Cinemaazi remembers Hemant Kumar on his birth anniversary

Remembering the man with the magical, sonorous baritone – Hemanta Mukhopadhyay or as he was known in Hindi cinema - Hemant Kumar, on the occasion of his birth anniversary; 16 June, 1920. Straddling Hindi and Bengali cinema with elan, he was a noted singer, music director, and film producer. Recording with All India Radio Calcutta as a 13-year-old, he trained in music before he made his debut in films with Nimai Sanyas (1941). His first film as a music director was Abhijatri (1947). He travelled to Mumbai at the request of Hemen Gupta with whom he had previously worked in Bengali cinema. Vande mataram from the film Anand Math (1952) rendered by Lata Mangeshkar, went on to become extremely popular. Even as he established himself in the Bengali film industry, his big break in Hindi cinema came with Nagin (1954). With songs like Mann dole tan dole becoming chartbusters, his career soared with his compositions for films like Jagriti (1954), Bees Saal Baad (1962) and Khamoshi (1969). He also produced the Bengali film Neel Akshar Neechay (1959) directed by Mrinal Sen which later won the President’s Gold Medal award, as well as Bees Saal Baad, Kohra (1964) and Khamoshi (1969). He also directed the film Anindita in 1971. Some of the Bengali films for which he sang popular numbers were Indrani (1958), Abak Prithibi (1959), Sathihara (1961), Natun Jiban (1965), Baghini (1967), Adwitiya (1968), and many more. Some of his notable works as a composer in Bengali cinema include Harano Sur (1957), Neel Akasher Neechey (1958), Deep Jwele Jai (1959), Saptapadi (1961), Hansuli Banker Upakatha (162), Saat Paake Badha (1963), Alor Pipasa (1965), and many more. Other than his work in films, he sang a treasure trove of non-film songs, primarily in Bengali. He was known for his prowess in singing Rabindra Sangeet. Interestingly, while he was the recipient of two National Awards for Best Male Playback Singer, he politely declined the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan, which he was nominated for. He remains an incredibly popular singer till date, with his renditions regularly revisited and recalled.

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