Bakshi Mohinder Singh Sarna (24 February 1925 – 6 September 2020), known professionally as S. Mohinder, was an Indian music composer.
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Early life
He was born in Sillanwali Tehsil Silanwali Tehsil ( ur, ), is a subdivision (tehsil) of Sargodha District in the Punjab province of Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's ...
, Sargodha District
Sargodha District (Punjabi and ur, ), is a district of Punjab, Pakistan. The capital of the district is Sargodha. It is an agricultural district, wheat, rice, and sugarcane along with Kinno being its main crops. The Sargodha district and r ...
in 1925.Sahiwal
Sahiwal (Punjabi and ur, ), formerly known as Montgomery, is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 21st largest city of Pakistan by population and the administrative capital of both Sahiwal District and Sahiwal Division. Sahiwal is approx ...
named Pandat Ratan Moorti who lived at Babay Wala Chowk.
His father Bakshi Sujan Singh was transferred and the family moved to a comparatively larger city Lyallpur
Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur (Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pakis ...
, British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
now Faisalabad
Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur (Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Paki ...
, in Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, where young Mohinder, in the 1930s, started an apprenticeship with an accomplished Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ' ...
religious vocalist
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...
Sant Sujan Singh.
He honed his skills for several years in accordance with classical music in the tutelage of Sant Sujan Singh. Initially, he strived to be a singer. Later, his family moved to Sheikhupura (now in Pakistan), close to Nankana Sahib
Nankana Sahib () is a city and capital of Nankana Sahib District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is named after the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak, who was born in the city and first began preaching here. Nankana Sahib is the mos ...
, the birthplace of the founder of Sikhism
Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit= Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fr ...
(Guru Nanak
Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated ...
).
He later received his further training in classical music from Sikh religious musician Bhai Samund Singh. Frequent transfers of his father kept the family on the move. Since Mohinder’s education suffered, his father enrolled him in Khalsa High School during the 1940s in the village Kairon in Amritsar
Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Maj ...
. S. Mohinder was fluent both in Urdu and Punjabi languages. It took him some time to learn the Hindi language.[
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Career
In 1947, the rest of his family moved to East Punjab
East Punjab (known simply as Punjab from 1950) was a province and later a state of India from 1947 until 1966, consisting of the parts of the Punjab Province of British India that went to India following the partition of the province between ...
in India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
. The love for classical music brought S. Mohinder to Benares
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic t ...
, the Mecca of Indian Classical Music.[ After some years of grooming, S. Mohinder moved to ]Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...
, the centre of the film industry. His first successful film was ''Nili'' (1950), which was a musical hit but the film was a disaster at the box office.[
Mohinder Singh eventually managed to become a music director in Filmistan Studio, which then was making films. He composed music for them for almost half a decade. In the early 1980s, he migrated the US, often attending meetings with local music enthusiasts to offer his insights into the 1990s and early 2000s. He returned to Mumbai, India in 2013.][
According to his daughter Nareen Chopra, he was helped in his career development by ]Suraiya
Suraiya Jamal Sheikh (15 June 1929 – 31 January 2004), popularly known by the mononym Suraiya, was a popular actress and playback singer in India's Hindi-language films. She was active from 1936 to 1963, and was the most celebrated actress ...
, film producer and director K. Asif, S. Mukherjee and Madhubala
Madhubala (born Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi; 14 February 1933 – 23 February 1969) was an Indian actress and producer who worked in Hindi-language films. She ranked as one of the highest-paid entertainers in India in the post-independence era, ...
. His daughter also added that he was close to Madhubala's family and Prithviraj Kapoor
Prithviraj Kapoor (born Prithvinath Kapoor; 3 November 1906 – 29 May 1972) was an Indian actor who is also considered to be one of the founding figures of Hindi cinema. He was associated with IPTA as one of its founding members and establis ...
.[
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Death
He died in Mumbai at the age of 95 on September 6, 2020.
Awards
* National Film Award as 'Best Music Director of the year' (1969) for film Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai (1969), a Punjabi-language film.[
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Filmography
Unreleased films – Geet Aur Aansoo (1940s), Do Dost (1950s), Maa Di Godh (Punjabi), 1970s
* ''Sehra'' (1948)[
* ''Jeevan Saathi'' (1949)
* ''Nili'' (1950)][
* ''Shrimati Ji'' (1952) - music an background music also
* ''Veer Arjun'' (1952)
* ''Bahadur'' (1953)
* ''Paapi'' (1953)][
* '' Naata'' (1955)][
* '' Alladin Ka Beta '' (1955)
* ''Sau Ka Note'' (1955)
* ''Shahzaada'' (1955)
* ''Sultaan-E-Alam'' (1956)
* '' Shirin Farhad'' (1956)][
* ''Karwan'' (1956)
* ''Paataal Pari'' (1957)
* ''Sun To Le Hasina'' (1958)
* '' Naya Paisa '' (1958)
* ''Khoobsurat Dhoka'' (1959)
* ''Pardesi Dhola'' (1959) (Punjabi movie as a producer & music director)
* ''Bhagwaan Aur Shaitaan'' (1959)][
* ''Do Dost'' (1960)
* ''Zameen Ke Taare'' (1960)][
* '' Mehlon Ke Khwab '' (1960)][
* ''Jai Bhavaani'' (1961)
* ''Baanke Saawariya'' (1962)
* ''Reporter Raju'' (1962)][
* ''Zarak Khan'' (1963)
* ''Captain Sheroo'' (1963)
* ''Sarfarosh'' (1964)
* ''Bekhabar'' (1965)
* ''Sunehre Kadam'' (1966)
* ''Professor-X'' (1966)
* ''Picnic'' (1966)][
* '' Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai'' (1969)][ (He won the National Film Award for this Punjabi-language movie)][
* '' ]Man Jeete Jag Jeet
''Man Jeete Jag Jeet'' is a 1973 religious Punjabi film directed by B.S. Thapa, starring Sunil Dutt, Radha Saluja and Ranjeet in lead roles.
Music & Gurbani Shabad
There are a total of 11 songs in the movie songs were composed by S. Mohinder a ...
'' (1973) (Punjabi movie)[
* '' Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam '' (1974) Punjabi movie
* ''SHABAD GURBANI'' (1975) private album for singer KANWAL SIDHU
* ''Sis Ganj'' (1975) Guru Teg Bahadur - Hind Di Chadar) private album with Mahendra Kapoor, Manna Dey, S. Mohinder, Ragi Tirlochan Grewal
* '']Teri Meri Ik Jindri
''Teri Meri Ik Jindri '' is a 1975 Punjabi film starring Dharmendra, Veerendra, and Meena Rai movie had very popular song like
"Terian Mohabtan Nemaa Sutea'' sang by Narinder Biba, an Sital Singh Sital .
Cast
* Dharmendra as Superman's Da ...
(1975)
* ''Papi Tarey Anek'' (1976) Punjabi movie
* '' Santo Banto
''Santo Banto'' ( pa, ਸੰਤੋ ਬੰਤੋ) is a 1976 Punjabi film starring Dharmendra.
Cast
* Veerendra ... Jeeta
* Aruna Irani ... Santo/Banto (dual role)
* Shatrughan Sinha ... Karma (special appearance)
* Dharmendra ... Cameo appeara ...
'' (1976) Punjabi movie
* ''Sukhi Pariwar'' (1979) Punjabi movie
* ''Fauji Chacha'' (1980) Punjabi movie
* ''Dahej'' (1981) Punjabi movie[
* ''Sandli'' (1985)
* ''Maula Jatt'' (1988) (Punjabi movie)
]
References
External links
S. Mohinder Soulful Musician – Academy of the Punjab in North America website
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mohinder, S.
1925 births
2020 deaths
Best Music Direction National Film Award winners
Hindi film score composers
People from Sahiwal District