O.P. Nayyar

Celebrated as Asia's "rhythm king," O.P. Nayyar was among the premier composers of Bollywood's golden age, enjoying a long and prolific collaboration with superstar vocalist Asha Bhosle that yielded countless classics of Indian film music. Born January 16, 1926, in Lahore in pre-partition India, Omkar Prasad Nayyar made his professional debut at age 11, playing piano on All-India Radio. In 1949, he relocated to Mumbai and soon landed his first film assignment, writing incidental music for Krishan Kewal's Kaneez. Nayyar made his debut as music director via Dalsukh Pancholi's Aasmaan. After a series of commercial flops, he considered quitting cinema to teach, but with Guru Dutt's 1954 film Aar Paar he scored his first box-office hit, beginning an extended collaboration with Dutt that later included Mr. and Mrs. 55 and the blockbuster C.I.D. Nayyar nevertheless enjoyed his greatest success in tandem with Bhosle, credited as his discovery. Free of conventional training and classical influence, he created for Bhosle a series of remarkably bold and contemporary songs notable for their upbeat, fiercely rhythmic approach.

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