West Bengal remembers singer-music composer Hemant Kumar on his birth anniversary

A giant in Bengali music and Rabindrasangeet, it was Hindi cinema that introduced Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, popularly known as Hemant Kumar, to the larger masses.
Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, popularly known as Hemant Kumar. (Twitter Photo@919friendsfm)
Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, popularly known as Hemant Kumar. (Twitter Photo@919friendsfm)

KOLKATA: Legendary singer and music composer of the subcontinent Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, popularly known as Hemant Kumar, was today remembered by his fans on his 98th birth anniversary West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee remembered the legend with the golden voice, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, on the occasiom.

"Remembering the legend with the golden voice, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, on his birth anniversary," Ms Banerjee posted on her social networking page.

To observe his birth anniversary, the city organised musical events, featuring singers, musicians who worked with the musical maestro.

Hemant Kumar Fans Club offered a floral tribute to his statue in Southern Avenue this morning.

Years have passed but Hemanta Mukherjee still grace the sentiment and nostalgia of Bengali music lovers with equal frequency as he used to do in his reigning days.

Ei path jodi na sesh hoi, a super hit Hemant Kumar number was lip-synced by actor Uttam Kumar effortlessly in the film Saptapadi.

In fact, no other actor has given so much dimension to Hemant Kumar's songs like Uttam Kumar did with his inimitable style.

Hemanta was born in the city of Varanasi (India) on June 16, 1920.

A giant in Bengali music and Rabindrasangeet, it was Hindi cinema that introduced the singer and the composer to the larger mass.

His fame still carries the fragrance of elegant joys and sorrows that are accessible.

The maestro sang and composed music in Hindi and Bengali.

His association with the iconic Salil Chowdhury gave the world some brilliant music.

Many of his songs in Bengali and Hindi have conquered the heart of the music lovers around the world.

Apart from hundreds of his evergreen playbacks, he is one the most heard singers of Tagore songs.

He was also a renowned film producer.

Before becoming entirely committed to music, Hemanta wrote several short stories which were published in a prestigious Bengali magazine called Desh.

Hemanta recorded his first song for All India Radio in 1935.

His first playback was in the Bengali film called Nimai Sanyas released in 1941.

Hemanta launched his first gramophone disc of non-film songs in 1937 and the songs were Janite Jadi Go Tumi and Balo Go Balo More.

He first launched his disc of Tagore songs in 1944 which included Amar Aar Habe Na Deri and Keno Pantha E Chanchalata His first film as a music director was in the Bengali film Abhiyatri in 1947.

By the mid-1950s, Hemanta became a prominent singer and composer both in Bengali and Hindi.

He composed music for a Hindi film called Nagin (1954) which became a major success owing largely to its music.

In the late 1950s, Hemanta ventured into movie production under his own banner Hemanta-Bela productions (later renamed as Geetanjali Productions).

The first movie under this banner was a Bengali film directed by Mrinal Sen, titled Neel Akasher Neechey (1959) which won the President's Gold Medal.

Hemanta debuted as a film director in the Bengali movie titled Anindita (1971, which he himself had produced).

In 1987, he was nominated for the Padmabhushan which he politely refused, having already turned down the offer to receive the Padmashree in the 1970s.

In September 1989, he travelled to Dhaka to receive the Michael Madhusudan Award and performed in a concert as well.

On September 26, 1989 Hemanta suffered a major heart attack and died in a nursing home in South Calcutta.

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