Jaidev was a disciple of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, who took Jaidev as his music assistant when he composed music for Navketan's “Aandhiyan” and “Hum Safar”. After that, he became the assistant of S D Burman, he assisted him in almost all the Navketan films till Guide. In fact, he worked as his assistant even becoming an independent composer with Chetan Anand's Joru Ka Bhai(1955) and Chetan Anand's next Anjali(1957).
Hum Dono(1961) was the first film he worked for Navketan as an independent composer. After Hum Dono’s success, a promise was made by Dev Anand that every alternate film of Navketan will have music by SD Burman and Jaidev. Accordingly, SD Burman was entrusted the baton of “Kala Bazaar” and Jaidev ‘signed’ for the music of “Guide” for which he is believed to have composed a couple of tunes too (‘Tere mere sapne ab ek rang hain’, and ‘Din dhal jaaye haye raat na jaaye); however, the film was made and released finally with music by S D Burman, his career-best.
Probably, for the first time, Jaidev felt exploited and stifled at Navketan and “Guide” marked the end of his long and fruitful musical association with both Dev Anand and SD Burman. Navketan, too, never called him back, which was the unkindest cut of all. Though the hurt feeling lurked in his mind for long, his respect and reverence for SD Burman remained the same till his last. Besieged by a chain of misfortunes, Jaidev made “Jo kho gaya main usko bhulata chala gaya” the mantra of his life with his spiritual character to ‘guide’ him.
It is said that Dev Anand insisted Jaidev to work as S.D. Burman’s assistant in Guide but he didn't. Jaidev was never again invited by Navketan to compose songs. Dev Anand used both the Jaidev songs in his film Guide. It is said that those two songs were ‘Din Dhal Jaaye Haye Raat Na Jaye’ and ‘Tere Mere Sapne Ab Ek Rang Hai’ sung by Mohammad Rafi. Being cast out of Guide was a very big setback in Jaidev’s film music career. He never really recovered from the shock. Jaidev used to frequently narrate such incidents to his friends, wracked by inconsolable grief.
Jaidev had a unique capability to mix traditional and folk music into Hindi film situations, giving him a unique advantage to other music directors of his times. He is also known for his non-film album of the couplets of Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan's classic work Madhushala set to music and sung by singer Manna Dey.
Jaidev never married. He remained close to his sister's family who later settled in the United Kingdom. He died on 6 January 1987 at the age of 68. His last work was for the television series Ramayan.
