Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 27 ENTERTAINMENT July 25, 2025 Remembering A Musical Legend: Salil Chowdhury Left An Indelible Mark On South Asian Culture T he legendary Indian music composer Salil Chow- dhury ‘completes’ 100 shortly. ‘Salilda’, as he is fondly known, was born in a village inWest Bengal on 19 November 1925; he left on 5th November, 1995. On his passing away at 69, Lata Mangeskar grieved thus: “I could not do more for Salil Chowdhury”, highlighting respect she had for Salilda! Salilda-Latadidi combination of “na jeona” (Bengali) or “o sajana” (Hindi) from the film Parakh remains amongst my all time favou- rites. Salilda was deeply influenced by Tagore; on Tagore’s death on 7 August, 1941, Salilda cried! Salilda said: “that was the first time in my life that I consciously felt the loss of someone close to me! I went into mourning….I used to come to College barefoot…I did not eat fish or meat.” Salil Chowdhury was known for his socially conscious music addressing social justice. This aligned with world saint Swami Vivekananda’s philosophy of addressing so- cietal issues. So, Tagore’s and Swamiji’s influence on Salil Chowdhury is evident. FUSION OF WESTERN AND INDIAN MUSIC Salilda’s unique contribution is fusion ofWestern and Indian music. This made him a world music composer. When I sang “old Hindi filmmelodies” in August 2010 in Kathmandu on the invitation of my friend Rakesh Sood, then India’s High Commissioner in Nepal, the moment I started “Zindagi kaisi hai paheli haye” the 1000-strong audience in the packed Army Auditorium clapped in uni- son. In the SAARCLAW conference in Dhaka in December 1996, barely a year after Salilda left, I noticed huge respect for Salilda; same in Karachi in the SAARCLAW conference that I attended in February 2004. Salida has left an indel- ible mark on South Asian culture. So, Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore and Salil Chowdhury constitute world saint, world poet and world music composer respectively, India’s contribution to soft power. Salil Chowdhury spent his childhood in the tea gar- dens of Assam. His father, Dr.Gyanendra Chowdhury, was a medical officer in a tea estate. Though Salilda’s mother was not a musician, she greatly encouraged her child. So did Salilda’s father who had a collection of westerns classical songs of singers like Bach (1685-1750) from Germany, Mozart (1756-1791) from Austria, Beethoven (1770-1827) from Germany, and even Chopin (1810-1849) from Poland. Exposure toWestern classical music greatly influenced Salil Chowdhury. He used to listen to western orchestral music in gramophone of Dr.Maloni, an Irish national, who was the chief medical officer of the tea estate. WorldWar II (1.9.1939-2.9.1945) and the Bengal famine (1943) devastated Salilda. He was still in his late teens then, having joined Bangabasi College, Sealdah in Kolkata. The British diverted food supplies from Bengal. Salilda witnessed millions dying on the streets of Kolkata during famine. He protested. And became a member of IPTA (Indian People’s Theatre Association), an associa- tion of artists, to bring cultural awakening in India. Some of the prominent initial members of IPTA were Prithviraj Kapoor (1906-1972), Balraj Sahni (1913-1973), Pandit Ravi Shankar (1920-2012), Ritwik Ghatak (1925-1976) and Salil Chowdhury (1925-1995). Even Shailendra (1923-1966), the legendary lyricist, joined ITPA; IPTA gave a fillip to the Quit India movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi on 8 August 1942. BOLLYWOOD BREAK AND PATH-BREAKING FILM After India’s independence, Salilda continued with his musical passion in greater vigour. His best friend, filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee (1922-2006), brought Salilda and film director Bimal Roy (1909-1966) together. Bimal Roy gave Salilda the biggest break of his life. Salilda entered Bollywood in the film “Do Beegha Zameen”, released on 16 January, 1953. The film portrayed peasant exploitation inWest Bengal. Salilda’s role in the film was not only as a music composer, but also as the script writer of a short story “Rickshawala”; Roy enmeshed Salilda’s “Rickshawala” and Tagore’s “Dui Bigha Jomi” to convert them into a path-breaking film. The film remains a trendsetter. It be- came the first film to win the Filmfare Best Movie award, and the first Indian film to win an international award. It took Salil Chowdhury’s career to new heights. A MUSICAL GENIUS AND GURU Salilda was 27 when he achieved this break in 1952- 53. Till his last day he never looked back. He composed music in 143 films, 75 of them in Hindi, 41 in Bengali and 27 in Malayalam. Besides, he composed music in 13 languages. He was adept at playing flute, piano, esraj and harmonium. Both Rahul Dev Burman (1939-1994) and Hriday Nath Mangeshkar considered Salilda as their musical guru. When in creative or personal distress, R.D.Burman often turned to Salil Chowdhury for guidance, despite being the son of the legendary S.D.Burman. Frommy boyhood in Calcutta from 1961 onwards I used to hear “Anurodher Asor” every Sunday afternoon. I used to give marks to each song; I must say that two songs made me weep everytime I heard them. They are both Salida and Latadidi combinations: first: “O Bansi keno gaye amare kandaye” and second: “Jare Jare Ude Jare Pakhi”! As I write, droplets fall frommy eyes. Salilda is immortal! (The writer is Senior Advocate, Supreme Court Of India, former Additional Solicitor General Of India and a hobby singer of time- less classics. Views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at bbhatta@gmail.com ) -(Used under special arrangementwith South Asia Monitor) By Bishwajit Bhattacharyya, South Asia Monitor PHOTO:COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.COM Salil Chowdhury stamp issued in 2013 by India Post, Government of India. Official Trailer Of Hunter Season 2 – Tootega Nahi Todega Unveiled India, Hunter 2 – Tootega Nahi Todega will stream from July 24 exclusively on Amazon MX Player for free. Speaking about the season, Amogh Dusad, Head of Con- tent, Amazon MX Player, shared, “With Hunter 2 – Tootega Nahi Todega, we’ve scaled up every aspect of the storytell- ing. From the emotional depth and character arcs to the intense action and global canvas, Suniel Shetty’s return and Jackie Shroff’s entry take the narrative to a whole new level, creating a compelling face-off that’s both personal and powerful. At Amazon MX Player, our focus remains on delivering stories that resonate emotionally while offering a high-impact viewing experience.” “The response to Season 1 showed us that audiences love edge-of-the-seat action when it’s backed by heart. With Suniel Shetty returning as Vikram and Jackie Shroff stepping in as the enigmatic Salesman, Season 2 brings a power- ful new energy to the story. This season dives deeper, hits harder and delivers the kind of thrill that stays with you. At Saregama and Yoodlee Films, we’re excited to continue building cinematic experiences that resonate with today’s viewers, and our collaboration with Amazon MX Player al- lows us to reach audiences far and wide,” shared Siddharth Anand Kumar, Executive Vice- President at Saregama India. Expressing his excitement about his return to the series, Suniel added, “Season 2 digs deeper into Vikram’s past, his pain and what drives him. This trailer is just the tip of the iceberg. What I love most is how personal the action feels this time. It’s not just about guns and chases, it’s about what’s at stake emotionally. And that emotional weight made every scene more intense. Launching the trailer in front of fans and the media gave us a real sense of how ready people are for this next chapter.” Sharing insights about his character, Jackie stated, “Jumping into Hunter 2 – Tootega Nahi Todega was a wild ride. The world had its own vibe, and then this Salesman walks in and turns it all upside down. Playing him was like holding fire in your hands, calm, yet deadly. The trailer’s out, bhidus! Time to dive in and enjoy the ride!” - Continued From Page 22 PHOTO:Moe’s Art Suniel Shetty, Tiger Shroff and Jackie Shroff at the trailer launch of Hunter 2—Tootega Nahi Todega.