Golden Era of Bollywood: Happy Birthday PYARELAL Ji of Laxmikant Pyarelal

Pyarelal of Laxmikant–Pyarelal the popular Indian composer duo was born on 3rd September 1940.His father was a renowned trumpeter Pandit Ramprasad Sharma (popularly known as Babaji), who taught him the basics of music. He started learning violin at the age of 8 and practised it 8 to 12 hours daily. He learnt to play violin from a Goan musician named Anthony Gonsalves.
Due to financial hardship he started earning money from the age of 12.He then then used to visit many Film Studios frequently to play violin in studios such as Ranjit Studios, to earn money for his family.

Pyarelal met Laxmikant at Sureel Kala Kendra, a music academy for children, run by the Mangeshkar family. When Lata came to know about their financially poor backgrounds, Lata recommended their names to music directors like Naushad, Sachin Dev Burman and C. Ramchandra. Similar financial backgrounds and age made Laxmikant and Pyarelal very good friends. They used to spend long hours at the recording studios, sometimes getting work for each other and even playing together whenever they got the opportunity.
Pyarelal often used to go to the Bombay Chamber Orchestra and the Paranjoti Academy, where he would perfect his skills in the company of Goody Seervai, Coomi Wadia, Mehli Mehta and his son, Zubin Mehta. Pyarelal often used to frequent the Bombay Chamber Orchestra and the Paranjoti Academy, where he would perfect his skills in the company of Goody Seervai, Coomi Wadia, Mehli Mehta and his son, Zubin Mehta.

Pyarelal was not earning enough he decided to move to Madras for earning he and Laxmikant both went to Madras but came back after some time as their financial conditions were not improving.Pyarelal was the only earning member of his family.Both worked with almost all reputed music directors (with the exception of O. P. Nayyar and Shankar-Jaikishan) of the 1950s. In 1953, they became assistants to Kalyanji-Anandji and worked with them as assistants till 1963.

They worked as music arrangers for many music directors including Sachin Dev Burman (in Ziddi) and also for his son Rahul Dev Burman (in his first film Chhote Nawab). Laxmikant–Pyarelal and R D Burman remained very good friends, even when Laxmikant–Pyarelal started giving music independently. R D Burman played mouth organ for all songs of Dosti. Laxmikant once made a guest appearance playing role of himself as a Composer of Song "Dil Ki Baat" in Teri Kasam (1982), which had music by R D Burman.
The first released movie which featured them as music directors was Babubhai Mistry's Parasmani (1963), which was a costume drama. All the songs of the film became immensely popular esp. "Hasata Hua Nurani Chehara", "Wo Jab Yaad Aaye" and "Mere Dil Main Halki Si".

Hasata Hua Nurani Chehara from Parasmani

Throughout their tenure as music directors, Laxmikant–Pyarelal only used A-grade singers. Their mentors, Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammad Rafi, agreed to sing for them in spite of low budgets, and Laxmikant–Pyarelal always remained indebted to them. In fact, all three, Mohammad Rafi, Asha Bhosle and Lata have sung the maximum number of songs in their career for Laxmikant–Pyarelal.They continued to give patronage to Mohammed Rafi, sometimes against filmmakers' wishes. They had a great rapport with Kishore Kumar as well. Kishore Kumar sang maximum songs (402) for LP among all male singers, followed by Rafi(about 365 songs).

Chahoonga main tujhe shaam savere

In 1964 Rajshri,s Dosti released ,the music of that film was given by them which became hit.
the film was a success due to its music. Songs like Chahoonga main tujhe shaam savere and Rahi manava became very popular. At that time, many used to think that there was a single person by the name of Laxmikant Pyarelal. Laxmikant–Pyarelal won their first Filmfare Best Music Director Award for the movie, ahead of stalwarts like Shankar-Jaikishan (for Sangam) andMadan Mohan (for Woh Kaun Thi?). Then came Lootera a super hit musical non-star cast film which is remembered only because of Lata Manageshkar's super hit songs with Laxmikant–Pyarelal

Song from Aaye Din Bahar Ke

By 1966 they established thmselves in Bollywood..Their first musical hit film, with big star cast, Aaye Din Bahar Ke was released, followed by Pyar Kiye Jaa.The same year they scored hit music: Sati Sawitri (Songs:"Tum Gagan Ke Chandram Ho", "Jeevan Dor Tumhi Sang Bandhi", "Kabhi To Miloge"); Sant Gyaneshwar (Songs: "Jyot Se Jyot Jagate Chalo", "Khabar More Na Line"); Hum Sab Ustaad Hai (Songs: "Pyar Batate Chalo", "Ajanabi Tum Jane Pehachane Se"); Mr. X in Bombay (Songs: "Mere Mehaboob Quayamat Hogi", "Chali Re Chali Re Gori", "Khoobsurat Haseena"); Shriman Fantush..(Songs: "Sultana Sultana Tu Na Ghabarana", "Yeh Dard Bhara Afasana").

Bindiya Chamkegi from Do Raaste

Lata Mangeshkar played a major role in shaping up the careers of LP. She sang the maximum numbers of songs for them. She sounded extremely melodious under LP. Lata Mangeshkar and Laxmikant–Pyarelal shared a long, close and rewarding association. From 1963, to the next 35 years, Lata Mangeshkar and Laxmikant–Pyarelal were to chalk up around 712 songs together, which accounted for one in every 10 Hindi film songs recorded by the Melody Queen, and one of every four songs composed by the duo.

Sawan Ka Mahina from Milan

Laxmikant–Pyarelal composed Indian classical music as well as Western music. But they were most popular for their folk tunes and semi-classical music.Between them Laxmikant mostly looked after vocals and Pyarelal used to take care of orchestration. Both had vast knowledge of various music genres, musical instruments and orchestra management. Both of them composed music in more than 400 films from 1963 to 1998

After Laxmikant passed away in 1998, he made his first unique experiment when he recorded three songs (with only basic rhythm and percussion) with popular playback singers singing the chorus and instrumental sections, while the chorus sang the solo portions.
In 2003, a British violinist named Candida visited Pyarelal and persuaded him to visit England's Trinity College of Music. Pyarelal taught the British musicians to play his music. ''The London Philharmonic Orchestra got used to playing Western classical with an Indian folk touch and pan-Asian influences. He introduced new drums and wrote to a 2-4 beat when they are used to play on the 5-4. I also taught them to stop moving from side to side while playing.

Pyarelal simultaneously composed two symphonies (the most difficult of all Western music creations) and his work was published there in the book called Indian Summer by Schotts, a London-based publishing company. The symphony, called Om Shivam In A-Minor, was later registered in 2009 (after it went through the due but lengthy protocol of vetting the composition) at New York and the registration certificate is among his proud possessions.
In France some years back, Pyarelal had composed and arranged an album of Indian film hits for leading artiste Pascal, called Pascal In Bollywood. ''The songs were neither restricted to Laxmikant-Pyarelal songs nor Hindi films alone.
For Pyarelal, the sky is obviously not the limit.he at this age is still working on music .

Some of The Most Popular Songs of Laxmikant Pyarelal