Golden Era of Bollywood: O P NAYYAR-The music director who dared to go on without the Nightingale’s golden voice

O P Nayyar, whose evergreen numbers include “Mera Nam Chin Chin Choo”, “Aakhon Hi Akhon Main”, “Jaane Kahan Mera Jigar Gaya Jee” and “Babuji Dhire Chalna”, worked with several singers such as Geeta Dutt, Asha Bhosle, Rafi and Mahendra Kapoor — but never with Lata Mangeshkar.The heady cocktail of OP-Asha captured the imagination of music lovers as never before and swept away even powerful competition from Madan Mohan-Lata combine.

With Asha Bhonsle ggave us some of the memorable songs of Hindi Cinema,songs like ‘Jaayiye aap kahan’ (Mere Sanam), ‘Raaton ko chori chori’ (Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi), ‘Zara haule haule’, ‘Meri jaan tumse sadke’ and ‘Aaj koi pyar se’ (all in Sawan Ki Ghata), ‘Aayiye meherbaan’ (Howrah Bridge) and ‘Aankhon se jo utri hai dil mein’ (Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon) to sense the profound wavelength the two worked on.
Born on 16th Jan 1926,he came to Bombay for giving music for films.initially he was offered the background score for Kaneez (1949), and 1952's Aasmaan(produced by Dalsukh M. Pancholi), was his first film as music director. His real break came with Guru Dutt's Aar Paar in 1954.After that he gave music for  Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955) and C.I.D. (1956).The songs of all these three films established him among the top composers of that time.
In 1957 released Naya Daur,the music of that film became super hit,he was given Filmfare Award for that film.Same year another film Tumsa Nahin Dekha released.the grand success of these films made him among the top composers. Nayyar became one of the earliest music directors to command a lakh for a film.
During 1957 and 1958  a string of successful scores like Naya Daur (for which he won the Best Music Director Award), Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Sone Ki Chidiya, Phagun, Howrah Bridge and Ragini released.But for the next 2 years none of his films clicked at the box office resulting no work for 2 years for his arrogance and insistence on a high remuneration.
It was S Mukharjee .who gave him a new lease of life.It was S Mukherji's Joy Mukharjee-Sadhana musical hit, Ek Musafir Ek Haseena (1962) that brought Nayyar back into the reckoning.He gave one hit every year after that with  Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963), Kashmir Ki Kali (1964) and Mere Sanam (1965).
In the late 1960s, Nayyar fell out with his favourite Mohammad Rafi but managed to conjure memorable songs even with Mukesh (Chal akela), Mahendra Kapoor (Lakhon hai yahan dilwale) and Kishore Kumar (Tu auron ki kyon ho gayee).
A major blow was Nayyar's split with Asha Bhosle after the pair had reached a crescendo with the Filmfare Award winning Chein se humko kabhie in Pran Jaaye Par Vachan Na Jaaye (1974). Nayyar tried recreating the magic with new singers but musical trends had bypassed him by then He worked till 1990s but his music was not appealing to the young generation .
On the later stage of his life he was living with his friend.He left his family members even asked none of his family to be present on his funeral. He died on 28 January 2007
Some Of the Great Songs of O P Nayyar