Vasant Desai (1912–1975) was an Indian film music composer, most remembered for his score in V. Shantaram films like '' Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje'' (1955), ''

Do Aankhen Barah Haath ''Do Aankhen Barah Haath'' () is a 1957 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by V. Shantaram, who also starred. It is considered to be one of the classics of Hindi cinema and is based on humanistic psychology. It won a Silver Bear at the 8 ...

'' (1957), Vijay Bhatt's '' Goonj Uthi Shehnai'' (1959), ''Sampoorna Ramayan'' (1961), ''Ashirwad'' (1968) and

Hrishikesh Mukherjee Hrishikesh Mukherjee (30 September 1922 – 27 August 2006) was an Indian film director, editor and writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of Indian cinema. Popularly known as ''Hrishi-da'', he directed 42 films during his car ...

's '' Guddi'' (1971).

Early life

Desai was born in 1912 into a wealthy family in Sonawade village,

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

state, ruled by the Bhonsale clan, and grew up in Kudal area, also in

Konkan The Konkan is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, bound by the river Daman Ganga at Damaon in the north, to Anjediva Island next to Karwar town in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau to the eas ...

belt, Sindhudurg district,

in western India.

Career

Desai was with the famous Prabhat Film Company since it started making talkies. He acted, sang, and sometimes composed songs in Prabhat's films like ''Dharmatma'' and ''Sant Dnyaneshwar''. After learning the craft of music composition, he stuck solely to it since the 1940s. Desai scored music for a majority of V. Shantaram's films when the latter broke away from Prabhat to form his own film studio. Their relations soured in late 1950s after which Vasant(rao) Desai never worked for his former mentor again. Desai's memorable songs are, Hindi Filmi Devotional song, '' Ae malik tere bande hum'' from

, 1957, and play back singer, Vani Jairam's debut song, ''Bol re papihara'' from Guddi (1971).Nostalgia unlimited: Vani Jairam's songs in Malayalam continue to enchant a new generation of music lovers

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...

, 2 December 2005. '' Maithreem Bhajata'' is a benediction composed in Sanskrit by Sant Jagadguru Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati of the Kanchi Mutt. The song was set to a Ragamalika by composer Shri Vasant Desai. It was rendered at the United Nations on 23 October 1966, UN day, by Bharat Ratna Smt. M. S. Subbulakshmi. In Marathi, some of Desai's memorable songs are ''Sanga mukund kuni ha pahila'', ''Uthi uthi Gopala'' from Amar Bhoopali (1951), ''Manuskichya shatrusange yuddha amuche suru'' from Chota Jawan (1963), ''Deh devache mandir'' from Preeti Sangam (1972), ''Ramya hi swargahuni Lanka'' from Swayamwar Zale Siteche (1974).

Last recording

Vasant Desai went back home on 22 December 1975 after a full-day recording of a special musical programme at the studios of

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...

, attended by high-profile musicians as it was in praise of

Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and stateswoman who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 un ...

. He stepped into the elevator of his apartment building and due to a technical glitch, the lift began to move, crushing him to death.http://www.bookganga.com/Preview/Preview.aspx?BookId=170912115720&PreviewType=ebooks (p. 23)

Partial filmography

Hindi Films

* Shobha (1942) * Shakuntala (1943) * Aankh Ki Sharm (1943) * Mouj (1943) * Subhadra (1946) * Jeevan Yatra (1946) * Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946) * Parbat Pe Apna Dera (1946) * Matwala Shair Ram Joshi (1947) * Andhon Ki Duniya (1947) * Sona (1948) * Mandir (1948) * Uddhaar (1949) * Narasinha Avatar (1949) * Nai Taleem (1949) * Dahej (1950) * Sheesh Mahal (1950) * Hindustan Hamara (1950) * Jeevan Taara (1951) * Hyderabad Ki Nazneen (1952) * Jhansi Ki Rani (1953) * Dhuaan (1953) * Anand Bhavan (1953) * Savdhan (1954) * Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955) * Toofan Aur Deeya (1956) *

(1957) * Mausi (1958) * Do Phool (1958) * Do Behnen (1959) * Ardhangini (1959) * Goonj Utthi Shehnai (1959) * School Master (1959) * Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan (1959) * Amar Shaheed (1959) * Sampoorna Ramayana (1961) * Pyar Ki Pyas (1961) * Yaadein (1964) * Rahul (1964) * Bharat Milap (1965) * Ladki Sahyadri Ki (1966) * Amar Jyoti (1967) * Ram Rajya (1967) * Ashirwad (1968) * Guddi (1971) * Achanak (1973) * Jai Radhakrishna (1974) * Rani Aur Laal Pari (1975) * Grahan (1976) * Shaque (1977)

Marathi Films and Plays

* Amar Bhoopali (Marathi) * '' Shyamchi Aai'' (1953) (Marathi) * Molkarin (Marathi) * Swayamwar Zale Siteche (Marathi) * Laxmanrekha (Marathi) * Tooch Mazi Rani (Marathi) * Kanchanganga (Marathi) * Chota Jawan (Marathi) * Dev Deenaghari Dhavala (Marathi Drama) * Panditraj Jagganath (Marathi musical drama) * Jai Jai GauriShankar (Marathi musical drama) * Sangeet Mandarmala (Marathi musical drama)

References

External links

*
Vasant Desai
{{DEFAULTSORT:Desai, Vasant 1912 births 1975 deaths Musicians from Maharashtra Hindi film score composers 20th-century Indian composers 20th-century Indian musicians