Nisar Bazmi
Nisar Bazmi was a composer and music director of Indian and Pakistan film industry.
Nisar Bazmi was known as one of the most famous musicians of South Asia. He also introduced new singers like Alamgir. The duo of composers Laxmikant-Pyarelal were musicians with Bazmi in India before partition. However, he is primarily remembered for his compositions in the voice of playback singer Ahmed Rushdi.
Early life and career
Syed Nisar Ahmed, was the son of Syed Qudrat Ali. He was born in 1924 in Jalgaon in Khandesh area of Maharashtra state, India. He did not belong to an artistic family. In fact, his family was extremely poor. He had to join Yasin Khan's Qawwali Group, a noted Qawwal in Mumbai at that time, as 'humnawa' at age 11. He possessed no prior musical background. In the late 1930s, a prominent Indian musician of Bombay, Khan Saheb Aman Ali Khan was convinced by Nisar Bazmi's musical interest and taught him music for four years. Equipped with artistic know-how, young Nisar Bazmi, who was just 13 at the time, quickly mastered the various ragas and the musical instruments. In 1939, the All India Radio hired him as an artist. In 1944, he composed some songs for a drama, "Nadir Shah Durrani", which was broadcast from the Bombay Radio Station. The songs were sung by Rafiq Ghaznavi and Amirbai Karnataki. After this initial success, Nisar Bazmi "started earning 50 rupees a month - a respectable salary in those days."In India
Nisar Bazmi composed music for film "Jamana Paar", which was released in 1946. At this time, he also changed his name to Nisar Bazmi. He composed music for forty films in India. Twenty eight films were released during his stay in India. The rest of the movies were released in India after he emigrated to Pakistan.In Pakistan
Nisar Bazmi came to visit his relatives in Pakistan in 1962. Here he met veteran film producer Fazal Ahmed Karim Fazli who invited him to compose music for Pakistani films. "Mr Bazmi accepted the offer and decided to settle in Pakistan."His first song in Pakistan was "Mohabbat mei tere sar ki qasam" for the 1964 film "Aisa bhi hota hai". He also composed many songs for Runa Laila, Ahmed Rushdi, Mehdi Hassan, Faisal Nadeem, Khursheed Nurali, and Saleem Shahzaad. He had trained many of the modern composers. His closest student/assistant was Badar uz Zaman, the famous classical singer and composer, who remained associated with him for 18 years. Nisar Bazmi received many Nigar Awards for his achievements and composed music for 140 films in all during his career.
Music and super-hit film songs of Nisar Bazmi
| Film Song | Singers | Song Lyrics By | Film and year |
| "Mohabbat Mei Tere Sar Ki Qasam" | Ahmed Rushdi, Noor Jehan | Masroor Anwar | film Aisa Bhi Hota Hai |
| "Ho Tamanna Aur Kya Jaan-E-Tamanna Aap Hain" | Noor Jehan | Masroor Anwar | film Aisa Bhi Hota Hai |
| "Meri Tupp Tupp Tupkay Raal Badami Halwa Layyo" | Ahmed Rushdi, Irene Parveen | Fazal Ahmad Karim Fazli | film Aisa Bhi Hota Hai |
| "Chalo Achha Hua Tum Bhool Gaye" | Noor Jehan | Fayyaz Hashmi | film Lakhon Mein Eik |
| "Aisey Bhi Hain Meharban" | Ahmed Rushdi | Masroor Anwar | film Jaisy Jantey Nahi |
| "Mosam Haseen Hai Laikin Tum Sa Haseen Nahin Hai" | Ahmed Rushdi, Mala | Masroor Anwar | film Jaisy Jantey Nahi |
| "Kuchh Loag Rooth Kar Bhi Lagte Hain Kitne Pyaare" | Noor Jehan | Masroor Anwar | film Andaleeb |
| "Ranjish Hi Sahi" | Mehdi Hassan | Ahmad Faraz | film Mohabbat |
| "Mohay Aaii Na Jag Say Laaj, Mein Itna Zor Say Naachi Aaj, Ke Ghunghroo Toot Gaey" | Mala | Qateel Shifai | film Naz |
| "Ik Sitam Aur Meri Jaan Abhi Jaan Baqi Hai" | Mehdi Hassan | Masroor Anwar | film Saiqa |
| "Mere Dil Ki Mehfil Saja Deney Waley" | Ahmed Rushdi, Noor Jehan | Masroor Anwar | film Andaleeb |
| "Lag Rahi Hai Mujhey Aaj Sari Fiza Ajnabi" | Ahmed Rushdi | Masroor Anwar | Anjuman |
| "Hoey Hoey Dil Dharkay, Mein Tum Say Yeh Kaisay Kahuun, Kehti Hai Meri Nazar Shukria" | Runa Laila | Masroor Anwar | Anjuman |
| "Ik Husn Ki Devi Se Mujhe Pyar Hoa Tha" | Mehdi Hassan | Shevan Rizvi | film Meri Zindagi He Naghma |
| " Katay Na Kuttay Re Ratya Saiyan Intizar Me" | Runa Laila | Saif-ud-Din Saif | film Umrao Jan Ada |
| "Bol Ri Gurria Bol Zara" | Nayyara Noor | Masroor Anwar | film Aas |
| "Allah hee Allah Kia Karo" | Naheed Akhtar | Masroor Anwar | film Pehchan |
- "Mohabbat Mein Tere Sar Ki Qasam Aisa Bhi Hua Hai" was his first big hit song in Pakistan.
Awards and recognition
- Pride of Performance Award in 1994 by the President of Pakistan
- Nigar Award - Nisar Bazmi won this award seven times for different films
Death and legacy
A major Pakistani English-language newspaper commented after his death, "In the death of Nisar Bazmi, students of music in Pakistan have lost an opportunity to benefit from the experience of a virtuoso who scored 140 films in all."
"Nisar Bazmi was a thorough professional and a man of rare imagination. He used to study the storyline and the setting of a film before composing the music for a song."