Tributes to Khemchand Prakash, one of the greatest Hindi film music directors, on his 116th birth anniversary (12/12/1907).
Tributes to #KhemchandPrakash, one of the greatest Hindi film music directors, on his 116th birth anniversary (12/12/1907).
Khemchand Prakash, born on December 12, 1907, in Jaipur and hailing from Sujangarh in Rajputana Agency, British India (now Rajasthan), was a beacon of musical innovation in the Hindi film industry. His journey from the royal courts of Bikaner and Nepal to the bustling city of Kolkata, where he joined the legendary New Theaters, set the stage for his illustrious career. As an assistant to composer Timir Baran in the 1935 film ‘Devdas’ and a performer of a comedic song in ‘Street Singer’ (1938), Prakash’s talents began to shine.
In 1939, destiny took him to Mumbai, marking his debut as a music director with Supreme Pictures’ films ‘Meri Aankhein’ and ‘Gazi Salauddin’. His association with Ranjit Movietone Film Studio produced memorable films like ‘Diwali’, ‘Holi’, ‘Pardesi’, and ‘Fariyaad’. Khursheed, his leading singer, and Prakash together delivered numerous hits in the early ’40s. Their crowning achievement was the 1943 film ‘Tansen’, featuring hit songs that are remembered to this day.
The late ’40s saw Prakash’s career peak with films like ‘Ziddi’ from Bombay Talkies in 1948, where he gave Kishore Kumar his first major break and featured Lata Mangeshkar’s enchanting song “Chanda re ja re ja re”. But it was the 1949 film ‘Mahal’ that truly cemented Lata Mangeshkar’s fame. The record for the song “Aayega Aanewala” initially credited only the character name, Kamini. Such was the song’s popularity that All India Radio was inundated with calls inquiring about the singer, leading to the first public announcement of Lata Mangeshkar’s name.
Khemchand Prakash’s legacy extends beyond his compositions. Famous composer Anil Biswas credited him for adhering to historical accuracy in musical traditions, notably in making K.L. Saigal sing ‘Sapt Suran Teen Gram’ in the Dhrupad style for ‘Tansen’, a genre authentic to Tansen’s era, instead of the more modern Khayal genre.
Tragically, Prakash passed away at Harikisondas Hospital two months before the release of ‘Mahal’. His masterpiece ‘Aayega Aanewala’ became a sensation posthumously. The poignant tale of his second wife, Shreedevi, struggling in her later years, and the achievements of his daughter, Chandrakala Khemchand Prakash, a Kathak dancer married to Padmashree awardee Ram Gopal Bajaj, adds a personal dimension to his story. Javed Akhtar, in his maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha on May 17, 2012, highlighted Prakash’s significant yet often overlooked contribution to Indian music and cinema, ensuring his legacy lives on.
