HEMANTA KUMAR MUKHOPADHYAY: The Man with a Golden Voice

A quarter of a century ago, on  September 26, 1989 to be exact, not only we Bengalis but the people of the entire sub-continent lost one of the most popular and versatile singers and composers -- Hemanta Kumar. He was also a film producer. Hemanta Kumar was born on June 16, 1920 in Kashi (now Varanasi), where his maternal family lived.

Most certainly he was born to sing.  Hemanta wrote in his autobiography named “Anandadhara”, published in 1979, that as a student of class ten in Mitra Institution School of Bhawanipore in Kolkata, he was expelled by the Assistant Head Master for singing in the class-room in a free period with fellow friends. Later, the order expelling him was revoked when his influential father intervened. There he met his longtime friend Subhas Mukhopadhyay, later to become a noted poet. When he was student of second class (class nine now), Subhas took him to audition at the Broadcasting Corporation (later All India Radio). He sailed through the audition and got a letter of acceptance three months later. At first his father did not allow him to take on the assignment, but his mother persuaded her husband to change his mind.

Hemanta's first song, “Amar Ganete Ele Nabarupi Chirantani” was aired on the radio in 1933. The song was written by Subhas Mukhopadhyay. He passed his Matriculation Examination with a first division in 1937 and subsequently was enrolled at Bengal Technical Institution at Jadavpur, Kolkata. However, he dropped academics to pursue a career in music, a decision that evoked the ire of his parents and relatives. In 1937 he recorded his first album with Gramophone Company of India, under Columbia Records.

He started to sing in Bengali movies in 1941 and later on in Hindi films from 1944. Over the same period he continued singing modern songs and also popularised Rabindra Sangeet. In his autobiography he recalled the first Rabindra Sangeet he learnt: “Amar Mollika Bone, Jokhon Prothom Dhoreche Koli”. He migrated from Kolkata to Mumbai in March and started a job as music director at the small sum of Rs. 1500 a month in Filmistan, owned by Sasadhar Mukherjeh. Later his songs “Jag Darde Ishq Jag”, and “Zindegi Payer Ki Do Char Ghari Hoti Hai”, in film “Anarkali” from Filmistan were hits.

Hemanta's major breakthrough came in the same year of 1952 when Sachin Dev Burman offered him playback singing assignments for Guru Dutt's film “Jaal”. The song “Yeh Raat Yeh Chand Ni Fir Kahan”, established his position as a major playback singer. However, it was his music composition for the movie “Nagin” that earned him fame and national recognition as a music director. The song “Tann Dole Mera Man Dole” from that movie became a smashing hit and made the snake charmer tune popular in the Indian sub-continent. In 1955, he earned the prestigious Filmfare Award for the Best Music Director.

Although he was very busy as a singer and music director in Mumbai, he took time to sing and gave music direction to Bangla movies in Kolkata. The 1950s and 1960s saw him at his pinnacle as a singer and music director. In his autobiography he describes 1954, 1955 and 1956 as his golden years. After the success of “Nagin”, he got an offer from Kolkata to direct music for the movie “Sap Mochan”. Although he was becoming increasingly popular in Mumbai, his contract for the movie gave him a meagre sum of Rs 5,000. When “Sap Mochan” was released, it was a super-hit both as a movie and its songs also. How one can forget the song “Sono Bondhu Sono, Pranhin Ei Sohorer Etikhota”. After “Sap Mochan” he gave music direction to the film “Harano Sur”. According to him, it took only half an hour to give music for the song “Tumi Je Amar, Ogo Tumi Je Amar”, and 15 minutes to give music to the song “Aj Dujonar Duti Poth, Duti Dike Geche Beke”. It is unbelievable, because these two songs are still very popular in our music world.

In Bangla films his voice was recognised as the voice of the Mahanayak Uttam Kumar. Similarly his voice in the Hindi films was recognised as the voice of the legendary actor Dev Anand. He also promoted Rabindra Sangeet and made it immensely popular in our society. How can one forget his songs for dance dramas “Poth o Pothik”, “Sap Mochan”, and “Chitragada”, albeit his solo Tagore songs?

In those years Hemanta was thriving both as a playback singer and as a gifted music composer. He was considered the second hero to popularise Rabindra Sangeet, the first being none other than the legendary singer Pankaj Kumar Mullick.

Apart from Bangla songs, Hemanta Kumar also sang in several other languages like Marathi, Gujarati, Assamese, Oriya, Konkani, Tamil and Bhojpuri. His discography is long. Some of the Tagore songs like, “O Amar Desher Mati”, “Aguner Parash Moni”, “Sedin Dujone Dulechinu Bone”, “Amar Porano Jaha Chae”, and “Tumi Ki Keboli Chhobi” are unparalleled. His song “Dhono Dannye Pushpe Bhora”, a Dwijendra Geeti and the two songs of Rajanikanta, “Amito Tomare Chahine Jibone” and “Ami Okriti Odhom Boleo To Kichu” are noteworthy.  One of his best Adhunik Bangla songs is “Runner”. Other super hit adhunik Bangla songs, to name a few are “O Akash Prodip Jelo Na”, “Amr Jiboner Eto Alo”, “Ei Meghla Din-e Ekla Ghore”, “Ei Baluka Belae Ami Likhechinu”, “Ami Duur Hote Tomakei Dekhechi”, “O Nodire”, and “Obak Prithibi”, written by Sukanta Bhattacharya.  His songs for Bangla movies are equally popular. The songs, “Muche Jaowa Din Guli”, “Surer Akashe Tumi Je Go Suktara”, “Aj Dujonar Duti Poth”, and “Surja Dobar Pala Ashe Jodi” are notable. His song “Ei Poth Jodi Na Sesh Hoi”, lip synced by Uttam Kumar on a motorbike with Suchitra Sen, was unique.

Although he sang Nazrul songs at many functions, his recorded songs are few and far between. Among them “Chokh Gelo Pakhire”, and “Pothe Cholite Jodi Chokite” are notable.

In 1945, Hemanta married Bela Mukherjee, who died on June 25, 2009. They had two children: a son, Jayanta, and a daughter, Ranu. When Ranu was a young girl, she sang the popular song “Aai Khuku Aai, Katena Somoy”. Hemanta Kumar's immortal songs continue to thrill countless listeners. And they will in the future…