To his own tune

Legendary music composer-turned-homoeopath, O P Nayyar, feels his time is over. There's no point struggling for name and fame at this jun...

Legendary music composer-turned-homoeopath, O P Nayyar, feels his time is over. There8217;s no point struggling for name and fame at this juncture,8217; he tells Sumedha Raikar-Mhatre

Relaxed at his one-bedroom paying guest accommodation with the Nakhwa family in Thane, he says: 8220;I do not have any complaints. In fact, I am thankful to the Nakhwas who have given me a sense of belonging. I have lost one family and found another,8221; he says, briefly talking about leaving his Marine Drive house to his wife and children in 1989. For a few years, Nayyar lived in Virar, and later in Kandivali.

For the last three years he has been content living with the Nakhwas. 8220;My personal life was battered at one point of time. But thanks to providence, I have regained my mental equilibrium. And homoeopathy has proved a boon in the process. I am not serving humanity, but myself,8221; says Nayyar, adding that he will live and die like a prince.

For the time being, though, Nayyar8217;s evenings are replete with Dutch beer, Scotch whiskeyand good Punjabi food. He unfailingly wears his trademark black hat and neatly starched clothes. And still insists on punctuality. Little wonder that Nakhwas have to serve him breakfast at the right time. About his insistence on correct timing, he recalls when his son had met with an accident. Nayyar did not rush to the hospital as he had already fixed the time for a recording. 8220;He had just hurt his collar bone and could be taken care of by my wife. But what about the several people who had assembled at the studio for the recording? I had to be with them at the appointed time.8221;

Despite the ups and downs in his personal life, money has never been a problem for Nayyar. 8220;The royalties from my old songs are enough to see me through. There are some producers who do not pay, but the world does have honest people. I would like to make a special mention of Sushila Goenka of HMV music company who has been incredibly honest in paying my royalty. She respects the artiste in me.8221;

Happy with homoeopathy 8220;I gowherever I am called as a doctor, and I have cured so many people,8221; he says proudly, Nayyar does not like to dwell much on the bygone era of film music. When asked about the origins of some of his immortal tunes Meri neendon mein tum, Mera naam chin chin choo, Deewana hua badal and Dil ki awaz bhi sun, he refuses to comment. 8220;An uneducated youngster from Lahore with no formal training as a musician, I am a born-natural. People ask me how these tunes came to me. I tell them it is difficult to recollect now,8221; and adds that composing music depends on how inspiring the lyrics are. 8220;I do not even listen to my music now. No music for that matter. I ruled the Hindi film industry in the late fifties and my name was enough to sell a film. But like other good things, there is an end to commercial success. From 1966, I realised I was on a downward slide. I am alive to music even today, but I8217;m not active. It is time for youngsters to take over,8221; says Nayyar, who is also a firmbeliever in astrology.

Despite numerous offers, the composer participates in very few musical shows, like the recent O P Nayyar night organised by the Rotary Club at Andheri Sports Club to celebrate his 75th birthday. He has stopped composing for films as well, with the exception of Nishchay and Zid in the nineties, and has made select appearances in the popular Sa re ga ma.. music programme. Though he rarely watches the programme, he says that musicians of the yesteryears like Anil Biswas, Khayyam and OP himself owe it to Sa re ga ma8230; producer Gajendra Singh for a new lease of life he has given to the old maestros. As Raju Nakhwa, a girl in the family called 8220;mera beta8221; by Nayyar, recounts: 8220;We watch the programme only on the sly. He does not want to see himself on TV. Whenever his best tunes are on the air, he asks us to turn the radio off.8221;

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Nayyar also evades questions on the current status of the music industry. 8220;It is a commercial field. What sells is true andwhat does not sell is not true. Likes and dislikes differ in every age; there cannot be any uniform standards,8221; he says, adding that at one point, Bappi Lahiri was seen as a threat to many composers. 8220;People say he is crass and loud. But he too has earned a rightful place. Music will never be bad. Its manifestation may be appreciated or disliked.8221;

Do you find today8217;s lyrics inspiring? No, he replies frankly. 8220;Aati kya Khandala and Kuch kuch hota hai are certainly not poetry. But who am I to judge? Nowadays, the cassettes of such songs have record sales! So be it. Live and let live. I am not the type to mourn for the good old days. Old is not always gold,8221; he says.