Golden Era of Bollywood: The Unforgettable Tunes of JAIDEV

Thursday 2 August 2018

The Unforgettable Tunes of JAIDEV

Jaidev the music Director of Hum Dono was assistant to Ustad Ali Akbar Khan on Navketan's Aandhiyan (1952) and Humsafar (1953), both the film didn't do well so Ustad Ali Akbar Khan decided to leave Bombay. Jaidev then joins Burman Da as his assistant. The first film he did as an assistant was Navketan's Taxi Driver 1954.

Eventually, Chetan Anand gave him his break as an independent film composer with Joru Ka Bhai (1955). which starred Balraj Sahni, too didn’t fare well at the box office but gave ample opportunity to the young music director to showcase his skills. The standout song was the delectable Subah Ka Intezaar. After Joru Ka Bhai came Samundari Daku (1956) and Chetan Anand’s Anjali (1957). None of these films fared well at the box office. Though he was composing independently on films he was also assisting Burman da He assisted in Navketan's House No 44 in 1955, Funtoosh 1956 and Kishore Kumar's Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi
When Navketan were making Hum Dono in 1960 Dada Burman was not doing films because of his ill health, he suggested Dev Anand take Jaidev in that film. The film was hit and the music was also super hit. After that Jaidev worked as an independent Composer.
The stupendous success of Hum Dono was followed up with the classy Mujhe Jeene Do(1963), the tragic love story of a dacoit and a courtesan. Same year Chetan Anand's Kinare Kinare got released. The songs of both films were appreciated.
In 1971, Jaidev was reunited with Sunil Dutt for the latter’s film Reshma Aur Shera. The haunting songs of the film, not least Lata Mangeshkar’s Tu Chanda Main Chandni, fetched Jaidev a National Award. In the same year, he composed for another film that was set in Rajasthan. KA Abbas's Do Boond Paani, starring Simi Garewal was a drama on the theme of water scarcity.
The period between 1977 and ’79 saw Jaidev doing some of his best work, with films such as Alaap (1977), Gharaonda (1977), Gaman (1978) and Tumhare Liye(1978). Bhimsain, who directed Gharaonda, later made Dooriyaan (1979).

Jaidev was the only music composer of his time to win the National award for Best Music Director three times – for Reshma Aur Shera (1971), Gaman (1978), and Ankahee (1984).
Jaidev was born in Nairobi on 3 August 1919 and came to India in 1927. After living in Lahore and Ludhiana, he ran away to Bombay (now Mumbai) to become an actor after being mesmerized by the film Ali Baba (1932).
Jaidev’s last film score was Trikon Ka Chautha Kon (1986) and many of his best compositions are lost in unfinished films and albums. He passed away aged 68 at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai on 6 January 1987.