S . MOHINDER , THE FORGOTTEN MUSIC DIRECTOR OF INDIAN CINEMA.

                                         

                      

( Samund  Singh ji )

S. MOHINDER

( Photos...S Mohinder in T Shirt .Samund singh ji with a coat)

S. Mohinder ( Born 1925  at  Montgomery now in Pakistan ) is a music director whom I  admire  and adore .  He has been trained into  Shastriya Sangeet ( Indian classical  music) by the legend known as Bhai Samund singh ( who sang  “kal Taran Guru Nanak Aaya ”   ), and then by many musicians at Benaras where the family moved from Lyallpur ( Now in  Pakistan ) during the partition of the country .  He also received training from Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

S Mohinder  finally moved to Mumbai and   fir sometime, he was a permanent music director with Filmistan Studio.. Actress cum singer Suraiya ,whom he knew from Lahore days, provided much needed initiial support to him and recommended him to some  film producers.. Sajjad Hussain ( composer) , Naushad , Roshan, C Ramchandra and Madan Mohan were his closest friends.

 In 2015, i was told by a sikh furniture dealer in Dadar Mumbai as under:

" My father knows him well. He lives in USA now. He came to Dadar as a penniless boy. My father arranged his free stay in Dadar Gurudwara. He also performed Shabd kirtan at Dadar Gurudwara and continued his stay . He would have his meals also in the Gurudwara till he got some work.He bought a house in Andheri later and lived there till he left for USA. "


S. Mohinder  has created music for about 100 Punjabi and Hindi films. 

Happy  and successful in Mumbai, he suddenly  decided to   move to USA in 1982  .

 I  shall only quote two  compositions of this great but forgotten musician. These are sufficient to put him in the category of great masters  of Indian cinema and music .

1 'Guzra huvaa zamaana aata nahin Dubaara' ,   Hafiz khuda tumhaara  ..This one for 1956 movie 'Sheerin Farhaad ' sung by  Lata Mangeshkar .This became a song of the subcontinent .

2  Mitter  pyaare noo , Haal mureedaan da kehnaa'  Poetry Of  Guru Gobind Singh ji  sung soulfully by Mohd Rafi   for  the movie 'Nanak Naam Jahaaz Hai.'

S Mohinder has narrated an amusing anecdote that relates to Dada S D Burman. I quote from his interview:

" One day  C. Ramchandra told me that Burman Dada (S D) had built a new house and  for Grih-Pravesh ceremony , he has invited some  friends including me for a lunch . So i along with C Ramchandra  went to Dada's new house.There was some Bhajan Keertan . Finally ,   we were given a laddoo each and people started leaving . I asked C Ramchandra ' Where is the Lunch?' . He went to Dada and asked him ' Dada you have invited us for lunch . Where is it?'  A surprised  Dada replied ' Lunch ? I said Baojan karega.  Baojan.'
 C Ramchandra mistook Bojhan( Lunch ) for Bhajan( devotional singing ).  In his Bengali style, Dada had spoken Baojan meaning Bhajan  that C Ramchandra misunderstood as Bhojan (Lunch ) .. We returned with the Laddoo prasaad."

S Mohinder helped Anand Bakshi (lyricist), Laxmikant and Pyarelal  to get work in films. All the three persons have acknowledged his help during their initial struggle  in the  film world.

( Avtar Mota )

PS
Bhai samund singh ji ( 1900-1972 ) was also an approved artist of AIR Lahore  .  He also performed Shabd Kirtan   at Gurdwara Janam Asthan- Nankana Sahib   for more than 7 years .One of the great admirers of Samund singh ji was ustad Bade Ghulam Ali khan sahib. Samund Singh ji was   equally at home in Dhrupad , khayal and Thumri.

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