Hemanta Mukhopadhyay was flexible as music director to junior singers: Shibaji Chatterjee

Singer-composer Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, known as Hemant Kumar outside West Bengal, was extremely helpful and flexible to his juniors in the industry and never suffered from ego or insecurity, said veteran singer Sibaji Chatterjee.

His rendition was able to bring out new meanings of the lyrics penned by other geniuses such as Salil Chowdhury, said Kabir Suman, another seasoned singer, on Mukhopadhyay.

The music icon's 101st birth anniversary was observed on Wednesday.

Chatterjee, who was brought to the limelight by Mukhopadhyay as a music director of 1985 Bengali classic 'Bhalobasa Bhalobasa', said he was effusively praised by the veteran in public for the songs of the film which people still like.

''We had met fleetingly at several soirees. Our ties became deeper when he gave me the break in Tarun Majumdars Bhalobasa Bhalobasa and that relationship remained till his death,'' Chatterjee told PTI.

Recalling how much affection Mukhopadhyay showered on his disciples, he said, ''The recording studio was booked for five days. On the second day, my throat condition was not perfect to record a long song of 10-minute duration at 9 am.

Actually, I had been at a soiree till late hours the previous night.'' However, Chatterjee could not tell that to the music director as he had strictly forbidden him to attend any cultural function during the recording.

He then urged Mukhopadhyay to allow him to first record another track, a far shorter song composed for the film but slotted to be recorded later, knowing that he could deliver it more easily in his current throat condition.

''As my throat got cleared after the first song, the longer one could be recorded without any difficulty. Hemanta- da was so happy. he hugged me and said: I will live in your voice,'' Chatterjee, aged over 60, said.

However, knowing that Mukhopadhyay was a strict taskmaster and never brook any deviation from his instructions, Chatterjee had never mustered the courage to reveal this before the legend even afterwards.

''Not just me, Hemanta-da was extremely helpful and supportive to singers such as Haimanti Shukla, Arundhati Hom Chowdhury, Arati Mukherjee and many others. He had composed tunes and let others sing which made them popular. He did not suffer from any ego complex or insecurity,'' Chatterjee said.

He recalled how Mukhopadhyay would personally help many struggling artistes on a monthly basis in those times without letting people know.

''The biggest testimony to Hemanta-da's universalness is his songs, along with other contemporary geniuses, which are still rendered in reality shows,'' Chatterjee said.

In his tribute to Mukhopadhyay, singer Kabir Suman said, ''He brilliantly rendered the lyrics penned by other geniuses such as Salil Chowdhury and poets like Sukanta Bhattacharya and the lyrics got a new meaning.'' Suman, who brought contemporary social issues in songs written, composed and sung by him in the 1990s, said Mukhopadhyay inspired generations of singers in West Bengal.

The Rabindra Bharati Society, an organisation formed in 1945 to disseminate the ideals of Rabindranath Tagore, on Wednesday hosted an online programme about the genius of Mukhopadhyay.

At the event, eminent singer Saikat Mitra, son of Mukhopadhyay's contemporary Shyamal Mitra, recalled the relationship between his family and the golden-voiced singer.

New age singer Sagnik Sen said, ''I consider Hemanta Mukhopadhyay as my guru and render his songs at various cultural programmes.'' Mukhopadhyay was born in Varanasi in 1920 but came to Kolkata at a very young age.

While his father wanted him to be an engineer, Mukhopadhyay sang for All India Radio in 1935. His first film song was for Nimai Sanyas (1941).

After Mukhopadhyay became associated with the Left- leaning cultural organisation, the Indian Peoples Theatre Association (IPTA), he came in contact with singer-composer Salil Chowdhury and the association resulted in a number of great songs.

His popular Hindi songs include 'Dekho Woh Chand Chhupke', 'Ye Raat Ye Chandni Phir Kahan', 'Ye Dil Ki Suno Duniya Walo', and 'Hai Apna Dil To Awara', while people still remember his Bengali songs like 'Muchhe Jawa Din Guli', 'Ei Raat Tomar Amar' and 'Nil Akasher Niche'.

Mukhopadhyay died on September 6, 1989.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)