Great Songs by Forgotten Composers

SUDHIR PHADKE   (25 July 1919 – 29 July 2002)

Remember the song Jyoti kalash chalke  by Lata Mangeshkar or Aaj Pehli Tarikh Hai by Kishore Kumar both these immortal songs were composed by him.Geet Ramayana, based on poet G D Madgulkar's verses, is one of Phadke's most popular works.Stage performances of the program continue to draw huge crowds even today. 

Sudhir Phadke, affectionately called Babuji, was a giant in the field of music. Born Shriram Phadke in Kolhapur, Maharashtra,He was regarded as an icon of the Marathi film industry and Marathi Sugam Sangeet (light music) for five decades.During his long career, he composed music for many Marathi and Hindi films. He was also an immaculate playback singer. Phadke married his fellow singer Lalita Deulkar. Their son Shridhar Phadke (born 1950) is also a composer and singer.Sudhir Phadke has 111 films to his credit as a music director, 21 of which are in Hindi.
Phadke acquired his primary tutelage in vocal classical music from the late Vamanrao Padhyein Kolhapur. After beginning his career with HMV in 1941, he joined the Prabhat Film Company as music director in 1946.
At HMV, he met with Vasudev G Bhatkar, who would later be more famous as Snehal Bhatkar. This was a lasting friendship, which also brought the young Sudhir in touch with the film industry. In collaboration with Vasudev Bhatkar, his first film as music director was ‘Rukmini Swyamvar’ in 1946. 
Gokul (1946) was his first movie it was directed by Vasant Painter for Prabhat Films. The movie had Kamla Kotnis and Anant Marathe in it,only two songs of this movie are available in YT,I am posting both.

Kahaan hamaare shyaam chale (Gokul)(1946) Singer-G M Durrani, Lyrics-Qamar Jalalabadi, MD-Sudhir Phadke

In 1947 he got the fim Aage Bado,which was a movie on a progressive topic and it dealt with an important social issue.The movie had 7 songs all were popular that time,Here is a duet song picturised on them. The song is sung by Rafi (for Dev Anand) and Khursheed (for herself). Dev Anand looks young and dashing. 

Saawan ki ghataaon dheere dheere aanaa (Aage Badho) (1947) 

In 1949 his 3 movies released Apraadhi,Maaya Baazaar and Sant Janabai.

“Apradhi” (1947) was a Prabhat Pictures Production. It was produced by S Fatehlal and directed by Yashwant Pethkar. The movie had Madhubala, Ram Singh, Leela Pandey, Pran, Uma Dutt, Raj Kishore, Gouri, Srinivas Joshi, Manjrekar, Kishan Rao, M Naresh, Niranjan, Subodh, Vinod, Gangubai, Madhu Apte etc in it.

This movie was the debut movie of Madhubala as a leading lady. She was just 15 years of age.Here is this delightful song from “Apraadhi” (1949).

           Apradhi" (1949) sitara kanpuri jaan pahachan na kahi salam na dil mera

For those who lived in India during 1960s and 1970s, and who listened to radio Ceylon every morning, 7-30 to 8 AM was the time for old songs. Last song of that programme used to be K L Sehgal song,There was one exception during this time slot between 7-30 to 8 AM though, and that would arrive on the first day of every new month. This was a song of Kishore Kumar that would go ” din hai suhana aj pahli tarikh hai”

“Pahli taarikh” (1954) was written by Qamar Jalalabadi and that the music was by Sudhir Phadke. And how well the lyricist has captured the sentiments of ordinary real life of people.

Din hai suhana aaj pahli taarikh hai (Pahli tarikh 1954) 

Lata and Sudhir Phadke gave a memorable song. 

Here is a forgotten gem from an obscure movie called “Ratnaghar” (1955).This movie had Lalita Pawar, Raja Paranjpe, Shakuntala, Suryakan

Aise hain sukh swapan hamaare (Ratnaghar) (1955)

This song is from a Rare song from the movie called “Sajni” (1956). The song is written by Pt Narendra Sharma. The song is a duet. Lata is the female playback singer. and guess who is the male playback singer ? It is none other than Sudhir Phadke himself !

Qismat ka nahin dosh baawre (Sajni) (1956)

The composition of “Jyoti Kalash Chhalke” came in 1961.He is best known for this iconic composition.  The singing voice is that of Lata ji. The verses are from the pen of Pt Narendra Sharma. The melody created by Sudhir Phadke is based on Raag Mishr Maalkauns.

 “Jyoti Kalash Chhalke” .

1961 was nearly the end of his career in Hindi films. He did one more film in 1962 (‘Pyaar Ki Jeet’), and then one more after a gap of 10 years in 1972 (‘Daraar’). 

This song is in the voice of Asha Bhosle. I am sure many will remember this memory tickler from the radio listening days. 

Bedard Anaadi Saanwariya (Pyaar Ki Jeet) (1962)

In the last days of his life, Phadke was involved in producing a Hindi film on the life of the Indian freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The movie Veer Savarkar was funded by public donations. Sudhir Phadke last sang and composed music for this movie. Phadke was connected with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for over 60 years.

Phadke won numerous awards, including:

• National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi at 11th National Film Awards (1963) for Ha Majha Marg Ekla.^[7]
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1991
• Sahyadri Swara Ratna Puraskar in April 2002, an award presented by DD Sahyadri

He died in Mumbai on 29 July 2002 at 10.30 AM after suffering a brain haemorrhage. His body was kept at Veer Savarkar Memorial at Dadar in central Mumbai, where many admirers came to pay their last tributes.