Didi tere devar deewana composer No More

Raamlaxman who was actually  Vijay Patil ,  was best known for his stupendous chartbusters  in Sooraj Barjatya’s  Maine Pyar Kiya  , Hum  Aapke Hain Koun and Hum…Saath Saath  Hain had a long and chequered  innings as a  music composer. He started his musical partnership with Surendra . They called themselves Raamlaxman. They composed  music together  in Marathi  for Dada Kondke’s Pandu Havaldar.

But before the duo could see  any real success Surendra(or Raam as he was  called professionally) passed away. Vijay Patil(Laxman)  preferred  to  continue his career  as Raamlaxman  and found some success  in Rajshri Films’ Agent Vinod (Loveleena aa gaya main, Sabse nirala rangeela diwala, Band kamre mein ek ladki akeli) and  Tarana(Sultana sultana,  Kaisi yeh judai).

 But  it  was only when the  scion  of Rajshri Production  Sooraj Barjatya decided  to turn director with  Maine Pyar Kiya in  1989  that  Raamlaxman came into his  own. Every song from Aaja  sham hone aye to Kabootar ja ja to  Aaya mausam dosti  ka was a chartbuster.

The biggest and best  number  in Maine  Pyar Kiya, Dil deewana was  a tune Raamlaxman had composed for Rajshri Productions’ Agent Vinod. Sooraj  heard it and  saved it up for his  directorial  debut.

After Maine Pyar Kiya Salman  Khan wanted(and got) Raamlaxman to do the music for  his post-debut film Patthar Ke Phool where  Lata Mangeshkar and S P Balsubramaniam  again sang  Kabhi tu chhalia lagta hai , Tumse  jo dekhti hi pyar ho gaya and Deewana  dil bin sajna ke mane na(déjà vu?) into the charts.

Five years  after Maine Pyar  Kiya when Sooraj Barjatya returned  to direction with Hum Aapke Hain Koun  he teamed up with  Raamlaxman again  for a full-on musical with  14 songs each a  chartbuster.  Didi tere devar, Maaye nee mayee,  Joote  de do paise le lo were iconic chartbusters.

The next Barjatya-Raamlaxman  collaboration in Hum Saath Saath Hai was  not as  magical. But then a  Maine Pyar Kiya  or  a Hum Aapke Hain Koun  happens once in  a lifetime.  With Raamlaxman it happened twice. He went on to give  hit songs in Humse Badkar Kaun, Sun Sajna,  100 Days, and Manmohan Desai’s Anmol . But  it was the  collaboration with  Sooraj Barjatya that remained Raamlaxman’s  signature tune.

In 1997  Raamlaxman composed  the  songs  of  a  lavish adaptation  of the Ramayan called Lav Kush. It featured a  staggering 16 songs,  5 of them duets  by Lata Mangeshkar and  Asha Bhosle.The film directed by  V Madhusudhan Rao featuring Jeetendra and Jaya Prada as Ram  and  Sita would have been a game changer for  Bollywood  musicals had it worked.

 Says music composer Lalit Pandit, “Raamlaxmanji’s  work specially the work with Rajshri productions and the songs with Lata didi were outstanding . I last met him and saw him at the Radio Mirchi music awards where we had felicitated him with a lifetime achievement award.Even at that time ,a few years back he wasn’t well. I was in the jury and had suggested he be given the award that year since I had heard he wasn’t well.I have been hearing so many musicians and family members of music industry dying due to covid.”

Sanjay Leela Bhansali an incurable  fan of Raamlaxman’s Twin Towers, say, “What Raamlaxmanji did with Sooraj Barjatyaji  in Maine  Pyar Kiya  and  Hum Aapke Hain Koun was beyond a  miracle. These two  films  lifted the traditional musical of Indian cinema to  unheard-of heights. Lataji  was  about to retire when  Maine  Pyar Kiya started  another innings  in  her  career.There were  14 songs  in Hum Aapke  Hain Koun, all written into  the screenplay like  a Broadway musical, so  beautifully composed and sung by Lataji and S P  Balasubramaniamji.I don’t think we’ve  produced a  bigger musical  hit than  Hum Aapke Hain Koun.”

Raamlaxman’s Top 10

1.     Didi tera devar deewana:  Hum Aapke Hain Koun

2.     Dil deewana  bin sajna ke: Main Pyar Kiya

3.     Sultan  sultana mera naam hai sultana: Tarana

4.     Aaja sham hone aye: Maine Pyar Kiya

5.     Aaya mausam dosti ka: Maine Pyar Kiya

6.     Sun beliya: 100 Days

7.     Mujhse juda hokar: Hum Aapke Hain Koun

8.     Pehla pehla pyar hai: Hum Aapke Hain Koun

9.     Mhare  hiwda:  Hum Saath Saath Hain

10.  Kabhi tu  chalia lagta hai: Patthar Ke Phool