I am not writing much about this album, but I am going to concentrate on the music, persona and contribution of this great music director. Since there is no other category in which this article could fit it, I am using this short cut. OPN was a great composer with unique style, trade mark compositions that one could identify even in deep slumber. What versatility!
Ranging from Punjabi folk-music-to-western rock-n-roll, -to-pure Indian classical-to-Pop-to-fusion. OPN had it all.Op was to music what Kapil Dev was to cricket. A true rebel if there was any. Broke away from the tradition, established his own style, cooked a snook at the establishment, set trail blazing trends & traditions; instrumentalists to be paid before recording begins, Music Director, lyricist, singers, and all technicians to be paid before the final version is readied for pressing into records. He invited famous instrumentalist masters from all over India just to play a particular piece, Halim Zafar Khan, Pt.Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pt.Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pt. Shanta Prasad, all have played for OPN. OPN refused to do anything with Lata & Mukesh ( then patronised & monopolised by Shanker Jaikishen), nobody could believe that a music director could survive without Lata, OPN did it. Rediscovered, rejuvenated, polished and relaunched Asha Bhosle in a new avataar, exploited Rafi’s talent to the hilt, introduced a revolutionary style of music that made the industry sit up and take notice. Unique sense of rhythm, metronomically precise beats, perfect to a nano-second (in those days of no electronic timers) made him known as the Rhythm King.The horse-hoof beat he introduced in Tumsa nahin dekha, became a trade mark of OPN. Youthful zest (jawani-ki-masti), seduction and sensuality, were expressed beautifully in OPN compositions…so irreverent and blasphemous in those days! OPN broke on to the scene with an aplomb, people lapped up his music in Nayadaur, Mere Sanam, Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Phir wohi dil.., Sawan ki ghata, Kalpana, Jalinote, Howrah Bridge etc etc…countless hits. Shanker Jaikishen, then ruling the roost, were so stung by OPN that they composed a special song “tin kanastar peet peet kar “ to deride and denigrate OPN style of music. They did the same to RD Burman too with a special song “ Kauva chala hans ki chaal”…but who cared!!
OPN was a pathbreaker in many ways, first to use Santoor, Taar Shehnai, Gul tarang, Hoofbeat, medley chorus, hawain-guitar, cleo-voilin and synthesiser.Dholak-tabla-drums combination was a speciality. (mera naam chin chin chu) Many famous composers of the time got “inspired”by OPN compositions, and the format was copied without ever bothering to acknowledge the talent of OPN. Some examples; 1. “Tu hai mera prem devta” from Kalpana inspired Naushad to compose “ik shahenshah ne banwake hasin Tajmahal in Leader. 2. Hoof beat was used by Naushad in Kohinoor..”koi pyar ki deke ” 3. “ Chand jard jard hai.”.from Jaalinote inspired Shanker Jaikishen to compose “ajeeb dastan hai yeh” in Dila apna…, and Laxmikant Pyarelal to compose “who hai jara khafa khafa” in Shagird. Out and out sexy, seductive, western number “yeh hai reshmi zulfonka” shook up even the puritan Naushad who praised it unabashedly. This trail blazing s-o-s number was done by OPN much before Donna Summers(love to love you baby), or Cerrone( love in C-minor) got out of high school! OPN did for once use Mukesh to sing the superhit “chal akela chal akela” which perhaps was the last big hit of OPN. He , however never used Lata . I think neither he used Kishore.
Once Asha ditched OP and hitched on with RD, OP , a broken man was finished. Rafi too had a tiff. OP did persist, tried Krishna Kalle, Vanijairam, Hemlata, and Mahnedra Kapoor…but never could bring back the magic he created with Rafi & Asha. When times changed, RD Burman, Kalyanji Anandji, & Laxmikant Pyarelal became the ruling trinity, many yesteryear composers like Naushad, Madan Mohan, Vasant Desai, and OPN went out of business. Even Shanker Jaikishen had to wind up. Hindi film music has witnessed 5 great trail blazers who created a new genre, and ruled the day; Naushad- Shanker Jaikishen- O P Nayyar- RD Burman and A R Rehman!. This is not to belittle the contribution of other great composers, but the impact above 5 created is great. OP has had no film assignments, but he still is as cheerful and active as he was in his heydays. He is now a homeopath! The treasure of music that OP has bequeathed to us music lovers will always be cherished.
Listen to the album to enjoy the ever green music of OP