MUSIC COMPOSER HARI KRISHEN LANGOO OR KRISHEN LANGOO ( BORN 1940)

In continuation of the story on Dewankhaan , I am now coming to the younger Generation of Visitors to our Dewaankhaan. It shall be in fitness of things if I make mention of people who were highly talented in Music . They would flock to see my Uncle Omkar Nath Raina who needs no introduction as a reputed Sitarist of or state .Among the persons who were regular visitors to Dewaankhaan , at the outset, Cheerful Krishen Ji Langoo comes to my mind. Met him some days back at his Naseeb Nagar Residence . I post some extracts from what he said:

” I shall first pay my tributes to a grand , Humanly and a truly secular Principal of our Bagh e Dilawar Khan school Shri Abdul Aziz . Aziz sahib loved me like his own child . He was from Doda district and he later became Registrar of kashmir University .He selected me in the Hockey and Football Team of the school and made me to go to Jammu to play a Tournament .Never seen a Great Man like him. May his souls rest in peace . I cleared my matriculation after a couple of failures in some subjects . Not in one go .”

“ I have never learnt classical Music from a regular Guru . I would carefully listen tunes and then play them on Mouth organ and harmonium. So perfect were the tunes that I played that many people were misled and thought that I had a commanding knowledge of classical Music . The Fact remained that I was simply an expert in replaying after carefully listening and a copy master . I had no knowledge what SARGAM was. I had been taught some Chhakri and Tumbak-nadi or Matkaa by some people like Dwarka Nath Masroor , Omkar Nath Raina ( Baiju Baawra )and many more . ”

“ My father Pandit Tika Lal Langoo was the first Kashmiri who opened a Bicycle shop at Dalgate Srinagar much before partition of the country . The shop was later shifted to Badiyar Bala .I was always fascinated by Film acting .You know those sword fights in costumes . I mean the movies wherein actor RANJAN did a sword fight . I don’t know what infatuation that was . I was a helper to my father at his Bicycle shop. Anyways , I learnt my limitations when Habib Tanvir came to Srinagar to do a play. You know the Bal family of Punjabi Khatris who owned Regal and Amrish cinema. They were rich and one AMRISH BAL from this Bal family was also inclined towards Theatre . In fact he had brought in Habib Tanvir to Srinagar for the play . Local artists were selected . When My turn for Interview came , I did well But I told Habib Tanvir that I cant speak Hindi or Urdu with proper Pronunciation . I spoke my dialogues in kashmiri . To this he told , “ Excellent done . But You are a raw Diamond . You need a lot of Polish . You need to speak flawless Urdu of Hindi to survive .” And that day onwards I understood my Theatrical limitations .In acting field , I was influenced by H N Gurto , Pushker Bhan, Triloke Das , Master Zinda kaul sahib’ Grand son and many more persons . “

“ Triloke Das was Quite senior to me and always helpful. One day he took my signatures on some form and after some days I got an Interview call from Songs and drama division. I was supposed to be appointed as a Staff Artist. I was interviewed by none other than Y K Sabharwal. Later , he became Music Arranger for lata Mangeshkar .He was a master Violin Player . During the course of interview , he asked me to play some Filmi Tune on a Harmonium. I did that to perfection . And he was overjoyed . I was selected and had to undergo one Year training at New Delhi. So I moved to Delhi. One day Sabherwal sahib and me were together in a Performance. He played the Violin and I was given the Harmonium. We were doing some Jugal bandhi type of composition. He would Play a tune then I would play it on my Harmonium. It went nice. Suddenly he said :

“ Sa Dhe or apply Sa Note or first note of sargam ( Sa Re Ga Ma)..”
I could not follow what he meant at that time . He again Repeated
‘ Sa Dhe ‘
I thought he was asking for a Cigarette that he smoked liberally . And third time he repeated
“ Array Sa Dhe “
‘ Sa Kya Hotaa hai ? or whai is meant by Sa ?’said i.
“ Array Gadhay tujhe saa nahin Pataa or you Donkey , You don’t Know what is Sa” .He threw his Violin on me and started fretting and fuming that he had selected a wrong person who had misled him by a filmy tune. I was sure to lose my job and then I played the kashmiri Trick. I went to his house almost daily; Weeping , touching feet of his wife and almost begging for some basic Training in Indian Classical Music .
“Behen Ji Mujhe Bachao . Meri Teen Behnein Hain. Booda Maa Baap. Or Sister , Save me . I have to marry three sisters apart from looking after my aged parents .” I would say to her every day .She was a Gracious lady , kind hearted who finally Persuaded her husband for teaching me some basics of Raag Maala and not throwing me out of Job.”

“ I am Highly indebted to My other teachers like T K Jalali , Your uncle Omkar Nath Raina and M L Shangloo sahib . In fact I owe all my knowledge to My teachers who not only taught me but also honed my skills. And last but not the least is my another teacher Respected Pran kishore ji. He is familiar with the soul of our kashmiri Music .”

“ I retired as Assistant Director from Songs and drama division. I have scored music for so many Radio and TV serials . I have worked for so many Features produced by Cultural academy of J&K State . I scored background music for the popular Tele-serial GUL GULSHAN GULFAM. This Music was adjudged as The best and I received many honours for that. I was asked to design Folk Music and Dance for Kashmiri segment of “ FESTIVAL OF ASIAN MUSIC “ Held in Hong kong . I designed and directed “ Music and dance of J&K “ , a festival held at GYANA SOUTH AMERICA organized by J&K Cultural Academy. I designed and directed “ THE INDIAN FESTIVAL IN USSR “ again organized by J&K Cultural Academy. I composed Opera “ HIMALAYA KE CHASHME ‘ . Again created music for EP sung by Shameema Azad and produced by Megaphone company At Calcutta .In Song and Drama division , I directed plays like EK Patti Chinar Ki , Ganga Mayaa , Bouni Wathar , Hum Honge Kaamyyaab , Bharat Darshan , Suyaa and Bas Ek khwaab . I have also acted in many plays like VITASTA , TIPU SULTAN, HIMALAYA KE CHASHME “

“ Music is my yoga. It keeps my mind young and fit . Do I look like a man born in 1940 ? ”

“ Come Next time . You shall get more .”

(Sudesh Raina )