ROSHAN

March 19, 2022

ROSHAN

(14th July 1917 - 16th November, 1967)

Roshan Lal Nagrath better known by his first name Roshan, was an Indian esraj player and music director. He was the father of actor and film director Rakesh Roshan and music director Rajesh Roshan and paternal grand father of Hrithik Roshan.
Roshan was born in Gujranwala, Punjab Province, British India. He began music lesson at a young age and later attended Marris College in Lucknow , United Provinces of Agra and Oudh under the training of Pandit S.N. Ratanjankar (Principal of the Institute), Roshan became an accomplished sarod player under the guidance of Allauddin Khan, the renowned sarod player from Maihar. In 1940 , Khawaja Khurshid Anwar, programme producer/music, All India Radio Delhi, hired Roshan as staff artist for esraj, the instrument he used to play. He gave up this job in 1948 to seek fame and fortune in Bombay.

CAREER:
In 1948, Roshan came to Bombay to find work as a Hindi film music director and became assistant of music composer Khawaja Khurshid Anwar in film Singaar (1949). He struggled somewhat until he met the then famous producer-director Kidar Sharma, who gave him the job of composing for his film Neki aur Badi (1949). While it was a flop , Kidar Sharma gave him another chance in his next film. Roshan emerged as a player on the Hindi music scene with Bawre Nain (1950) which became a big musical hit.
In the early 1950s, Roshan worked with singers Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh and Talat Mahmood. Malhar (1951), Shisham and Anhonee (1952) were some of the movies that he scored during the 1950s. During this time he also composed the Meera Bhajan, which became a run-away hit, “Aeri main to prem diwani mera dard na jaane koi” sung by Lata Mangeshkar for the movie Naubahar (1952).
Roshan gave Indeewar and Anand Bakshi their first breaks in the Indian Film Industry as lyricists. Later they became the most sought after songwriters in Mumbai from the late 1960s onwards. Together Anand Bakshi and Roshan made a super hit musical film Devar (1966).
The 1960s proved to be the golden age for Roshan and his music. His ability to mould folk music with Hindusthani classical music became his trademark and resulted in successful movie musicals. During this time, Roshan gave hits such as “ Na to Karavan ki talash hai” and “Zindagi bhar nahi bhoolegi woh barsaat ki raat” (Barsaat Ki Raat ). Barsaat Ki Raat was also a superhit film of 1960. Roshan was also marked for film qawwali. He was widely hailed for their composition. His popular qawwalis were :
Naa tau Kaaravan ki talaash hai from Barsaat ki Raat (1960)
Yeh hai Ishq Ishq from Barsaat ki Raat
Nigahen Milane ko jee chahta Hai film Dil Hi To Hai (1963)

DEATH AND LEGACY:

Roshan had been suffering from chronic heart trouble for over 20 years. He died of heart attack in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, on 16 November 1967, at the age of 50, leaving behind three sons and a daughter. He had a heart attack while attending a social gathering,

AWARDS:
Filmfare Best Music Director Award for film Taj Mahal (1963)
Playlists of his Songs

PLAYLISTS OF ROSHAN SONGS:

1. ROSHAN SONGS - Part 1.

(Songs from films Bawre Nain (1950) and Barsaat Ki Raat (1960)

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa2hQ6nGCRh8FfbAucwRdK9Gs_W7VLoRX

2. ROSHAN SONGS - Part 2.

(Songs from films Humlog (1951) and Malhar (1951)

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa2hQ6nGCRh-1TSNjWIiv9AbJWvjEmV-N

3. ROSHAN SONGS - Part 3.

(Songs from films Anhonee (1952) and Mashooka (1953)

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa2hQ6nGCRh9LmVIeLJFzEbBJnTCJxE9i

4. ROSHAN SONGS - Part 4

(Songs from films Naubahar (1952) and Raag Rang (1952).)

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa2hQ6nGCRh-xItIwacJbpXyJYUoSqi6m