Bollywood's veteran music composer Ravindra Jain dies at 71

Veteran music director Ravindra Jain, known for composing soulful music for films such as Geet Gata Chal  and Chitchor , passed away on Friday after prolonged illness. He was 71 years old.

Jain, who had been keeping unwell for some time, was undergoing treatment at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai’s Bandra. He was suffering from a kidney complication due to a urinary infection. He had been on ventilator and put on 24-hour dialysis.

Though he had recently gone to Nagpur to keep a prior commitment for a concert, he was unable to perform due to poor health. On October 7, he had been shifted to Mumbai from Nagpur’s Wockhardt Hospital by a chartered air ambulance. 

His family members, including wife Divya and brother Manindra, were by his side when he breathed his last.

Here are 10 key things to know about Ravindra Jain, the veteran musician:

1. A vast body of work

According to his website, Jain composed music and written lyrics for more than 150 films in national and regional languages. Among the most popular were movies like Kaanch aur Heera, Haathi ke Daant, Chor Machaye Shor, Do Jasoos, Jelkhana , Vivah and Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi .

2. The jubilee films

Jain has to his credit films that set records on the box-office — many of them silver, golden, platinum and diamond jubilee ones, such as Saudagar, Chor Machaye Shor, Tapasya, Ankhiyon ke Jharokhon Se, Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaaye, Pati Patni aur Woh, Insaaf Ka Tarazoo, Fakira, Aatish, Ram Bharose, Do Jasoos, Nadiya Ke Paar, Brij Bhoomi, Paheli, Salaakhen, Pratighat, Yeh Aag Kab Bujhegi, Paramveer Chakra, Ram Teri Ganga Maili and Heena .

3. Popular TV soap operas

Jain was the music director for some of the most popular TV serials like Ramayana, Jai Hanuman, Jai Shri Krishna, Alif Laila, Satyawadi Raja Harishchandra, Krishna Kathayen and Prithvi Raj Chauhan .

4. A producer, too

D R Productions, a production company running under the guidance of Jain and his wife, has successfully produced music albums and TV serials. Recently, it produced a musical talent-hunt show “Close up Performer”.

5. Worked with leading singers

Ravindra Jain has worked with the most famous Bollywood singers across generations — from Md Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle and Manna Dey, to Kavita Kaishnamurthy, Sonu Nigam, Kailash Kher, Shreya Ghosal, Udit Narayan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Javed Ali, Kavita Seth and Madhushri.

6. His disciples

Among the most prominent singers that Jain has given to the Bollywood music industry are Yesudas, Jaspal Singh, Hemlata, Arti Mukherjee, Suresh Wadkar, Chandrani Mukherjee and Sabri Brothers.

7. His book

His collection of Urdu Shayari, titled Ujalon Ka Silsila, received Sahitya Award from Uttar Pradesh Hindi-Urdu Sahitya Award Committee on June 6, 1997.

8. Honours & awards

Jain has received many prestigious Awards, such as Dada Sahab Phalke Academy Award, Filmfare Award, Adhar Shila, Uptron, Priyadarshini Academy Award, National Youth Award, Bengal Film Journalists Association Award, and Uttar Pradesh Film Patrakar Sangh Award, besides awards from many national, international, social, cultural & film Institutions. He was also felicitated with the International Amir Khusro Award by International Sufi Mission of India. 

9. Awarded DPhil by Kalam

For Jain’s enormous contribution to music, art and literature, The Teerthanker Mahaveer University conferred on him the honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy (DPhils). Former President of India and Bharat Ratna APJ Abdul Kalam awarded the degree.

10. A multi-linguist 

Jain knew many Indian languages like Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit, Bengali, Punjabi, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Awadhi and Odia, and international languages like English, Arabic and Persian.