Movies & Music of India – Prem Dhawan

Before I introduce the next music composer who rode the golden era wave of Indian cinema I would like to go flashback and remember some of those unsung, forgotten or rarely remembered greats of the Indian music industry. The first on the list is the illustrious Prem Dhawan.

Prem Dhawan’s contribution to Indian cinema as a lyricist and music composer deserves salutations from every generation of the country especially for penning those inspirational  songs that rekindles the patriotic fire in every Indian every time it is played on radio, especially during the Republic Day and Independence Day celebration.

Born in Ambala on June 13, 1923, Prem Dhawan’s father was in the service of the British empire as a Jail Superintendent, a transferable job which took Prem Dhawan to many places, he went to College in Lahore, where his senior was the illustrious Inder Kumar Gujral, who became the Prime Minister of India and one of his classmates was the great poet-lyricist, Sahir Ludhianvi. The three took active interest in politics and also the college union, and Prem Dhawan developed a passion for the freedom struggle. He joined the Communist Party of India, and participated in many actions against the British. Later he went to Mumbai to join the IPTA (Indian People`s Theatre Association) his views were of a communist and he was the founding member of IPTA in Punjab, and found in this a platform to express the revolutionary ideas through songs, dances and writings. Here he came in contact with Pt. Ravi Shankar and with him and Sachin Shankar he formed a group and began to present their programs in Punjabi all over the country, he also learned classical music from Ravi Shankar during this time. Later he learned classical dance from Shanti Bardhan,, who had broken away from Ravi Shankar’s elder brother the great Uday Shankar’s dance troupe.

As Lyricist

Prem Dhawan joined the film industry as an assistant to music director Khurshid Anwar in Pagdandi (1946). He made his debut as a lyricist in Ziddi (1948). This movie also made history of sorts, with Kishore Kumar singing for Dev Anand for the first time – the song, Marne ki duayen kyoon maangoon, in typical Saigal style. The movie also had Lata’s Chanda re jaa re jaa re, a brilliant composition in Raga Chhayanat.  I remember including it in my earlier post but here it is again for your pleasure.

If one sees his rich repertoire of verses, one wonders why he was not considered in the same league as Shailendra, Hasrat, Sahir and Anand Bakshi. He had memorable partnerships with the music doyens like Khemchand Prakash in Ziddi (1948), Hans Raj Behl in Sawan, Miss Bombay, Resham, Miss Bombay, Miss Goodnight, Salil Chowdhury in Tangawali (1955), Jaagte Raho (1956) and Kabuliwala (1961), Anil Biswas in Tarana (1951) and Hmdard (1953), Ravi in Dus Lakh, Ek Phool Do Mali, Pyar ka Sagar, Ek Saal, Apna Ghar and Chitragupta in Guset House, Baazigar, Rocket Girl, Kabhi Dhoop Kabhi Chaon, Bada Aadmi, Aadhi Raat ke Baad, Chalbaaz and Aplam Chaplam, and the list goes on.

As Music Director

With the insistence of Manoj Kumar, Prem Dhawan turned music director with the movie Shaheed (1965), here he came out with great music for songs written by himself – Aye watan aye watan, Mera rang de basanti chola, Sarfarosh hi tamanna (original lyrics by Ram Prasad Bismil). He had the opportunity to meet Bhagat Singh’s mother and was inspired by the stories that she recounted to him about her son.

He came out with another top performance in the movie Pavitra Paapi, which had many lovely numbers, including Kishore Kumar’s Teri Duniya se hoke majboor chala, and Mohd, Rafi’s Allah re Allah kar pyaar bhai.

Prem Dhawan also gave music to a few Dara Singh movies like Veer Abhimanyu, Kisan Aur Bhagwan, Mera Desh Mera Dharam and also for Naxalites, Bharat Ke Shaheed, Raat ke Andhere Mein.which has the famous song Agar Bewafaa tumko pehchan jate Khuda ki kasam hum mohabbat na karte sung by Mohd. Rafi.

As dancer and Choreographer

Not many people know that Prem Dhawan was a trained dancer and he himself danced for a song with Cuckoo in the film Singaar (1949). He also did choreography in Naya Daur (Udein Jab Jab Zulfein Teri), Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zameen (1953), Arzoo (1950), Dhool ka phool (1959), Ghoonj Uthi Shehnai (1959) and Waqt.

Prem Dhawan had visited the border areas of Ladakh and Nathula Pass along with Sunil Dutt and Nargis to entertain the Indian soldiers.

Under the banner of Triveni Pictures, Dhawan had written, produced and directed several documentaries on a variety of subjects like Family Planning, National Integration and other social issues. His work as a poet had also been translated into Russian and several other languages. Prem Dhawan has been conferred ‘Padmashree’ in 1970

He passed away on May 7, 2001 in Mumbai