ENKAYAAR, Bollywood Trade News Network

The man who redefined the Indian music and the man who became numero uno on his own without seeking audio help from Lata Mangeshkar, at the time when she was the melody queen, must have had something in him to be positioned at the apex of the music industry. He was the original Punjabi, who opened the window of the Punjabi folk music to the Indian film industry, and continued to use the folk idiom of Punjabi music as his base throughout the oeuvre of films that he gave music to.

His song that he gave music to penned by Shakeel Badayuni, Ai Dil Hai Mushkil jeena Yahan still is the best song which conveys the enigmatic charm that Mumbai is and the mystique still continues to have the same allure. Dev Anand who is considered to have provided many great musicals to the industry, got his credentials only through CID which was given music to by none other than O.P. Nayyar, though before that he had appeared in number of musicals, it was CID that gave him the reputation of a man associated with music, and the wizard was O.P. Nayyar.


Right from the days of CID, he had consciously strived to introduce new elements of musical nodes by incorporation of new instruments. He has been credited with introducing the Algoja, a kind of small flute that is played in pair by the instrument player, and can be seen being frequently used in Punjabi folk songs, as also the tumbi, which is a cross breed between a violin and a sarangi and is associated with the dervishes or the wandering ascetics of Punjab. And Bhangra that has now reached the status of being disco bhangra got the debut on the Indian musical scene thanks to Nayyar.


Asha Bhonsle got the cult status thanks to Nayyar. Geeta Dutt and Shamshad Begum were the favourites of OP Nayyar before the advent of Asha Bhonsle, and there is a famous quote of Nayyar when he had been quizzed about consciously using Asha Bhonsle had quipped that Shamshad Begum and then Asha Bhonsle provided the kind of Punjabi rustic touché that he aspired to an extent in all his songs.


The yahoo star, Shammi Kapoor got his image of the same thanks to the pep music that was provided by OP Nayyar in KASHMIR KI KALI, the debut film of Sharmila Tagore. He was the music director who gave the national anthem to the song that has become the swan song denoting the labour class, Saathi Haath Badhana in NAYA DAUR, and it was his music in the same film that was to a large extent was responsible for providing a change of image to B.R. Chopra. In fact he was a regular in all the BR Chopra films, till MAJDOOR when BR Chopra appeared in a new resuscitation of his career.


A man who went into oblivion around 70s got a new lease of life thanks to the Sare Ga Ma Paa of Zee Films the antakshari based film programme. And he was the man who gave music to one of the Salman Khan Films as well, NDAGI starring Karishma. He was the music director who could incorporate the hoof of horse to a rhythmic tune and it was his incorporation that came to symbolize his signature tune. Constantly swimming against the tide, he was the man who never compromised on the tune, and while Himesh Reshamiya may have come to come to establish as the topi walla music director, the original topi walla was OP Nayyar. The man who introduced Punjabi folk to the common masses, and made it establish itself as an integral part of the Indian music. Here was a Punjabi that catapulted Punjabi to the national arena, and he was probably the last of the Punjabis who never left out the folk of Punjab from his, and that is precisely the reason why he would continue to rule the hearts till the music continues to rule the roost in India.