City music researcher remembers Khayyam

Eminent music composer Moammed Zahur Khayyam, who breathed his last on Monday, shared an intimate relationship with Kolkata-based music enthusiast and a researcher of retro music, Kaushik Maitra. The latter, who met the acclaimed composer several times, told us, “I met Khayyam sir in 2006. That time, I was doing some research for a documentary on RD Burman. I went to Mumbai and met him. Something really interesting happened there. While talking to me, he said, ‘In my first film, Footpath…’ and I interrupted him to say, Footpath was not his first film. He was taken aback. Then I reminded him that there were three or four films, including Putli, which faded into oblivion. Nobody spoke about those films and Khayyam sir was really impressed. This is how it all started. And our connection grew stronger.”

Kaushik, who met several musicians of that era for his research work, got introduced to OP Nayyar through Khayaam. “There was a time when I used to work in Delhi. Now Khayyam sir was someway related to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. There was a felicitation event in Delhi that Khayyam sir and Nayyar sir were supposed to attend. He called me to his guest house and introduced me to Nayyar sir. Khayyam sir could not attend the event as he wasn’t feeling well. Nayyar sir, he and I chatted from afternoon till evening. From music to politics and others — we spoke about everything. That was one of the most memorable evenings of my life,” said Kaushik, who is a proud owner of more than 7,000 long playing records. “I have record players too. I have all the records of Khayyam sir. Not only him, due to my keen interest, I have a complete collection of almost all the stalwarts of that era,” Kaushik signed off.