IN THE MAIL

GOODBYE KHAYYAM

It’s sad that Mohammed Zahur Khayyam, the ‘musical magician’ behind some of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated soundtracks, passed away recently. He could expertly fuse Hindustani classical music with film tracks. Khayyam’s compositions often outshone those of his contemporaries. The melodies of Kabhi Kabhie, Umrao Jaan and Noorie are classics. He was a good human being as well. Reportedly, he established a charitable trust in the memory of his late son and pledged his assets to support budding artistes and technicians in the industry. Lata Mangeshkar rightfully said that his demise signals the ‘end of an era’.

J.S. Acharya,