A celebrated music director, Omkar Prasad Nayyar or OP Nayyar had an outstanding feel for beat. His music, often using rock and Punjabi folk tunes, was characterized by melody, energy, and a superb rhythm.

Career of OP Nayyar
OP Nayyar worked with the Jalandhar station of All India Radio before moving to Mumbai to make a career in films. His first assignment was scoring the background music for the 1949 Muslim social, `Kaneez.` In 1952, Dalsukh Pancholi signed OP Nayyar as the Indian film music director for `Aasmaan.` However, it was the lilting score of Guru Dutt`s Aar Paar that proved to be Nayyar`s breakthrough film. He then went on to create unforgettable melodies in `Mr. and Mrs. 55`, `CID`, and `Naya Daur.` The latter won him the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director in 1957. Significantly, Nayyar did not employ Lata Mangeshkar`s voice for any of his compositions. His early songs were rendered by Geeta Dutt and Shamshad Begum and the later ones by Asha Bhosle. In fact, OP Nayyar is credited with giving Asha Bhosle`s singing a distinct style and identity.

OP Nayyar composed the foot-tapping music for `Tumsa Nahin Dekha.` The film, aided by its music, was instrumental in shaping Shammi Kapoor`s image in Bollywood. Nayyar created musical magic the next year once again with `Howrah Bridge`; its `Aaiye meherbaan` and `Mera naam Chin Chin Chu` remain amongst Hindi cinema`s most popular songs.

OP Nayyar often slipped in the sound of horse hoofs and ghungroo, or ankle bells, which lent his music a distinctive quality. This is evident, for instance, in Aankhon hi aankhon mein` (CID), `Diwana hua badal` (Kashmir Ki Kali), and `Maang ke saath tumhara` (Naya Daur). He returned to cinema after two decades to score the music for the Telugu film `Neerajanam.`
In the year 2007 O.P. Nayyar died in Mumbai on 28 January 2007.

Filmography of OP Nayyar