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Anil Biswas (composer)
Encyclopedia
Anil Biswas (7 July 1914 - 31 May 2003) was a famous Indian film music composer from 1935 to 1965, who apart from being one of pioneers of playback singing, is also credited for the first Indian orchestra of twelve pieces and introducing orchestral music and full-blooded choral effects, into Indian cinema. A master in western symphonic music was known for the Indian classical
or folk elements, especially Baul
and Bhatiyali in his music. Out of his over 90 films, most memorable were, Roti (1942), Kismet (1943 film)
(1943), Anokha Pyaar (1948), Taraana (1951), Waaris (1954), Pardesi (1957) and Char Dil Char Raahein (1959).
He was also the pioneer in using the counter melody in film scores, employing technique of western music, ‘cantala’, where one line overlaps the other in contra-melody, recitative prose songs as in Roti (1942), besides he was the first one to start extensively using the Ragmala
. Another important element that he introduced was western orchestration, using indigenous instruments both in the songs as well as in their melodic interludes, a trend that soon caught on and paved way for the musicals of Indian cinema today.
He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
in 1986.
(now in Bangladesh
) in the household of J C Biswas, where at a young age he acted in a local amateur theater as a child star. He was fond of listening to music since his childhood. As he grew up, he displayed considerable musical talent, by 14 he was already accomplished in playing table, while singing and composing music at local music concerts; though soon he joined the Indian Independence Movement
, while still doing his matriculation
, and was repeatedly jailed for his revolutionary activities, leading to repeated disruption of his studies. Eventually in 1930, after his father’s death he left for Calcutta in disguise to escape further arrest.
in the early 1930s, composing music for plays, later he joined 'Rangmahal Theatre', Kolkata, as an actor, singer, and assistant music director, 1932–34, during this period he sang and acted in several commercial stage productions. By this time he had masters singing styles like, khayal, thumri
and dadra
, and had become an accomplished singer of devotional music, in Shyama Sangeet
and Kirtan
styles.
He also worked as a singer, lyricist and composer, with the 'Hindustan Recording Company', where Kundan Lal Saigal
and Sachin Dev Burman
, before migrating to Bombay themselves. He got assignments from renowned Bengali poet, Kazi Nazrul Islam
, all this got him into the notice of music director, Hiren Bose, and at whose behest he made his way to Bombay (Mumbai
) in 1934.
This was the period, when playback singing
, was making its debut in Indian cinema, when Anil first joined Ram Daryani's, 'Eastern Art Syndicate', and was associated in composing music for 'Baal Hatya' and 'Bharat ki Beti', before making his debut as a film composer, with Dharam ki Devi (1935) for which he composed the background music
, and also acted and sang the song, Kuch Bhi Nahin Bharosa.. In 1936 he joined 'Sagar Movietones' as a composer, first starting with assisting composers, Ashok Ghosh in films Manmohan and Deccan Queen and also Pransukh Nayak, and continued with Sagar Movietones, even after it merged with the Yusuf Fazalbhoy of RCA’s newly established National Studios in 1939.
In the coming two years he did eleven film, mostly stunt film, until Mehboob Khan's Jagirdar (1937), a commercially hit, established him as a musical force in the film industry, there was no turning back from then on. Soon many more independent assignments came his way, most notably, 300 Days and After, Gramophone Singer, Hum Tum Aur Woh, Ek Hi Rasta, and Mehboob Khan's Watan (1938), Alibaba (1940), the classic, Aurat
(1940), Bahen (1941), before working with him again, in Roti (1942), for which he also credited with the story and concept, and which featured many songs by film's actress, Akhtaribai Faizabadi (Begum Akhtar
), though they were deleted due to a contractual conflict (the music was recorded with HMV
, while she was in contract with Megaphone Gramophone Company). In following years he gave scores for Bombay Talkies
films like Jwar Bhatta (1944), Dilip Kumar
’s debut film, and Milan (1947) also starring Dilip Kumar and directed by Nitin Bose
, who made it in Bengali, as Naukadubi.
He gave break to famed playback singer, Mukesh in Pehli Nazar (1945), singing 'Dil Jalta Hai to Jalne De', and to Talat Mahmood
in Arzoo
(1949), singing 'Aye Dil Mujhe Aisi Jagah Ley Chal' his first song in Bombay; he was also behind the success of many singers such as Surendranath, Parul Ghosh, Amirbai Karnataki
, Lata Mangeshkar
, and Roshan Ara Begum
. It was during his period that he married Asha Lata, an actress with Sagar Movietones under her maiden name Mehrunnisa who continued to act under the name Ashalata Biswas, and had three sons and a daughter, the couple later divorced. Later it was the death of his son Pradeep in an airplane accident, in 1961, which catapulted his exit from the film industry.
In 1942, he joined Bombay Talkies
at an offer from Devika Rani
, where he got his biggest hit, Gyan Mukherjee's Kismet (1943 film)
(1943), starring Ashok Kumar
and Mumtaz Shanti, most remembered for the song, 'Papihaare', sung by his sister Parul Ghosh
(wife of the renowned flautist, Pannalal Ghosh
), the patriotic hit, 'Door hato ai duniyaa waalo', and 'Dheere dheere aare badal, mera bulbul so raha hai, shorgul na macha' sung by the actor, Ashok Kumar
. In 1946, he left Bombay Talkies
and set out as a freelancer, and later under the banner, ‘Variety Pictures’ owned by his wife, AshaLata Biswas, worked for four films, Laadli (1949), Laajawaab (1950), Badi Bahu (1951) and Humdard (1953), with KA Abbas Rahi (1952), songless Munna (1954), where he gave the background score, and Indo-Russian joint production, Nargis
starrer, Pardesi (1957) and Char Dil Char Rahein (1959). By now, the kind of music perfect by Anilda, as he was now called in the industry as, was fast changing, and so he gradually grew disillusioned by the changing dynamics of the film industry. In early 1960s, he retired from the cinema, while still at the peak of his game, he shifted base to New Delhi, though he did one or two films in between like Mahesh Kaul's, Sautela Bhai (1962), his final film as a composer was, actor Motilal
's directorial venture, Chhoti Chhoti Baatein (1965), starring Nadira
and with Mukesh's 'Zindagi Khwab Hai Tha Hamein Bhi', unfortunately Motilal died before its release, and the film flopped at the box office, though it did get a National Film Award.
In Delhi he became director of the National Orchestra at the All India Radio
(AIR) in March 1963, and remained Chief Producer -Sugam Sangeet (light Hindustani classical music
) at AIR
, Delhi till 1975. Though later, he composed music for Doordarshan
's pioneering TV series Hum Log (1984) and a number of documentaries for the Films Division as late as 1991, and remained the vice chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University
for 2 years. He won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
in 1986.
, Meena Kapoor
, daughter of actor Bikram Kapoor, in 1959. Meena was most noted for singing hit 1950s songs like, ‘Rasiya re man basiya re’ in Nargis starrer Pardesi (1957) and ‘Kachhi hai umariya’ picturised on Meena Kumari
in Char Dil Char Raahein
Anil Biswas died in New Delhi on 31 May 2003. He was survived by his wife, sons, Amit Biswas and Utpal Biswas. Utpal Biswas is also part of Amar-Uptal duo team bollywood music composers of hit films such as Shahenshah (1988), Main Azaad Hoon and Aaja Meri Jaan (1993), and his daughter, Shikha Vohra. Upon his death, the then Prime Minister of India
, Atal Bihari Vajpayee
called him, “a doyen of film music who struck the rare balance between classical purity of music and popular pulse”, and credited him for leaving, “an enduring legacy as he introduced many talented singers and innovations to the Indian film music”
Video link
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
or folk elements, especially Baul
Baul
Baul .Though Bauls comprise only a small fraction of the Bengali population, their influence on the culture of Bengal is considerable. In 2005, the Baul tradition was included in the list of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.-Etymology:The origin of the word...
and Bhatiyali in his music. Out of his over 90 films, most memorable were, Roti (1942), Kismet (1943 film)
Kismet (1943 film)
Kismet is a 1943 Indian Hindi film, written and directed by Gyan Mukherjee and produced by Bombay Talkies during the second world war period, while it was in a succession battle between Devika Rani and Sashadhar Mukherjee after owner Himanshu Rai's death...
(1943), Anokha Pyaar (1948), Taraana (1951), Waaris (1954), Pardesi (1957) and Char Dil Char Raahein (1959).
He was also the pioneer in using the counter melody in film scores, employing technique of western music, ‘cantala’, where one line overlaps the other in contra-melody, recitative prose songs as in Roti (1942), besides he was the first one to start extensively using the Ragmala
Ragmala
Ragmala or Ragamala , literally means a 'garland of Ragas, or musical melodies'. "Mala" means "garland", while "Raga" is a "musical composition or mode", which has also given rise to the series of Ragamala paintings. This list differs according to the author and the music school it is based upon...
. Another important element that he introduced was western orchestration, using indigenous instruments both in the songs as well as in their melodic interludes, a trend that soon caught on and paved way for the musicals of Indian cinema today.
He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
in 1986.
Early life
Anil Krishna Biswas was born on 7 July 1914, in Barisal in East BengalEast Bengal
East Bengal was the name used during two periods in the 20th century for a territory that roughly corresponded to the modern state of Bangladesh. Both instances involved a violent partition of Bengal....
(now in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
) in the household of J C Biswas, where at a young age he acted in a local amateur theater as a child star. He was fond of listening to music since his childhood. As he grew up, he displayed considerable musical talent, by 14 he was already accomplished in playing table, while singing and composing music at local music concerts; though soon he joined the Indian Independence Movement
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
, while still doing his matriculation
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
, and was repeatedly jailed for his revolutionary activities, leading to repeated disruption of his studies. Eventually in 1930, after his father’s death he left for Calcutta in disguise to escape further arrest.
Career
Anil Biswas first made name in KolkataKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
in the early 1930s, composing music for plays, later he joined 'Rangmahal Theatre', Kolkata, as an actor, singer, and assistant music director, 1932–34, during this period he sang and acted in several commercial stage productions. By this time he had masters singing styles like, khayal, thumri
Thumri
Thumri is a common genre of semi-classical Indian music.The text is romantic or devotional in nature, and usually revolves around a girl's love for Krishna. The lyrics are usually in Uttar Pradesh dialects of Hindi called Poorbi and Brij Bhasha...
and dadra
Dadra
Dadra refers to two separate but originally linked concepts in Hindustani classical music.-Dadra tala:This is a Hindustani classical tala , consisting of six beats in two equal divisions of three. The most commonly accepted theka or basic pattern for this tala is dha dhi na, dha tu na...
, and had become an accomplished singer of devotional music, in Shyama Sangeet
Shyama Sangeet
Shyama Sangeet is a genre of Bengali devotional songs dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shyama or Kali. It is also known as Shaktagiti.Shyama Sangeet appeals to the common man because it is a musical representation of the relationship of eternal and sublime love and care between the mother and her child...
and Kirtan
Kirtan
Kirtan or Kirtana is call-and-response chanting or "responsory" performed in India's devotional traditions. A person performing kirtan is known as a kirtankar. Kirtan practice involves chanting hymns or mantras to the accompaniment of instruments such as the harmonium, tablas, the two-headed...
styles.
He also worked as a singer, lyricist and composer, with the 'Hindustan Recording Company', where Kundan Lal Saigal
Kundan Lal Saigal
Kundan Lal Saigal was an Indian singer and actor who is considered the first superstar of the Hindi film industry, which was centered in Calcutta during Saigal's time, but is currently centered in Mumbai.-Early life:Saigal was born at Jammu where his father Amar Chand was a tehsildar at the...
and Sachin Dev Burman
Sachin Dev Burman
Sachin Dev Burman , also credited as Burman da, Kumar Sachindra Dev Barman, Sachin karta or S. D. Burman, was one of the most famous music composers for Hindi movies and a Bengali singer and composer. His son Rahul Dev Burman also achieved great success as a Bollywood music director in his own...
, before migrating to Bombay themselves. He got assignments from renowned Bengali poet, Kazi Nazrul Islam
Kazi Nazrul Islam
Kazi Nazrul Islam , sobriquet Bidrohi Kobi, was a Bengali poet, musician and revolutionary who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression. His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi...
, all this got him into the notice of music director, Hiren Bose, and at whose behest he made his way to Bombay (Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
) in 1934.
This was the period, when playback singing
Playback singer
A playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...
, was making its debut in Indian cinema, when Anil first joined Ram Daryani's, 'Eastern Art Syndicate', and was associated in composing music for 'Baal Hatya' and 'Bharat ki Beti', before making his debut as a film composer, with Dharam ki Devi (1935) for which he composed the background music
Background music
Although background music was by the end of the 20th century generally identified with Muzak or elevator music, there are several stages in the development of this concept.-Antecedents:...
, and also acted and sang the song, Kuch Bhi Nahin Bharosa.. In 1936 he joined 'Sagar Movietones' as a composer, first starting with assisting composers, Ashok Ghosh in films Manmohan and Deccan Queen and also Pransukh Nayak, and continued with Sagar Movietones, even after it merged with the Yusuf Fazalbhoy of RCA’s newly established National Studios in 1939.
In the coming two years he did eleven film, mostly stunt film, until Mehboob Khan's Jagirdar (1937), a commercially hit, established him as a musical force in the film industry, there was no turning back from then on. Soon many more independent assignments came his way, most notably, 300 Days and After, Gramophone Singer, Hum Tum Aur Woh, Ek Hi Rasta, and Mehboob Khan's Watan (1938), Alibaba (1940), the classic, Aurat
Aurat (1940 film)
Aurat is a 1940 Hindi film directed by Mehboob Khan starring Sardar Akhtar, Surendra, Kanhaiyalal and Arun . The film's music is by Anil Biswas. Mehboob Khan later remade this film as Mother India , which is considered as one of the biggest hit of all time in Indian Cinema....
(1940), Bahen (1941), before working with him again, in Roti (1942), for which he also credited with the story and concept, and which featured many songs by film's actress, Akhtaribai Faizabadi (Begum Akhtar
Begum Akhtar
Akhtari Bai Faizabadi or Begum Akhtar was a well known Indian singer of Ghazal, Dadra and Thumri.She received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for vocal music, and was awarded Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by Govt. of India...
), though they were deleted due to a contractual conflict (the music was recorded with HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
, while she was in contract with Megaphone Gramophone Company). In following years he gave scores for Bombay Talkies
Bombay Talkies
The Bombay Talkies Limited was a movie studio produced 102 movies, founded in 1934 in Malad, Bombay , India, by Himanshu Rai, Rajnarayan Dube and Devika Rani along with businessmen like F. E...
films like Jwar Bhatta (1944), Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar , is an Indian actor and a former Member of Parliament.He lives in Pali Hill, Bandra in Mumbai, India. He is commonly known as "Tragedy King",and is described as "the ultimate method actor" by Satyajit Ray....
’s debut film, and Milan (1947) also starring Dilip Kumar and directed by Nitin Bose
Nitin Bose
Nitin Bose was an Indian film director, cinematographer and screenwriter of the nation's film industry. He was born in Calcutta and died in the same city. In the 1930s and early 1940s, he worked with New Theatres, who made bilingual movies: in both Bengali and Hindi...
, who made it in Bengali, as Naukadubi.
He gave break to famed playback singer, Mukesh in Pehli Nazar (1945), singing 'Dil Jalta Hai to Jalne De', and to Talat Mahmood
Talat Mahmood
Talat Mahmood was a popular Indian playback singer and film actor. A recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 1992, he was famous for singing ghazals. For this quality he was known as the King of ghazals....
in Arzoo
Arzoo (1950 film)
Arzoo is a 1950 Bollywood film produced by Hiten Chaudhary and directed by Shaheed Latif. The film stars Dilip Kumar, Kamini Kaushal and Shashikala. The films music is by Anil Biswas. Cukoo appears as a dancer in the song Aao Milke Jawani Ki Loote Bahaar.-Cast:*Kamini Kaushal ... Kamini...
(1949), singing 'Aye Dil Mujhe Aisi Jagah Ley Chal' his first song in Bombay; he was also behind the success of many singers such as Surendranath, Parul Ghosh, Amirbai Karnataki
Amirbai Karnataki
Amirbai Karnataki was a famous actress/singer and playback singer of the early Hindi cinema and was famous as Kannada Kokila. Mahatma Gandhi was an ardent fan of her song Vaishnav Jan To.-Personal life:...
, Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
, and Roshan Ara Begum
Roshan Ara Begum
Roshan Ara Begum became one of the most important woman in the history of Hindustani classical music. In Pakistan she is revered as Mallika-e-Mauseeqi or Queen of Music...
. It was during his period that he married Asha Lata, an actress with Sagar Movietones under her maiden name Mehrunnisa who continued to act under the name Ashalata Biswas, and had three sons and a daughter, the couple later divorced. Later it was the death of his son Pradeep in an airplane accident, in 1961, which catapulted his exit from the film industry.
In 1942, he joined Bombay Talkies
Bombay Talkies
The Bombay Talkies Limited was a movie studio produced 102 movies, founded in 1934 in Malad, Bombay , India, by Himanshu Rai, Rajnarayan Dube and Devika Rani along with businessmen like F. E...
at an offer from Devika Rani
Devika Rani
Devika Rani Chaudhuri Roerich was an early Indian movie star.- Career :Born in Waltair , Devika Rani came from a distinguished background: she was the great-grandniece of the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and her father, Col. M. N. Chaudhuri, was the first Indian Surgeon-General of Madras...
, where he got his biggest hit, Gyan Mukherjee's Kismet (1943 film)
Kismet (1943 film)
Kismet is a 1943 Indian Hindi film, written and directed by Gyan Mukherjee and produced by Bombay Talkies during the second world war period, while it was in a succession battle between Devika Rani and Sashadhar Mukherjee after owner Himanshu Rai's death...
(1943), starring Ashok Kumar
Ashok Kumar
Ashok Kumar also fondly called Dadamoni was an Indian film actor. Born Kumudlal Ganguly in Bhagalpur, Bengal Presidency he attained iconic status in Indian cinema...
and Mumtaz Shanti, most remembered for the song, 'Papihaare', sung by his sister Parul Ghosh
Parul Ghosh
Parul Ghosh , born Parul Biswas, was one of the pioneers of playback singing, singing in Hindi and Bengali movies from 1935 to 1951. Originally hailing from Barisal, now in Bangladesh, she was introduced to playback singing by her brother Anil Biswas. Films in which she featured include Jwar Bhata,...
(wife of the renowned flautist, Pannalal Ghosh
Pannalal Ghosh
Pannalal Ghosh , also known as Amulya Jyoti Ghosh, was a Bengali Indian flute player and composer. He was a disciple of Allauddin Khan, and is credited with giving the flute its status in Hindustani classical music....
), the patriotic hit, 'Door hato ai duniyaa waalo', and 'Dheere dheere aare badal, mera bulbul so raha hai, shorgul na macha' sung by the actor, Ashok Kumar
Ashok Kumar
Ashok Kumar also fondly called Dadamoni was an Indian film actor. Born Kumudlal Ganguly in Bhagalpur, Bengal Presidency he attained iconic status in Indian cinema...
. In 1946, he left Bombay Talkies
Bombay Talkies
The Bombay Talkies Limited was a movie studio produced 102 movies, founded in 1934 in Malad, Bombay , India, by Himanshu Rai, Rajnarayan Dube and Devika Rani along with businessmen like F. E...
and set out as a freelancer, and later under the banner, ‘Variety Pictures’ owned by his wife, AshaLata Biswas, worked for four films, Laadli (1949), Laajawaab (1950), Badi Bahu (1951) and Humdard (1953), with KA Abbas Rahi (1952), songless Munna (1954), where he gave the background score, and Indo-Russian joint production, Nargis
Nargis
Nargis Dutt , born Fatima Rashid but known by her screen name, Nargis, was an Indian film actress. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Hindi cinema. She made her screen debut as a child in Talash-E-Haq in 1935, but her acting carer began in 1942 with Tamanna...
starrer, Pardesi (1957) and Char Dil Char Rahein (1959). By now, the kind of music perfect by Anilda, as he was now called in the industry as, was fast changing, and so he gradually grew disillusioned by the changing dynamics of the film industry. In early 1960s, he retired from the cinema, while still at the peak of his game, he shifted base to New Delhi, though he did one or two films in between like Mahesh Kaul's, Sautela Bhai (1962), his final film as a composer was, actor Motilal
Motilal (actor)
- External links :* http://www.3to6.com/final_retro/legend-motilal.htm...
's directorial venture, Chhoti Chhoti Baatein (1965), starring Nadira
Nadira (actress)
-References:* Rediff.com* -External links:* . Audio podcast by Eric Molinsky discussing Nadira and other Jewish women in Indian cinema...
and with Mukesh's 'Zindagi Khwab Hai Tha Hamein Bhi', unfortunately Motilal died before its release, and the film flopped at the box office, though it did get a National Film Award.
In Delhi he became director of the National Orchestra at the All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
(AIR) in March 1963, and remained Chief Producer -Sugam Sangeet (light Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
) at AIR
AIR (program)
AIR is a program suite for volume-based image registration constructed by Roger P. Woods from UCLA School of Medicine....
, Delhi till 1975. Though later, he composed music for Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
's pioneering TV series Hum Log (1984) and a number of documentaries for the Films Division as late as 1991, and remained the vice chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University, also known as JNU, is located in New Delhi, the capital of India. It is mainly a research oriented postgraduate University with approximately 5,500 students and a faculty strength of around 550.-History:...
for 2 years. He won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
in 1986.
Personal life
He was first married to Ashalata (real name Mehrunnisa), an actress in 1940s, who also owned Variety Pictures, and with whom he had three sons and a daughter. Daughter's name is Shikha Vohra and her daughter is now a well-known documentary film maker, Paromita Vohra see and. After that Anil Biwas married the playback singerPlayback singer
A playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...
, Meena Kapoor
Meena Kapoor
Meena Kapoor was a playback singer in Hindi cinema, who sang mainly during the 1940s and 1950s, singing hits such as "Rasiya Re Man Basiya Re" from Pardesi . She was a friend of the singer Geeta Dutt; the two had similar vocal styles....
, daughter of actor Bikram Kapoor, in 1959. Meena was most noted for singing hit 1950s songs like, ‘Rasiya re man basiya re’ in Nargis starrer Pardesi (1957) and ‘Kachhi hai umariya’ picturised on Meena Kumari
Meena Kumari
Meena Kumari , born Mahjabeen Bano, was an Indian movie actress and poetess. She is regarded as one of the most prominent actresses to have appeared on the screens of Hindi Cinema...
in Char Dil Char Raahein
Anil Biswas died in New Delhi on 31 May 2003. He was survived by his wife, sons, Amit Biswas and Utpal Biswas. Utpal Biswas is also part of Amar-Uptal duo team bollywood music composers of hit films such as Shahenshah (1988), Main Azaad Hoon and Aaja Meri Jaan (1993), and his daughter, Shikha Vohra. Upon his death, the then Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
, Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from...
called him, “a doyen of film music who struck the rare balance between classical purity of music and popular pulse”, and credited him for leaving, “an enduring legacy as he introduced many talented singers and innovations to the Indian film music”
Filmography
- Chhoti Chhoti Baatein (1965)
- Sautela Bhai (1962)
- Angulimala (1960)
- Char Dil Char Raahein (1959)
- Sanskar (1958)
- Abhimaan (1957)
- Pardesi (1957 film)
- Heer (1956)
- Paisa Hi Paisa (1956)
- Du-janay (1955)
- Faraar (1955)
- Jalti Nishani (1955)
- Jasoos (1955)
- Maan (1954)
- Mahatma Kabir (1954)
- Naaz (1954)
- Waris (1954)
- Akash (1953)
- Dil-E-Nadan (1953)
- Fareb (1953)
- Jallianwalla Baag Ki Jyoti (1953)
- Mehmaan (1953)
- Rahi (1953)
- Do Raha (1952)
- Aaram (1951)
- Do Sitare (1951)
- Tarana (1951)
- Arzoo (1950)
- Beqasoor (1950)
- Girls' School (1949)
- Jeet (1949)
- Ladli (1949)
- Anokha Pyar (1948)
- Gajre (1948)
- Veena (1948)
- Pahali Nazar (1945)
- Jwar Bhata (1944)
- Hamari Baat (1943)
- Kismet (1943)
- Jawani (1942)
- Vijay (1942)
- Aasra (1941)
- Bahen (1941)
- Alibaba (1940/I)
- AuratAurat (1940 film)Aurat is a 1940 Hindi film directed by Mehboob Khan starring Sardar Akhtar, Surendra, Kanhaiyalal and Arun . The film's music is by Anil Biswas. Mehboob Khan later remade this film as Mother India , which is considered as one of the biggest hit of all time in Indian Cinema....
(1940) - Pooja (1940)
- Ek Hi Raasta (1939)
- Jeevan Saathi (1939)
- Abhilasha (1938)
- Dynamite (1938)
- Gramophone Singer (1938)
- Hum Tum Aur Woh (1938)
- Teen Sau Din Ke Baad (1938)
- Watan (1938)
- Gentleman Daku (1937)
- Jagirdar (1937)
- Kokila (1937)
- Mahageet (1937)
- Prem Bandhan (1936)
- Sher Ka Panja (1936)
- Dharma Ki Devi (1935)
Further reading
- Anil Biswas: Tribute, A Collection of Essays on the Occasion of His Fiftieth Year of Music Composition for Films, Bangalore, 1986.
External links
- anilbiswas.com A Tribute website
- List of Songs composed by Anil Biswas
- Complete filmography including lists of songs based on Hindi Film Geet Kosh http://www.hamraaz.org/ is here http://films.hindi-movies-songs.com/anilbiswascomplete.txt
Video link