From Bhumika to Beta: Vanraj Bhatia and his musical genius.

The best compliment I can think of for Vanraj Bhatia’s music is that it never sounds like ‘film’ music. His compositions were so much more than melodies and were in complete harmony with the visuals, screenplay, and the geography of the story’s setting. His music served a larger purpose in his movies.

Vanraj Bhatia was the most educated musician this country had ever seen. He spent the formative years of his life studying Hindustani classical music in Mumbai and later went for studying composition in Royal Academy of Music, London and Paris Conservatory.

It surprises one that how a man with a personality and education shaped in west can create compositions that are so close to the roots of India. His music drew inspiration from real lives, from folk tunes, from hindustani raag and western classical. A man of extraordinary talent and education, Bhatia composed, arranged and designed the music which is a rare talent in Indian music industry and over that he was a brilliant background composer.

70-80’s of Hindi cinema has witnessed and documented the genius of this composer.The film makers of the parallel movement, adapted the element of music in their stories as a character. Their realistic filmmaking was ably supported by authenticity of Bhatia’s music.

His contribution as a composer in that era makes him one of the most prominent figures of India’s new wave/parallel cinema.

Vanraj Bhatia (centre) with assistant Kersi Lord (left) and filmmaker Shyam Benegal (right).
Courtesy Vanraj Bhatia’s personal collection.

A frequent collaborator with Shyam Benegal for music direction, arrangement and background score of his films, Bhatia’s compositions were soul of Benegal’s realistic cinema.

In Mandi, Bhatia’s stunning compositions of the poetry by Mir Taqi Mir and Bahadur Shah Zafar broke the stereotypes of the mujhras of mainstream films of Prakash Mehra and his contemporaries. There are three courtesan songs, ‘Chubhti Hai’, ‘Zabane balate hain’ and ‘Shamsheer barehna maang ghazab’ and all are different from each other in styles and presentation.
Ankur, Bhumika, Trikaal, Hari Bhari, Sooraj Ka Satvaan Ghoda , the actors kept on shuffling but Vanraj remained a constant in Benegal’s filmography.
The AMUL anthem which the whole India was humming during Cricket World Cup, 1996 was churned out by Vanraj Bhatia for Shyam Benegal’s Manthan. Amongst all these my favourite album would be Sardari Begum, once again a story with a large scope of Hindustani classical tunes, primarily thumri, that were interwoven into the elements of courtesan culture. Vanraj created mesmerizing melodies and every song sparked sensuality and grace.

Even in films which were out of the tropes of film music with practically featuring no song, his work as the background composer stands out shinning. The delicious piano tune running on the background through out the crucial moments of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron serves as one of the character of film.

Vanraj Bhatia getting the Padma Shri Award from President Pratibha Patil for his contribution in Music Composition

His TV career was equally illustrious. A master in creating memorable title tracks, his most loved works are Katha Sagar, Yatra, Tamas, Bharat Ek Khoj, Wagle Ki Duniya ans Banegi Apni Baat. The heart wrenching scream of agaony in Tamas’s title track sets the mood of the film from the beginning. Tamas won him a National Award for Best Music Direction.

Vanraj Bhatia’s film career began as a background score composer for Merchant- Ivory’s ‘The Householder’s . Later he created background scores for many popular films of 90’s including Beta, most of the successful filmography of Raj Kumar Santoshi, Damini, Ghatak, China Gate and later for Subhash Ghai’s Pardes. The subtlety of 70’s new wave music had transformed into the dramatic bgm of 90’s.

No one can forget the intensity of Bhatia’s bgm in a cinematic clash between (Govind) and Chaddha (Amrish Puri) which comes just at the right time after a fiery exchange between the sounds of torrential rains and striking thunder or the background sound of Beta as loud and striking as Anupam Kher’s or Lakshmikant Berde’s over-the-top act.

A man of many tunes, he conveniently juggled between the traits of art and popular cinema.

My generation who grew up in early 90’s will be forever grateful to him for giving us the lovely mythological songs/bhajans of Indo-Japanese animated film The Legend of Prince Rama’.

Here are some notable melodies composed by Vanraj Bhatia.

1. Zabane Badalte Hain