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MUSIC MAESTRO Khayyam makes no compromises

Radio Farishta, the 24-hour classic Hindi film music station on WorldSpace Satellite Radio celebrates Khayyam’s 81st birthday with a special series dedicated to his music and his journey in the Hindi film industry. Aired at 10:00 pm from Monday to Friday through the rest of February, the series provides a peek into the veteran’s life, love and of course, his music.

Mohammed Zahoor Khayyam Hashmi, popularly known as Khayyam, is part of what is known as ‘the golden era’ of Hindi films in the decades that spanned during the late 1950s through to the 1960s.

Famed for working on his own terms, Khayyam was one of the most expensive and sought-after composers of his time. In this series, Khayyam shares facts about his life, along with hand-picked songs from his library with listeners. The maestro shares memoirs on his mentors, contemporaries and the composers who set the trends in Hindi film music as he selects songs that tribute their contributions.

“As the music composer, I need to know the subject of the film. I need to know which part of the country the protagonists hail from. I need to know their dress, the lines written for lovers in a scene and I need to know the characters, dreams and aspirations as people. People sometimes see this as an intrusion into their area of expertise and I have often declined work for the want of these answers.”

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