Mumbai, March 7: The journey to fame often demands immense sacrifices, and in the world of music, many artists have risen from poverty and struggle to carve out their unique identities. One such innate musician was Ravi Shankar Sharma, popularly known as Ravi in the entertainment industry.
Remarkably, Ravi never received formal classical training; instead, he gained musical knowledge by listening to his father’s bhajans. He learned to play the harmonium at a young age and became proficient in several instruments. Despite his passion for music, financial difficulties forced him to work as an electrician in Delhi to support his family, yet his heart remained devoted to music.
Ravi’s path was fraught with challenges, but his dedication and hard work eventually established him as one of Hindi cinema‘s most memorable composers. Born on March 3, 1926, in Delhi, Ravi dreamt of becoming a playback singer and making a name in film music. In 1950, he arrived in Mumbai with aspirations in his eyes. The initial days were tough; he had no place to stay and spent his nights sleeping at Malad railway station while tirelessly visiting studios during the day. This struggle continued for two years, but Ravi never lost hope.
His perseverance paid off in 1952 when fate turned in his favor. He met composer Hemant Kumar and got the opportunity to sing in the chorus for the film ‘Anand Math.’ This marked the beginning of his journey as a composer, leading to significant success.
In 1955, he began his music direction career with the film ‘Albelia.’ Following this, he created magical music for films like ‘Vachan,’ ‘Narsi Bhagat,’ ‘Delhi Ka Thug,’ ‘Dulhan,’ ‘Ghar Sansar,’ ‘Mehndi,’ ‘Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan,’ ‘Nayi Rahein,’ ‘Pehli Raat,’ ‘Apna Ghar,’ ‘Aanchal,’ and the iconic ‘Chaudhavi Ka Chand.’
Ravi’s unique approach involved writing the lyrics before composing the music, which made his songs exceptionally melodious and memorable. He received a Filmfare Award nomination for ‘Chaudhavi Ka Chand’ and won Filmfare Awards for ‘Gharana’ in 1961 and ‘Khandan’ in 1965. His successful films also include ‘Nazrana,’ ‘Pyar Ka Sagar,’ ‘Modern Girl,’ ‘Salaam Memsaab,’ ‘Tower House,’ ‘China Town,’ ‘Aaj Aur Kal,’ ‘Gehra Daag,’ ‘Gumrah,’ ‘Bharosa,’ ‘Shehnai,’ ‘Kajal,’ ‘Waqt,’ ‘Do Badan,’ ‘Aurat,’ ‘Hamraaz,’ ‘Aankhein,’ ‘Do Kaliyan,’ ‘Neel Kamal,’ ‘Aadmi Aur Insaan,’ ‘Anmol Moti,’ ‘Badi Didi,’ ‘Doli,’ ‘Ek Phool Do Maali,’ ‘Dhadkan,’ ‘Dhundh,’ ‘Ek Mahal Ho Sapnon Ka,’ ‘Amanat,’ and ‘Aadmi Sadak Ka.’
Many of Mahendra Kapoor’s hit songs were composed by Ravi, who contributed music to over 50 Hindi films. After taking a break from film music between 1970 and 1982, he made a remarkable comeback with B.R. Chopra’s ‘Nikaah’ in 1982. From 1984 to 2005, he composed music for Malayalam films under the name ‘Bombay Ravi.’
Ravi Shankar Sharma passed away on March 7, 2012, in Mumbai, leaving behind a rich legacy in the world of music.