Nagin can be called the biggest Hindi film hit of all times. The film had several songs, but the one to gain universal appeal was ‘Man Dole Mera Tan Dole’, whose ‘been’-music was created by Kalyanji on the clavioline (forerunner of an analog synthesizer) and by Ravi on the harmonium, both of whom became successful music directors, subsequently. It became a huge hit, due largely to its songs, which topped the charts for two years and also brought him the Filmfare Best Music Director Award. He helped, anonymously, many families in financial hardship, a fact known only after his death in 1989.īiggest mainstream acclaim came to Hemanta Kumar from the unprecedented popularity of the film Nagin (1954). Caring for others, he set up a homeopathy hospital in memory of his late father in West Bengal. from Visva- Bharati University, possibly due to his soft corner for Shantiniketan. He generally shunned awards including Padma awards but accepted the 1985 Honorary D.Litt. Burman and ‘Yaad kiya dil ne kahan ho tum’ set to music by Shankar Jaikishan. Numerous die-hard Dev Anand fans like him hum songs sung for him in the 1950s by Hemanta-da, such as ‘Hai apna dil to awara’, ‘Ye raat, ye chandni phir kahan’, ‘Teri duniya mein jeene se’, etc. He sings it with fervour even now, nearly six decades later. Notable hits among them were Bees Saal Baad (1962) and Khamoshi (1970).Ī friend of mine, Vijay Sabharwal, soulfully sang ‘Na tum hamein jano’ by Hemanta-da from Baat ek Raat ki (1962) and won the singing competition at our college. Hemanta-da also produced several films under his own banner, Geetanjali Productions, with lilting music by him. And, who can forget ‘Vande mataram’ sung by Lata Mangeshkar, with a marching tune set by him for Anand Math (1952)? Hemanta Kumar won quick recognition in Mumbai as a playback singer not only in his own films but in films which had other music directors.Įxamples are ‘Jaag darde ishaq jaag’ from Anarkali (1953), ‘Nain so nain naahi milao’ from Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), and ‘O raat ke musafir’ from Miss Mary (1957). Special shows of Jagriti were organized at the local cinema theatres for schoolchildren, including by my school in 1954-55. On every Republic Day and Independence Day songs from the film Jagriti (1954) are played for schoolchildren – ‘Aao bachcho tumhen dikhayen’ (sung by Kavi Pradeep), ‘Hum laaye hain toofan se’ (sung by Mohammed Rafi), and ‘Sabarmati ke sant tune’ (sung by Asha Bhosle), which were set to music by Hemanta Kumar. Kabuliwala, released in the same year, too, had Hemanta Kumar singing ‘Ganga aaye kahan se Ganga jaaye kahan’ set to music by Salil Chowdhury. In the 1961 hit film, Ganga Jamuna, when a school teacher was to be shown singing to his class a song of righteousness, ‘Insaaf ki dagar pe, bachcho dikhao chalke’ the voice of the playback singer had to carry conviction, and Naushad’s choice was Hemanta Kumar. He is remembered for the nationalistic songs he sang, which remain popular even today.