Ravi Shankar Sharma: The Hit Making Composer Who Never Got His Due

Think of some of some of the biggest hits of the 1960s—Neele gagan ke taley (Humraaz), Tum agar saath dene ka vada karo(Humraaz), Chaudhvin ka chand ho(title song), Yeh raatein yeh Mausam nadi ka kinara(Dilli Ka Thug), Chalo ek baarphir se ajnabee bann jayen hum dono(Gumraah), Sau baar Janam lenge(Ustaadon Ke Ustad), Milti hai zindagi mein mohabbat kabhi kabhi(Aankhen), Ae mere dil-e-nadaan tu gham se na ghabrana(Tower House), Raha gardishon mein hardam(Do Badan), Ae meri johra zabeen(Waqt) , Aaj mere yaar ki shaadi hai(Aadmi Sadak Ka)—they have one factor in common.

Composer Ravi Shankar Sharma, known in the music world as Ravi .

Unlike the other great composers of the time Ravi’s songs were known but he was not.

The paradox was not lost on singer Mahendra Kumar who once told this writer, “Unki(Ravi) aur meri kahaani ek hai(our is the same story). My very big hits like Aap aye toh khayal-e-nashaad aaye , Kissi patthar ke moorat se, Na mooh chupa ke jiyo, Dil ki yeh aarzoo tthi koi Dilruba mile were composed by Ravi Saab.Many people thought they were sung by Rafi Saab. Likewise Ravi Saab’s songs were popular. But he didn’t get the credit for them that he deserved.”

Asha Bhosle who was Ravi’s chosen female voice said, “There were some composers who chose me over Didi at a time when every composer in the business was crazy over Didi’s voice, and rightly so. Still, O P Nayyar Saab and Raviji saw something they could harness in my voice. Raviji kesaath mere gaane zabardast chale: Garibon ki suno(Dus Lakh), Dil ki kahani rang layegi(Chaudhvin Ka Chand), Jab chali thandi hawa(Do Badan), Yeh raatein yeh Mausam(Dilli Ka Thug), Yeh hawa yeh nadi ka kinara(Ghar Sansar), Chanda mama door ke(Vachan), Aage bhi jaane na tu(Waqt)… the list of hit songs was endless.”

From the fringes, Ravi created a musical universe that is hard to forget, let alone ignore.