Vanraj Bhatia, Veteran Music Composer, Dies at 93

Vanraj Bhatia, the Hindi music composer, died on Thursday at his Mumbai residence due to age-related ailments that he was suffering from for a few years.

He was 93.

Born in 1927 in Mumbai, Bhatia was trained in Hindustani, western, and northern classical music. In his career, which spanned over 60 years, he had composed music for films, television serials, concerts, shows, meditation, stage operas, and jingles for commercial advertisements.

Bhatia composed music for several hit Hindi films like Aparna Sen-directed 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), Kalyug (1981),  Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama (1992), Sardari Begum (1996), Char Adhyay (1997), Halla Bol (2008), etc. He composed the background score for hit films like Ajooba (1991), Bekhudi (1992), Chamatkar (1992), Damini (1993), Bandish (1996), Ghatak (1996), Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pardes (1997), Kareena Kapoor-starrer Chameli (2003), Escape from Taliban (2003), China Gate (1998), etc.

Bhatia had composed music for a number of filmmaker Shyam Benegal’s films including Ankur (1974),  Mandi (1983), Manthan (1976), Bhumika (1977), Junoon (1978), Trikal (1985), among others.

The last film that he composed music for was the 2018 Gujarati film Dhaad, starring Nandita Das that had waited 17 years to release due to the earthquake that struck Gujarat in 2001.

Bhatia had composed music for hit television serials like Doordarshan’s first serial Khandaan (1985), followed by the first film that was made for television Tamas (1987) that won him a National Award. He then collaborated with Benegal once again for the television serial Bharat Ek Khoj (1988), and others including Yatra (1986), Wagle Ki Duniya (1988), among several others.

He composed music for around 7,000 jingles for commercial advertisements including that of Liril, Garden Vareli and Deluxe and over 20 documentaries.

Recently, at the age of 87, Bhatia had worked in composing music for late Girish Karnad’s stage opera Agni Varsha (2017), the English adaptation of Mahabharat.

Bhatia is considered to be the pioneer of spiritual music with his composition in albums such as The Bhagavad Gita and Anant. As a western classical composer, Bhatia had cross-cultural influences of his solo flute piece composed in 1964, Night Music.  

Besides a National Award, Bhatia was also awarded Padma Shri in 2012. Other achievements of the legendary music composer include Bengal Film Journalists Association Award for Music for Manthan (1976) and Bhumika (1977), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Creative and Experimental Music in 1989, and several others. In March 2017, Bhatia was also paid tribute by the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Mumbai.

In September 2019, the Mumbai Mirror had reported that the veteran music composer was suffering from critical health issues and struggling financially. The Indian Performing Right Society had then released funds to aid him on the directions of its president lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar.

Following Bhatia’s death, several celebrities have paid tributes and offered condolences through social media.

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Music composer Ehsaan Noorani tweeted: “Farewell Vanraj Bhatia one of India’s finest composers … was glad to have known you worked with you and been part of your music. There will not be another you ….”

Songwriter and screenwriter Prasoon Joshi tweeted: “Will always remember #VanrajBhatia as a very inspiring musician who constantly explored with his melodies and compositions. Recordings with him will replete with new learning. You will live on through your music”

Gujarati writer and satirist Urvish Kothari also remembered meeting Bhatia in 2008 and wrote about his “genuineness”.

Union Minister Smriti Irani also paid tribute to Bhatia on Twitter and wrote: “Shocked to learn about the passing away of Vanraj Bhatia. Wagle ki Duniya, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, he leaves behind countless memories in his scores. My condolences to his loved ones & fans. ॐ शान्ति”

Actor Farhan Akhtar, director and comedian Varun Grover and singer Sona Mahapatra also took to Twitter to pay tribute.

“The film industry lost one of the very well known music composers Vanraj Bhatia. He was not well for quite some time. His body of work has been a great inspiration to many. Heartfelt condolences to the family of this great music maestro. ॐ शान्ति !” tweeted Indian filmmaker Ashok Pandit on Bhatia’s demise.

Others who remembered him on social media include Bengali music composer and singer Jeet Ganguli, director Avinash Das, RJ Alok, professor Ashwini Deshpande, one of Bhatia’s neighbour and founder of Cartwheel Ramki, advertiser Dhunji S Wadia, music directors Mayuresh Satish Pai, Neel Dutt, among several others.