Roshanlal Nagrath, popularly known by just his first name Roshan, was a famed Bollywood music director. He had presented the Hindi film industry with some of the most soulful and enchanting renditions of all time. He was the father of popular music director Rajesh Roshan and film actor and director Rakesh Roshan and the paternal grandfather of the famed actor Hrithik Roshan. Apart from being a successful music director, Roshan was also known to be a skilled Esraj player.
Early Life of Roshanlal Nagrath
Roshan was born on 14th July 1917 in Gujranwala city of Punjab province of British India which is presently a part of Punjab in Pakistan. He started receiving music training from a very young age. He also joined Marris College (Bhatkhande College of Music) in Lucknow where he got trained by the Principal of the University, Pt. S. N. Ratanjankar. Roshan was also proficient in playing Esraj and was hired as a Staff Artist for Esraj in the early 1940s by the Programme Producer/Music, AIR Delhi, Khawaja Khurshid Anwar.
Career of Roshanlal Nagrath
Roshan came to Mumbai in the year 1948 for pursuing a career in the Hindi film industry as a music director. He began his career as an Assistant of Music Composer of Khawaja Khurshid Anwar for the film Singaar. The following phase marked his vigorous struggle in the industry which ended when he met Kidar Sharma and bagged the opportunity of composing music for his film Neki aur Badi in 1949. Although this film flopped, Roshan gained recognition in the music arena of Bollywood with his following venture Baawre Nain which released the next year. Roshan worked with some of the prominent singers of Bollywood such as Talat Mahmood and Mukesh in 1950s. During this phase he scored for movies like Anhonee, Shisham and Malhar. The popular song `Aeiri main to prem diwani mera dard na jane koyi` from the film Naubahaar voiced by Lata Mangeshkar was also composed by him. Bollywood lyricists Anand Bakshi and Indeewar got their major breaks in the industry through Roshan and later became two of the most renowned lyricists of the industry from 1960s onwards. Roshan and Anand Bakshi rendered a great music to the film Devar in the year 1966.
The golden era of Roshan was marked by 1960s when he started composing enchanting melodies by blending folk music and Hindustani classical music which gradually became his signature tunes. Some of his hit songs included `Zindagi bhar nahi bhoolegi woh barsaat ki raat` and `Na to karavan ki talaash hai` from Barsaat Ki Raat; `Laaga chunari mein daag` and `Nigahen milane ko jee chahata hai` from Dil Hi To Hai; `Jurm-e-ulfat pe`, `Paao chhoon lene do` and `Jo vada kiya vo nibhana padega` from Taj Mahal; `Kabhi to milegi, kahi to milegi` and `Ab kya misaal doon` from Aarti; `Man re tu kaahe` and `Sansaar se bhaage phirte ho` from Chitralekha and `Khushi khushi kar do vida` and `Oh re taal mile` from Anokhi Raat. Some of the soulful melodies from the 1966 movie Mamta were also composed by him including the song `Rahen Na Rahen Hum`, sung by Lata Mangeshkar. Qawwali was another forte of Roshan which gathered prominence in songs like `Nigahen milane ko jee chahta hai`, `Na to karwaan ki talaash hai`, `Yeh baazoo mere aazmaye hue hain`, `Na khanjar uthega na talwar tumse` and many more.
Achievements of Roshanlal Nagrath
In the year 1963 Roshan won Filmfare Best Music Director Award for his compositions in the movie Taj Mahal.
Death of Roshanlal Nagrath
Roshan died of a heart attack on 16 November 1967 at the age of 50, survived by a wife, three sons and a daughter in Mumbai. He was suffering from chronic heart trouble for more than 20 years.
