RAI CHAND BORAL , THE FATHER OF MUSIC DIRECTOR IN INDIAN CINEMA BORN 1903 OCTOBER 19 - 1981 NOVEMBER 25

RAI CHAND BORAL , THE FATHER OF 

MUSIC DIRECTOR IN INDIAN CINEMA 

BORN 1903 OCTOBER 19 - 1981 NOVEMBER 25

Rai Chand Boral (19 October 1903 – 25 November 1981) was an Indian composer, considered by music conoisseurs to be the father of Bollywood film music.[1]

He was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award the highest award in Indian cinema, given by Government of India, in 1978, and also in the same year, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama.

Early life and training[edit source]
Boral was born in Calcutta. His father, Lal Chand Boral was a classical musician (expert of Dhrupad). He had three sons, and Rai Chand was the youngest. Musicians from Rampur and Gwalior were invited for lessons. These include Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan of Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, Masit Khan (tabla player), and Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan (sarod player). Rai Chand learnt "Sath Sangat" on the tabla and attended music conferences in Lucknow, Allahabad, and Benares.

Career[edit source]
Raichand Boral is often credited to be the pioneer of Indian film music[by whom?]. Along with Pankaj Mullick, he was in charge of New Theatres' music department. New Theatres set standards in film music which have rarely been approached since[citation needed]. They also shaped film music in its early days and their format was followed for the most part for first 20–30 years in Hindi film music. He was also responsible for shaping Saigal's budding career. Anil Biswas called Boral 'Bhishma Pitamah of film music'.

Boral joined the Indian Broadcasting Company in the year of its inception, 1927. In 1931, he shifted to the New Theatres in the silent era for supporting the stage with live music. He dissolved the Ghazal style of singing from Northern India into the 19th Century Bengali tunes with string instrument medium. In 1935, he introduced playback singing for the first time in the Hindi feature film Dhoop Chhaon (1935). The song, "Main Khush Hona Chahun", had an all women chorus led by Parul Ghosh with Suprabha Sarkar and Harimati picturised in a dance sequence. After arriving at Bombay in 1953, Boral composed music for Dard-e-Dil (1953) with Lata's songs. Music for some basic records were composed by him. Anjangarh (1948) was his last famous film with New Theatres. He is correctly complimented by late Anil Biswas as the Father of Indian Cinema Music. He had directed music of 70–75 (?) films (excluding live scores of silent movies) including Hindi and Bengali films.

He received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award the highest award in Indian cinema, given by Government of India, in 1978 at the age of 75,[2] also in the same year he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi in Creative and Experimental music category, the highest for performing artist conferred by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama.[3]

He died in 1981 at the age of 78. Noted playback singer and Union Minister of State Babul Supriyo is the grand-son of late R.C. Boral.

Hindi filmography[edit source]
Mohabbat Ke Ansu (1932)
Zinda Lash (1932)
Subah Ka Sitara (1932)
Puran Bhagat
Rajrani Meera (1933) (Hindi)
Meerabai (1933) (Bengali)
Dulari Bibi (1933)
Chandidas (1934)
Daku Mansoor (1934)
Mohabbat Ki Kasauti (1934)
After the Earthquake (1935)?
Karwan-E-Hayat (1935) (with Mihirkiron Bhattacharya)
Dhoop Chhaon (1935) (with Pankaj Mullick)
Inquilab (1935)
Manzil (1936) (with Pankaj Mullick)
Karodpati a.k.a. Millionaire (1936) (with Pankaj Mullick)
Anath Aashram 1937
Vidyapati 1937
President 1937 (with Pankaj Mullick)
Abhagin 1938
Street Singer 1938
Sathi 1938 Hindi version of Street Singer
Jawani Ki Reet 1939
Sapera 1939
Haar Jeet 1940
Lagan 1941
Nari 1942 (not sure Bengali or Hindi)
Saugand 1942
Waapas 1943
Hamrahi (1945)
Wasiatnaama 1945
Anjangarh 1948
Pahela Admi 1950
Swami Vivekanand 1950 (1955?)
Dard-e-Dil 1953
Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu 1954
Amar Saigal 1955 (with Pankaj Mullick and Timir Baran)
Nilachale Mahaprabhu (1957)
Bengali filmography[edit source]
Dena Paona (1931)
Punarjanma 1932
Chirakumar Sabha 1932
Palli Samaj 1932
Chandidas 1932
Rajrani Meera 1932
Mastuto Bhai 1933
Kapalkundala 1933
Meerabai 1933
Ruplekha 1934
Excuse Me Sir 1934
Debdas 1935 (with Pankaj Mullick)
Bhagyachakra 1935
Grihadaha 1936 (with Pankaj Mullick)
Maya 1936 (with Pankaj Mullick)
Barababu 1937
Didi 1937 (with Pankaj Mullick)
Bidypati 1937
Abhigyan 1938
Sathi 1938
Sapudey 1939
Rajat Jayani 1939
Parajay 1939
Abhinetri 1940
Parichay 1941
Prastisruti 1941
Udayer Pathey 1944
Biraj Bou 1946
Anjangarh 1948
Mantramugda 1949
Bishnupriya 1949
Mantramugdha 1949
Bara Bou 1950
Sparshamani 1951
Paritran 1952
Maa 1952
Neelachaley Mohaprabhu 1957
Sagar Sangame 1959
Natun Fasal 1960

Natun Fasal (as R.C. Boral)
 1959Sagar Sangamey
 1955Swami Vivekananda (as R.C. Boral)
 1953Dard-E-Dil
 1950Pehla Aadmi
 1949Bishnupriya
 1949Mantramugdhu
 1949Swamiji
 1944Hamrahi
 1944Towards the Light
 1941Parichay
 1940Abhinetri
 1940Haar Jeet
 1939Jawani Ki Reet
 1939Parajay
 1939Rajat Jayanti
 1939Sapera
 1939Sapurey
 1938Abhagin
 1938Abhigyan
 1938/IIStreet Singer
 1938/IStreet Singer
 1937Anath Ashram
 1937Badi Bahen
 1937Bidyapati
 1937Didi
 1936Destination
 1936Devdas
 1936Grihadah
 1936/IIKarodpati
 1936/IIMaya
 1936/IMaya
 1935Bhagya Chakra
 1935Dhoop Chhaon
 1935Inquilab
 1935Karwane Hayat
 1934Chandidas
 1933Meerabai
 1933Puran Bhagat
 1933Rajrani Meera
 1933Yahudi Ki Ladki
 1932Chandidas
 1932Mohabbat Ke Aansu
 1932Chirakumar Sabha
 1931Chasher Meye

Raichand Boral was an Indian composer who composed music primarily in Hindi and Bengali languages. He was considered by the experts in music as the father of Bollywood film music. He received awards twice in 1978. Firstly he won the dadasaheb Phalke award which is the highest award that a person belonging to the industry can receive and is given by the government of India.

Secondly, he received an award from the Sangeet Natak Akademi which is India's national academy of drama, music, and dance. Raichand Boral was born on 19th October 1903 in Bhagalpur, Bengal during the British rule. He was born to rai Chand Boral who was also a classical musician and was an expert in dhrupad. Raichand was Lal Chand’s youngest son.

He learned sath Sangat and attended several music conferences held in different cities like Allahabad, Banaras, and Lucknow. He has been also regarded as one of the pioneers of film music. He worked as an in charge of the music department called new theatres along with Pankaj Mullick. Raichand also shaped the budding musician Saigal's career and was titled as the Bhishma pitama of film music by Anil Biswas.

Raichand started his career in 1927 by joining the newly established Indian broadcasting company. In 1931, he joined new theatres for performing live shows on its stage. While working here, he changed the ghazal singing of north India into Bengali tunes with the help of string instrument. Playback singing was introduced in 1935 through the movie dhoop chhaon.

His last successful picture while working in new theatres was anjangarh in 1948. He moved to Bombay in 1953 and composed music with lataji's song for the picture card e dil. He has composed and directed music for around 75 movies including silent films as well. He has composed music for songs of two languages, Bengali and Hindi. Raichand is an acclaimed Indian composer, and his grandson babul supriyo is also a noted playback singer.

The Hindi movies for which he has directed music includes Mohabbat Ke ansu, Zinda lash, subah ka Sitara, Puran Bhagat, dulari bibi, Daku Mansoor, dhoop chhaon, mazil, president, vidyapati, haar jeet, jawani Ki reet, street singer, wapas, saughand, Lagaan, sapera, pehlaadmi, and Amar Saigal.

The Bengali pictures for which he made music are Dena paona, Palli Samaj, Raj Rani Meera, excuse me sir, debdas, didi, sathi, parajay, maa, paritran, etc. Unfortunately, raichand died on 25th November 1981 in Kolkata, West Bengal.