It was a pleasant departure from his hectic schedule for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when noted composer Khayyam called on him to present him a copy of his biography Khayyam — The Man, His Life.
Khayyam, famous for his tunes like Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein and In Aankhom Ki Masti, was accompanied by his wife Jagjit Kaur, who studied in the same college as Singh.
“It was my wish to present this book to the prime minister and he was very happy to meet me and his old friend, my wife,” said a beaming Khayyam after the nearly 30-minute meeting with Singh at his residence in New Delhi.
The book, written by Viswas Nerurkar and Biswanath Chatterjee, chronicles Mohammed Zahur Khayyam’s struggle against all odds to become one of the most loved music composers of the country.
Khayyam, who went to Lahore from his native Jalandhar to learn music from Chisti Baba, worked with all the leading singers like Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Talat Mahmood, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle during his four-decade-long career.
He composed music for songs in numerous films, including Kabhi Kabhi, Trishul, Bazaar, Noorie and Umrao Jaan.
Khayyam’s other classic tunes include Main Pal Do Pal Ka Shayar Ho, Dil Cheez Kya Hai, Aaja Re O Mere Dilbar Aaja and Tere Chehre Se Nahi Hatti.
source: Press Trust of India
