Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi (18 February 1927 – 19 August 2019),[1] better knownmononymously asKhayyam, was an Indian music director and background score composer whose career spanned four decades.[2][3]
Khayyam went to Lahore looking for roles in films. There he metBaba Chishti, a famous Punjabi music director. After listening to a composition by Chishti, he sang to him its first part. Impressed, Chishti gave him an offer of joining him as an assistant. Khayyam assisted Chishti for six months and came toLudhiana in 1943. He was only 17 then.[7]
After a stint in the Army in theSecond World War, Khayyam went toBombay to fulfil his dream[9] and made his debut asSharmaji of theSharmaji-Varmaji composer duo with the filmHeer Ranjha in 1948.[7] He went solo after his co-composerRehman Verma went to the newly createdPakistan post partition.[7] One of his earliest breaks was in the filmBiwi (1950) in which the song"Akele Mein Woh Ghabrate To Honge" sung byMohammed Rafi was a hit."Shaam-e-Gham Ki Kasam" sung byTalat Mehmood from the filmFootpath (1953) struck a chord among the masses.[10] He gained greater recognition from the filmPhir Subha Hogi (1958) starringRaj Kapoor andMala Sinha, in which songs written bySahir Ludhianvi and sung byMukesh andAsha Bhosle were set to tune by Khayyam.[11] Notable amongst them are"Wo Subha Kabhi To Aayegi", "Aasman Pe hai Khuda Aur Zameen Pe Hum" and"Chin-o-Arab Humara".[11]
Songs from the filmShola Aur Shabnam (1961) written byKaifi Azmi established Khayyam's reputation as a composer.[7] From theChetan Anand directedAakhri Khat (1966)"Baharon Mera Jeevan Bhi Sawaron" byLata and"Aur Kuch Der Theher" by Rafi were huge hits. Other notable songs are from the filmShagoon (1964) which had Khayyam's wifeJagjit Kaur sing"Tum Apna Ranj-o-Gham" and"Tum Chali Jaogi".[12]
The 1970s saw Khayyam team up withSahir Ludhyanvi once again to work in theYash Chopra-directedKabhi Kabhie (1976).[1] The songs showed Khayyam's versatility with hits such as"Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein Khayal Aata Hai" (Sung byMukesh andLata),"Tere Chehre Se Nazar Nahin" (byKishore & Lata) and"Main Pal Do Pal Ka Shayar Hoon" (by Mukesh).[13]
Khayyam was still to deliver his best, and the opportunity came inMuzaffar Ali'sUmrao Jaan in 1981.[14] He hadAsha Bhonsle sing the songs "In Aankhon Ki Masti Ke", "Ye Kya Jagah Hai Doston", and "Dil Cheez Kya Hai", which are evergreen.[14]
Khayyam created music for theKamal Amrohi directed filmRazia Sultan (1983) and his song"Aye Dil-e-Nadan" sung by Lata is considered as a milestone.[17]
Khayyam in 2012
He also composed non-film songs. Some of them include"Paaon Padun Tore Shyam, Brij Mein Laut Chalo" and"Ghazab Kiya Tere Vaade Pe Aitbaar Kiya".[1] He also gave music forMeena Kumari's album,I Write, I Recite (1971) featuring the "nazms" written and sung by her.[18]
Khayyam always preferred to work with poets rather than film lyricists.[19] That is the reason one findspoetry playing an equal role in Khayyam's compositions as the music or the singer.[19] Khayyam prefers to give full freedom to the poets for expressing their views thereby making the expression of songs more poetic and meaningful.[19]
Khayyam's music had the touch ofghazal but was rooted in Indian classical music. The compositions were soulful, melodious and emotional, the songs were rich in poetry and purpose and the style was noticeably different from the popular brand of music in those days, which used to be either semi-classical, ghazal or light and peppy.[20]
On his 89th birthday, Khayyam announced the formation of a charitable trust, Khayyam Jagjeet Kaur KPG Charitable Trust, and decided to donate his entire wealth to the trust to support budding artists and technicians in India. His wealth at the time of announcement was valued at around₹10 crore (US$1.2 million).[21]
He decided not to celebrate his birthday after theterrorist attack on India's border post ofPulwama and donated₹5 lakh (US$5,900) to the kin of the martyrs.[22]
Khayyam marriedJagjit Kaur in 1954 in one of the first inter-communal marriages in the Indian film industry.[23] They had a son, Pradeep, who died of a heart attack in 2012. Inspired by their son's helping nature, they started a trust, "Khayyam Jagjit Kaur Charitable Trust" to help artistes and technicians in need.[24]
In his last days, Khayyam was suffering from various age related ailments. On 28 July 2019, Khayyam was admitted to Sujay Hospital inJuhu,Mumbai due tolung infection. He died on 19 August 2019 following acardiac arrest at the age of 92.[25] He was buried the following day with full state honours.[26]
Naukar Biwi Da Punjabi black & white Movie The film began principal photography in the mid-1960s and was delayed for several years before being released in 1976
^Naqvi, Jawed (21 August 2019)."Music legend Khayyam dies at 92".Dawn.Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved2 June 2020.But easily the real reason for the grudging interest in claiming his own identity was his conservative Muslim Punjabi family for whom music was taboo.
