarelal is synonymous with Hindi film music, particularly its popular hits. Born on September 3, 1940, Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma is the son of the renowned trumpeter, Pandit Ramprasad Sharma, also known as Babaji. Under his father’s guidance, Pyarelal started learning the violin at just 8 years old, dedicating 8 to 12 hours daily to practice. He further refined his violin skills under Goan musician Anthony Gonsalves. The song “My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves” from the film Amar Akbar Anthony is a tribute to Gonsalves, featuring music by the Laxmikant–Pyarelal duo.
At 12, Pyarelal began playing the violin in various studios, including Ranjit Studios, to support his family financially. His brother, Gorakh Sharma, also contributed by playing guitar for songs composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal.
The duo first gained widespread recognition with their music for the 1964 film Dosti, produced by Rajshri Productions. Despite relatively unknown lead actors, the film’s memorable songs like “Chahoonga Main Tujhe Shaam Savere” and “Rahi Manwa” made it a hit. Many initially thought Laxmikant–Pyarelal was a single person. They won their first Filmfare Award for Best Music Director for Dosti, beating industry giants like Shankar–Jaikishan and Madan Mohan. Their subsequent work in films like Lootera, which featured famous Lata Mangeshkar songs, also gained fame.
By 1966, Laxmikant–Pyarelal had firmly established themselves in Bollywood. They continued to earn acclaim for their music in films like Aaye Din Bahar Ke and Pyar Kiye Jaa. In 1967, they had a series of hits, including the Golden Jubilee musical hit Farz, and other big-star films like Anita and Shagird. They won their second Filmfare Award for the film Milan.
Laxmikant–Pyarelal, along with contemporaries like Rahul Dev Burman and Kalyanji-Anandji, represented a new era in Bollywood music, overshadowing earlier composers. They were frequently chosen by major film producers and consistently delivered exceptional music.
Their significant collaboration with lyricist Anand Bakshi led to some of Bollywood’s most iconic songs, appearing in over 250 films. Anand Bakshi wrote the lyrics for all the films that earned Laxmikant–Pyarelal Filmfare Awards, except for their first. #RajeshKhanna also had a long-standing professional relationship with the duo, choosing them as the music directors for 26 of his films.
Another fruitful partnership was with singer Asha Bhonsle, who voiced numerous hits composed by Laxmikant–Pyarelal, including chart-toppers like “Dhal Gaya Din” and “Hungama Ho Gaya.” The latter song was re-recorded for the 2014 film Queen and became a massive hit again. Between 1980 and 1986, Asha Bhonsle was often the lead vocalist for their compositions. Laxmikant–Pyarelal also scored music for the Telugu film Majnu in 1987, which was well-received for its musical numbers.
