Mumbai, June 5: A school-going boy secretly skipped class to head straight to a recording studio in Mumbai. There, he created a melody on the electronic keyboard (synthesizer) that would later become the signature tune of the film ‘Don’ (1978). The synth behind the background of the song “Ye Mera Dil Yaar Ka Deewana” was none other than Vijju Shah, who is now known worldwide.
Vijju Shah was born on June 5, 1959, in Mumbai. That same year, his father, Kalyanji Virji Shah, gained nationwide recognition for playing the clavichord (an early electronic keyboard) in the film ‘Naagin’ (1954). During this period, his father founded the “Kalyanji Virji and Party” orchestra, and in 1956, renowned lyricist Anand Bakshi also began his career, later becoming Vijju Shah’s closest collaborator.
Originally from Kutch in Gujarat, Vijju Shah’s family settled in Girgaum, Mumbai, where they owned a grocery store. An interesting anecdote is that Vijju’s father and uncle learned music from a teacher who taught them in exchange for groceries.
Growing up amidst Marathi and Gujarati culture, Vijju learned to play the harmonium at the tender age of 4-5. However, his true passion ignited with the introduction of synthesizers in India during the 1970s.
After enhancing the electronic music in Feroz Khan’s films ‘Qurbani’ (1980) and ‘Jaanbaaz’ (1986), he released his bold solo album ‘Why Not Synthesizer’ in 1988.
The collaboration between Vijju Shah and director Rajiv Rai gave Hindi cinema a new sound in the 1990s. The blockbuster song “Oye Oye” from ‘Tridev’ (1989) became immensely popular, followed by “Saat Samundar Paar” from ‘Vishwatma’ (1992).
The songs “Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast” and “Tip Tip Barsa Pani” from ‘Mohra’ (1994) broke all success records, with over 8 million copies sold. In ‘Gupt’ (1997), he introduced dark trance and garage music to Indian cinema, earning him the Filmfare Award for Best Background Score in 1998.
After a brief hiatus from the mainstream, Vijju Shah made a comeback in 2020 with the Netflix film ‘Class of 83,’ featuring an authentic 1980s synth score. Following nearly two decades, the historic duo of Rajiv Rai and Vijju Shah made a sensational return in 2025 with a low-budget suspense-thriller film titled ‘Jora,’ released directly on YouTube.