Vanraj Bhatia (Hindi: वनराज भाटिया ; 31 May 1927 – 7 May 2021) was an Indian composer best known for his work in Indian New Wave cinema. He was also one of the leading composers of

Western classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

in India. Bhatia was a recipient of the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for the television film '' Tamas'' (1988), the

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IAST: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recogni ...

for Creative and Experimental Music (1989) and India's fourth-highest civilian honour, the

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

(2012). He died in Mumbai in May 2021.

Biography

Early life and education

Born into a family of Kutchi businessmen, Bhatia attended the New Era School in Bombay and learnt

Hindustani classical music Hindustani classical music is the Indian classical music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent's northern regions. It may also be called North Indian classical music or ''Uttar Bhartiya shastriya sangeet''. The term ''shastriya sangeet'' ...

as a student at Deodhar School of Music. On hearing

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular ...

's '' Piano Concerto No. 1'' as a teenager, he became interested in Western classical music and studied the piano with Dr. Manek Bhagat for four years. After earning his M.A. (English Honours) from Elphinstone College,

University of Bombay University of Mumbai is a public university, public List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, state university in Mumbai. It is one of the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, largest univ ...

in 1949, Bhatia studied composition with

Howard Ferguson George Howard Ferguson (June 18, 1870 – February 21, 1946) was the ninth premier of Ontario, from 1923 to 1930. He was a Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1905 to ...

, Alan Bush and

William Alwyn William Alwyn (born William Alwyn Smith; 7 November 1905 – 11 September 1985), was a prolific English composer, Conducting, conductor, and music teacher who composed over 200 cinematic scores, of which some 70 were for full-length features, ...

at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

, London, where he was a recipient of the Sir Michael Costa Scholarship (1951–54). After graduating with a gold medal in 1954, Bhatia won a Rockefeller Scholarship (1954–58) as well as a French Government Scholarship (1957–58) that allowed him to study with

Nadia Boulanger Juliette Nadia Boulanger (; 16 September 188722 October 1979) was a French music teacher, conductor and composer. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and also performed occasionally as a pianist and organis ...

at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...

for five years.

Career

On returning to India in 1959, Bhatia became the first person to score music for an advertisement film in India (for Shakti Silk Sarees), and went on to compose over 7,000 jingles, such as Liril, Garden Vareli and Dulux. During this time, he was also a Reader in Western Musicology at the

University of Delhi The Delhi University (DU, ISO 15919, ISO: ), also and officially known as the University of Delhi, is a collegiate university, collegiate research university, research Central university (India), central university located in Delhi, India. It ...

from 1960 to 1965. Bhatia's first feature film score was for Shyam Benegal's directorial debut '' Ankur'' (1974), and he went on to score almost all of Benegal's work, including the song "Mero Gaam Katha Parey" from the film '' Manthan'' (1976). Bhatia predominantly worked with filmmakers in the Indian New Wave movement, such as

Govind Nihalani Govind Nihalani (born 19 December 1940) is an Indian film director, cinematographer, screenwriter and producer, known for his works in Hindi cinema, particularly the movement of parallel cinema. He has been the recipient of six National Film Aw ...

('' Tamas'', which won Bhatia a National Film Award for Best Music Direction), Kundan Shah ('' Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro''), Aparna Sen ('' 36 Chowringhee Lane''),

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('' Mohan Joshi Haazir Ho!''),

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('' Tarang''),

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('' Khamosh''), Vijaya Mehta ''( Pestonjee'') and

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('' Hip Hip Hurray''). Bhatia has scored television shows such as the medical drama '' Lifeline'', '' Khandaan'', ''

Yatra ''Yatra'' (, ), in Indian religion, Indian-origin religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, generally means a pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of River#Sacred rivers, sacred rivers, Sacred mountains#India, sacred mount ...

'', '' Wagle Ki Duniya'', '' Banegi Apni Baat'' and the 53-episode '' Bharat Ek Khoj'' based on

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's '' The Discovery of India'', as well as numerous documentaries. He has also released albums of spiritual music on the Music Today label, and composed music for trade fairs such as Expo '70, Osaka and Asia 1972, New Delhi. Bhatia is the best-known composer of Western classical music in India. His most frequently performed works are the ''Fantasia and Fugue in C'' for piano, the ''Sinfonia Concertante'' for strings, and the song cycle ''Six Seasons''. His ''Reverie'' was performed by

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at a concert in Mumbai in January 2019, and the first two acts of his opera ''Agni Varsha'', based on

Girish Karnad Girish Karnad (19 May 1938 – 10 June 2019) was an Indian playwright, actor, film director, Kannada writer, and a Jnanpith awardee, who predominantly worked in Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Marathi films. His rise as a playwr ...

's play of the same name, premiered in New York City in 2012 in a production by soprano Judith Kellock.

Death

Bhatia died on May 7, 2021, at his home in Mumbai, due to old age.

List of compositions

Music for solo piano

* ''Toccata No. 1 in Raag Bahar'' (c. 1950s) *''Sonata'' (1952) * ''Introduction and Retrograde'' (1959) * ''Fantasia and Fugue in C'' (1999) * ''Rhapsody on "Agni Varsha"'' (2007) * ''Gujarati Nursery'' (2010)

Chamber music

* ''Trio'' for clarinet, cello and piano (c. 1950s) * ''Quintet'' for flute, harp, viola and two cellos (c. 1950s) * ''Divertimento'' for bassoon and piano (1951) * ''Sonata'' for violin and piano (1954) * ''Indian Nursery: Pieces'' for piano four hands (1956) * ''Sonatina'' for violin and piano (1956) * ''Divertimento Pastoral'' for flute, oboe, two clarinets and bassoon (1957) * ''Sangeet Raat: Night Music'' for solo flute (1964) * ''Cyclic Variations'' for cello and harpsichord (1965) * ''Kaleidoscope'' for prepared piano and string quartet (1965) * ''Kaleidoscope'' for violin, viola, cello and piano (2002) * ''Reverie'' for cello and piano (2014) * ''Spring: An Awakening'' for string quartet (2018)

Vocal music

* ''Dhoon'' for voice and piano (c. 1950s) * ''Kinguri-Vali'' for soprano, violin and piano (1960) * ''Rudranaam'' for triple chorus (1973) * ''Jaisalmer'' for unaccompanied chorus (1977) * ''Vasansi Jeernani'' for triple chorus (1981) * ''Six Seasons'' for unaccompanied chorus (1989) * ''Tantra: Meditations'' for voice and piano (1994) * ''Transcendence'' for double chorus (2002) * ''Rig Veda Hymns'' for double chorus (2003) * ''Six Seasons'' for soprano and piano (2009)

Music for large ensemble

* ''Gita Govinda'' for orchestra (1954) * ''Concerto in One Movement'' for piano and strings (1955) * ''Sinfonia Concertante'' for strings (2001)

Opera

* ''Agni Varsha'' (2017)

Feature film scores

* '' The Householder'' (1963) – background score only * '' Ankur'' (1974) * '' Nishant'' (1975) * ''Ek Dal Mithi'' (, unreleased) * '' Manthan'' (1976) * '' Bhumika'' (1977) * '' Anugraham/Kondura'' (1978) * '' Junoon'' (1979) * '' 36 Chowringhee Lane'' (1981) * '' Kalyug'' (1981) * ''

Sazaye Maut ''Sazā-ye Maut'' (English: Death Penalty) is 1981 Indian film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The films was based on Chopra's diploma film at FTII, '' Murder at Monkey Hill'' (1976). He adapted that into a full-length feature, wi ...

'' (1981) * ''Je Peed Parai Jaane Re'' (1982) * '' Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro'' (1983) * '' Mandi'' (1983) * '' Hip Hip Hurray'' (1984) * '' Mohan Joshi Haazir Ho!'' (1984) * '' Tarang'' (1984) * '' Aghaat'' (1985) – song only * '' Khamosh'' (1985) * '' Massey Sahib'' (1985) – uncredited * ''Surkhiyaan'' (1985) * '' Trikaal'' (1985) * ''Mazhab'' (1986, released 1996) * '' Mohre'' (1987) * '' Pestonjee'' (1987) * '' Susman'' (1987) * '' Percy'' (1989) * '' Ajooba'' (1991) – background score only * '' Antarnaad'' (1991) * ''Jazeere'' (1991) * '' Kasba'' (1991) * ''

Pita Pita ( or ; ) or pitta (British English), also known as Arabic bread (, ), as Lebanese bread and as kmaj (from the Persian ''kumaj''), is a family of yeast- leavened round flatbreads baked from wheat flour, common in the Mediterranean, Levant ...

'' (1991) * '' Bekhudi'' (1992) – background score only * ''

Beta Beta (, ; uppercase , lowercase , or cursive ; or ) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 2. In Ancient Greek, beta represented the voiced bilabial plosive . In Modern Greek, it represe ...

'' (1992) – background score only * '' Chamatkar'' (1992) – background score only * '' Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama'' (1992) * '' Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda'' (1992) * ''

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'' (1993) – background score only * ''

Sardar Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar (, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royal family, royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other Aristocracy (class), aristocrats. It ha ...

'' (1993) * '' Droh Kaal'' (1994) * '' Mammo'' (1994) * ''

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'' (1995) * '' Naseem'' (1995) * ''

Bandish Bandish, cheez or gat is a fixed, melodic composition in Hindustani vocal or instrumental music. It is set in a specific raga, performed with rhythmic accompaniment by a tabla or pakhawaj, a steady drone, and melodic accompaniment by a sarangi, ...

'' (1996) – background score only * '' Ghatak'' (1996) – background score only * ''Katha Doan Ganpatraonchi'' (1996) – background score only * '' Sardari Begum'' (1996) * '' The Making of the Mahatma'' (1996) * '' Jaya Ganga'' (1996) * '' Char Adhyay'' (1997) * '' Himalay Putra'' (1997) – background score only * '' Pardes'' (1997) – background score only * '' China Gate'' (1998) – background score only * ''

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'' (1999) * ''Dhaad'' (2000, released 2018) * '' Hari-Bhari'' (2000) * '' Chameli'' (2003) – background score only * '' Escape from Taliban'' (2003) – background score only * '' Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula'' (2003) – background score only * ''Kahan Se Aaye Badarwa: Forgotten Showers'' (2005), re-released as ''Bhagya Na Jaane Koi'' (2017) – background score only * '' Halla Bol'' (2008) – only one song

Television scores

* '' Khandaan'' (1985) * '' Katha Sagar'' (1986) – selected episodes * ''

'' (1986) * '' Tamas'' (1987) * '' Bharat Ek Khoj'' (1988) * ''Naqab'' (1988) * '' Wagle Ki Duniya'' (1988) * ''Lifeline'' (1991) * ''Baingan Raja'' (c. 1990s) * '' Bible Ki Kahaniyan'' (1993) – selected episodes * '' Banegi Apni Baat'' (1994) * ''Sankranti'' (1997)

Documentary scores (selected)

* ''A Certain Childhood'' (1962) * ''To Light a Candle'' (1964) * ''Kailash at Ellora'' (1965) * ''A City in History'' (1966) * ''From Lagoon to Sea'' (1966) * '' The House That Ananda Built'' (1967) * ''An Area of Darkness'' () * ''Indian Youth: An Exploration'' (1968) * ''Water'' (1968) * ''Creative Artists: Amrita Sher-Gil'' (1969) * ''1002 A.D. Khajuraho'' (1973) * ''Asia '72'' (1974) * ''Sarojini Naidu'' (1975) * ''The Women of India'' (1975) * ''A Small Family'' (1976) * ''Nirnaya'' (1979) * ''Touch'' (1979) * ''Bombay: A City at Stake'' (1981) * ''Shaping a Future'' (1983) * ''Tata Steel: Seventy-Five Years of the Indian Steel Industry'' (1983) * ''Nehru'' (1984) – certain sections scored by Alexei Kozlov * ''Molly's Wish'' (1985) * ''Chocolate Story'' (1986) * ''Nature Symphony'' (1990) * ''The Love We Give for Nothing'' (1992) * ''Prabhupada: A Lifetime in Preparation'' (1996) * ''Purva Uttara: Past Forward'' (1997)

Theatre music

* '' Teen Takke Ka Swang'' (1970), directed by Ebrahim Alkazi and Fritz Bennewitz * ''A Man's a Man'' (1971), directed by Amal Allana * '' The Caucasian Chalk Circle'' (1972), directed by Ebrahim Alkazi and Fritz Bennewitz * ''Nisheeth'' (1972), directed by Shanta Gandhi * '' Tughlaq'' (1972), directed by Ebrahim Alkazi * '' Andha Yug'' (1974), directed by Ebrahim Alkazi * ''Son-et-Lumiere: The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library'' (1976), directed by Ebrahim Alkazi * '' Aurat Bhali Ramkali'' (1984), directed by Amal Allana * ''

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'' (1991), directed by Alyque Padamsee * ''

Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th ce ...

'' (1995), directed by Jatinder Verma * ''My Bollywood Summer'' (2005), directed by Sabera Shaik

Albums

* Preeti Sagar – ''"Spring Is Coming"/”All Night and Day"'' (1976) * ''Hi! Ho!'' (1986) * ''Music for Meditation'' (1993) * ''Cinema Cinema'' (1995) – only one song * ''The Elements: Earth'' (1995) * ''The Bhagavad Gita, Vols. 1 & 2'' (1996) * ''Anant: The Endless'' (2001), re-released as ''The Spirit of the Upanishads'' (2007) * Ritika Sahni – ''Ritika'' (2001) * ''India Unlimited: The United World of Artistes (2000), re-released as Vaishnava Jana To'' (2005) – only one song * ''Tiranga Tera Aanchal'' (2005)

Awards

* Lili Boulanger Memorial Fund (1957) * Bengal Film Journalists Association Award for Music: ''Manthan'' (1976), ''Bhumika'' (1977) * Sur Singar Samsad Award for Best Classical Score/Song (1986, 1987) * National Film Award for Best Music Direction for '' Tamas'' (1988) *

for Creative and Experimental Music (1989) * Maharashtra Rajya Puraskar (1990) *

(2012)

References

External links

*
Vanraj Bhatia
Serenade, 22 March 2017.
The Vanraj Bhatia interview: ‘My music was unique then and is perhaps unique even now’
Scroll, 1 March 2017.

Deccan Herald, 24 January 2015.

LiveMint, 26 April 2014. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bhatia, Vanraj 1927 births 2021 deaths Elphinstone College alumni Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Hindi film score composers Best Music Direction National Film Award winners Conservatoire de Paris alumni Musicians from Mumbai Rockefeller Fellows Jingle composers 20th-century Indian musicians Indian male film score composers 20th-century Indian male musicians Indian expatriates in France