Hemanta Mukhopadhyay Death Anniversary: 10 Ageless songs, a Musical Tribute

This is a tribute to singer-composer Hemanta Mukhopadhyay on the music maestro’s death anniversary. We select 10 of his ageless Bengali film songs. It’s a well-merited spotlight on the vintage voice.

'Shono Bondhu Shono' — Shap Mochan (1955)
Hemanta Mukhopadhyay was often termed as the playback voice of Uttam Kumar. This classic song from Sudhir Mukherjee's Shap Mochan is an ideal example of that.

'Muchhe Jawa Dinguli' — Lookochuri (1958)
This melancholic number from Lookochuri (1958) reflects a sad past of heartbreak. The Bengali classic, directed by Kamal Majumdar, stars Kishore Kumar, Mala Sinha, Anita Guha and Anup Kumar.

'Surjo Dobar Pala' — Indrani (1958)
Composed by

Nachiketa Ghosh

, the romantic song from Niren Lahiri's ‘Indrani’ is a beautiful testimonial of the tradition of romance ushered by Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen in Bengali cinema.

'Neer Chhoto Khoti Nei' — Indrani (1958)
A soulful composition reflecting the need and desires of love, 'Neer Chhoto Khoti Nei' was jointly composed by Nachiketa Ghosh and Hemanta Mukhopadhyay.

Gauri Prasanna Majumder

’s lyrics in this song beautifully narrate the importance of openness of heart.

‘Ei Raat Tomar Amar' — Deep Jweley Jai (1959)
This romantic song with a haunting melody describes a passionate night that celebrates love. It’s yet another timeless creation and rendition by him. The song is from Asit Sen's cult classic ‘Deep Jweley Jai’.

'O Nodire Ekti Kotha' —

Neel Akasher Neechey

(1959)
Dedicated to a river and also life, the song is from Mrinal Sen’s debut film ‘Neel Akasher Neechey’ (1959). Sung and composed by Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, this song gives a fleeting mood that reflects the journey of a river.

'Ei Poth Jodi Na Sesh Hoy' — Saptapadi (1961)
This song, a milestone in Bengali film music, from Ajoy Kar's Bengali classic ‘Saptapadi’ was rendered by Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and Sandhya Mukhopadhyay. It holds a special place in Bengali cinema and culture.

'Ei Meghla Dine Akla' — Sesh Porjonto (1969)
It’s a joyful song, featuring Biswajeet Chatterjee, from Suhir Mukherjee's ‘Sesh Porjonto’. The song shows how Chatterjee’s character doesn’t want to stay confined in the house on a rainy, romantic day.

'E Byatha Ki Je Byatha' — Dhanyi Meye (1971)
Composed by the iconic Nachiketa Ghosh and sung by none other than Hemanta, this song reflects the wounded emotions of the protagonist (Jaya Bachchan) in Aravind Mukherjee's ‘Dhanyi Meye’.

'Ogo

Kajol Noyona Horini

' — Mon Niye (1969)
It’s one of the ageless colaborations by two masters of Bengali music, composer-singer Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and lyricist Pulak Bandopadhyay. A romantic song from Salil Sen's ‘Mon Niye’, features Uttam Kumar and Supriya Devi infusing affectionate admiration.