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When we listen song from Sanjog, we could see Madan Mohan. Son of Chunnilal Raibahadur, Madan Mohan was born in Baghdad. After 1932 his Kohli family settled in Chakwal in Punjab. Chunnilal Ji left Madan Mohan with his grandfather and went to Mumbai. While studying in school at Lahore, Madan Mohan also learnt classical music from Kartar Singh for two years. Then this family shifted to Mumbai and while studying in Saint Merry School, Madan Mohan started participating in radio programs. Then after completing education at Dehradun, he entered in the army.
After serving for two years in army, he came to Mumbai and started service as an assistant at Lucknow radio in 1946. He had great colleagues like Ustad Faiyaz Khan, Begum Akhtar, Talat Mehmood, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Madan Mohan used to provide music for radio programs. He got an opportunity of recording Gazal during this time. He sang two songs in 1948 with Lata Didi for movie ‘Shahid’ with music by Ghulam Haider, but those were not used in the movie.
He worked as an assistant for S. D. Burman, Shaym Sundar. He also tried to be a hero in films but those movies could never get completed he got a real break as music director in 1950 for movie ‘Aankhen’. Lata Didi and Madan Mohan met in Filmistan studio; Lata Didi used to treat Madan Mohan as her brother. This relation lasted till end. Lata Didi and Madan Mohan just ruled the hearts of music lovers.
There are very few songs of Kishore Kumar and Madan Mohan but in ‘Parwana’, ‘Manmauji’, ‘Ek Mutthi Arman’, ‘Chacha Zindabad’, ‘Bhai Bhai’, this pair has created magic. His tunes were very cordial with lyricists like Raja Mehandi Ali Khan, Rajendra Krishna, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Sahir. Music by Madan Mohan was ruling the industry during fifties to seventies. He worked for nearly ninety movies. Some of them though failed on box office, the music always became popular. Some of his popular movies are ‘Gazal’, ‘Adalat’, ‘Mera Saya’, ‘Jahan Ara’, ‘Dulhan Ek Raat Ki’, ‘Naunihal’, ‘Dekh Kabira Roya’, ‘Haqiqat’, ‘Dastak’, ‘Heer Ranjha’, ‘Mausam’, etc.
Mohammad Rafi was his favourite singer. Many songs of Madan Mohan in the voice of Mohammad Rafi are immortally popular. All songs in Haqikat, Meri Awaz Suno from Naunihal are really unparalleled. Madan Mohan used to try all kinds of tunes and music but he became famous as king of gazals. Awards always played hide and seek with him. The only award received to him is the national award for best music to ‘Dastak’.
He had many struggles in his personal life. The second marriage by Chunnilal Ji, his oppose to Madan Mohan in initial period all this hurt him a lot. He married with Shaila Dhingra, but had frequent quarrels due to difference of opinions. Friends like Rajendra Krishna used to make compromises. In spite of this Madan Mohan always looked after and cared for family. He could not get much A grade movies. At the time of Bobby, Raj Kapoor was about to take him along, but politics in industry snatched that opportunity.
In 70s the trends of cinema changed, dirty politics started, he was cornered by booking recording studios without reason. One renowned pair also did weird things like purchasing records of his songs and throw them in the ocean. His drinking increased due to depression.
On 14th July 1975 he left the world. Many realized his importance after his death. There were many unpublished music creations by Madan Mohan, some of them were used in Veer Zaara movie. It became poplar. He was honored posthumously in 2005 by AIFA Award. Madan Mohan was a divine soul, I salute him.
