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Mohammed Zahur Khayyam was a renowned music composer who had given tunes to films like Umrao Jaan, Kabhi Kabhie, and Razia Sultan. The music composer made his debut as a singer with the 1947 film Romeo and Juliet, and then went on to create iconic soundtracks for a variety of features; his last project was the 2016’s unreleased Ghulam Bandhu.
But perhaps his most loved soundtrack is the Rekha-starrer musical Umrao Jaan. Helmed by Muzaffar Ali and released in 1981, the film contained many gems, including the likes of Inn Aankhon Ki Masti, Zindagi Jab Bhi, Yeh Kya Jagah Hai Doston among more. Rekha and Khayyam clearly shared a mutual respect for each other having worked together earlier. Once, when Rekha presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Khayyam at Mirchi Music Awards in 2012, Khayyam reacted to it by calling the presenter-actor Umrao Jaan herself.
“Rekha ji ko hum toh Umrao Jaan hi kehte hain. Agar kisi ne Umrao Jaan ko nahi dekha toh inhe dekh le” (I address Rekha as Umrao Jaan, and if someone has not seen Umrao Jaan, they can look at Rekha instead). Rekha returned the compliment by stating that the composer had given her a new identity with his lovely music.
Rekha said, “Meri khushnaseebi hai ki mujhe yahan invite kiya gaya Khayaam Saab ko award dene ke liye. Agar Khayyam Sahab nahi hote toh aaj Rekha nahi hoti. Artist toh main bachpan se thi lekin mujhe aap ne (Khayyam Saab) ek wajood diya hai. Ek naam diya hai. Main kahin bhi jaati hun, koi bhi mujhe dekhta hai toh Rekha baad mein aata hai, pehle aata hai ‘Umrao Jaan’. (It is my good luck that I have been invited here to give this award to Khayyam saab. Had he not been there, I would not have existed. He gave me an identity with his music in Umrao Jaan. Wherever I go, I am first referred to as Umrao Jaan, and then called Rekha).”
Umrao Jaan director Muzaffar Ali, who had collaborated multiple times with the music composer, had penned a heartfelt tribute for the artiste when he passed away. Writing for The Indian Express, Ali penned, “The music of Umrao Jaan took nearly two years to create. Each song was crafted as if it was coming from the soul of a poetess. Rehearsals with Asha (Bhonsle) ji brought a new resonance and Khayyam sahab made her sing a scale lower than her usual Bollywood fare. She had read the novel and felt Umrao in her veins. We gave a significant gap between each song so that it would be a little different from the other. The songs were the trajectory of Umrao’s life and had to be carefully crafted. Each time, a new world was born in Khayyam’s music room. The white chaandni stretched seamlessly through the room, which had images of Gurunanak Dev, Harmander Sahab and the Holy Kaaba to cast their blessings on what was happening there. The aroma of freshly-made coffee by Jagjit ji made the ambience welcoming for us. If the rhythmist was not present, she would sit with a hard-bound book to accompany Khayyam sahab who was on the harmonium. And as the bellows began to breathe, we waited with bated breath.”
Khayyam passed away in August 2019 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
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