Tributes to legendary Marathi music director Padma Bhushan Shrinivas Khale, on his 93rd birth anniversary today.

Tributes to legendary Marathi music director Padma Bhushan Shrinivas Khale, on his 93rd birth anniversary today.

Popularly known as ‘Khale Kaka’ or ‘Anna’, Shrinivas Khale was one of the most respected artists in the Marathi music industry. In a career spanning six decades, Khale composed music for more than 1000 songs in Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, and Sanskrit. He had also composed music for six Marathi films — Yanda Kartavya Ahe, Bolki Bahuli, Palsala Paane Teen, Porki, Sobti, and Jivhala.

Born in 1926 in Parli village in Raigad district, Khale spent his childhood in Baroda. He learned from Pandit Madhusudan Joshi and Nisar Hussein Khan and Ustad Faiyaz Hussein Khan. Khale came to Mumbai and worked at the All India Radio as a music director in the early fifties.

He later joined HMV and worked largely in the area of Bhavgeet, where poems are composed of semi-classical music.

Khale’s first big hit, ‘Gori gori paan’, sung by Asha Bhosle (1952), is still a must-sing at Maharashtrian family dos. But he will be remembered most for bringing together two Bharat Ratnas, Lata Mangeshkar and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, for the Hindi devotional album Ram Shyam Gungaan in 2002.

Whichever genre Khale handled — be it children’s songs, bhavgeet or energetic songs such as Jai Jai Maharashtra Maza, his songs became milestones. His contribution to children’s songs was invaluable. His music was original and not influenced by anyone.

He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2010.

Shrinivas Khale died after a long period of illness at his home in Thane on 2 September 2011.

Khale is survived by his wife Vasumati, three daughters Shama Chaudhary, Sanjeevani Khale and Sonali Kulkarni, and two sons-in-law.

May his soul rest in eternal peace.