Music director duos are a unique Bollywood feature, and many have become iconic.
In this special series,Dinesh Raheja explores prominent music duos, and their dynamics.
Also Read:
The Shankar-Jaikishan story
The Laxmikant-Pyarelal story
Kalyanji-Anandji
In the 1970s, Kalyanji-Anandji, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and R D Burman got almost all the major banners.
But even a decade earlier, K-A had spiritedly matched batons with giants from the Golden Age like Naushad, Shankar-Jaikishan, S D Burman and O P Nayyar, and still etched out a place in the pantheon for themselves.
Manmohan Desai's Raj Kapoor starrerChhaliya (1960) was their big breakthrough.
Thereafter, the K-A name was unequivocally recognised as a stamp of quality music in blockbusters such asJohny Mera Naam, Sachha Jhootha, Don andMuqaddar Ka Sikandar as well as in more soulful scores forSaraswatichandra, Safar andKora Kagaz.
AfterTridev (1989), the duo passed on the baton to Kalyanji's son Viju Shah.
When his elder brother died in 2000, Anandji concentrated on non-film music albums and in fostering new singing talent with his troupe, Little Stars.
Now in his 90s, the musician livens up chief guest duties on television shows with his wit and wisdom, and even does a spot of rearranging tunes.
But composing film music remains forsaken.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
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