Mohammed Zahur Khayyam

Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi (18 February 1927 – 19 August 2019), better known mononymously as Khayyam, was an Indian music director and background score composer whose career spanned four decades.

He won three Filmfare Awards: for Best Music in 1977 for Kabhi Kabhie and 1982 for Umrao Jaan, and a lifetime achievement award in 2010. He was awarded the 2007 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Creative Music, by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Theatre. He was awarded the third-highest civilian honour, Padma Bhushan, by the Government of India in 2011.

Early life Khayyam was born to a Punjabi Muslim family on 18 February 1927 in Rahon in Punjab, British India. As a boy, Khayyam ran away to his uncle's house in New Delhi. There he was trained under classical vocalist and composer Pandit Amarnath.

Career Khayyam went to Lahore looking for roles in films. There he met Baba Chishti, a famous Punjabi music director. After listening to a composition by Chishti, he sang to him its first part. Impressed, Chishti gave him an offer of joining him as an assistant. Khayyam assisted Chishti for six months and came to Ludhiana in 1943. He was only 17 then. He gained greater recognition from the film Phir Subha Hogi (1958) starring Raj Kapoor and Mala Sinha, in which songs written by Sahir Ludhianvi and sung by Mukesh and Asha Bhosle were set to tune by Khayyam. Notable amongst them are "Wo Subha Kabhi To Aayegi", "Aasman Pe hai Khuda Aur Zameen Pe Hum" and "Chin-o-Arab Humara". , a duet "Parbaton Ke Pedon Par" by Mohammed Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur, and "Bujha Diye Hain Khud Apne Haathon" by Suman Kalyanpur. Other popular songs are from the film "Mohabbat Isko Kahete Hain" (1965). That includes "Thehriye Hosh Mein Aa Loon" which is a Rafi - Suman duet, and "Jo Hum Pe Guzarti Hai" by Suman Kalyanpur.

The 1970s saw Khayyam team up with Sahir Ludhyanvi once again to work in the Yash Chopra-directed Kabhi Kabhie (1976).

Khayyam provided music to the films of the late-1970s and early-1980s. Songs from Trishul, Thodi Si Bewafaai, Bazaar, Dard, Noorie, Nakhuda, Sawaal, Bepannah, and Khandaan are some of his best works. He had Asha Bhonsle sing the songs "In Aankhon Ki Masti Ke", "Ye Kya Jagah Hai Doston", and "Dil Cheez Kya Hai", which are evergreen. Subsequently, Khayyam composed music for Thodisi Bewafai, Dard (both 1981) and Dil-E-Nadaan (1982), all of them starring Khanna in the lead.

Khayyam created music for the Kamal Amrohi directed film Razia Sultan (1983) and his song "Aye Dil-e-Nadan" sung by Lata is considered as a milestone.

He also composed non-film songs. Some of them include "Paaon Padun Tore Shyam, Brij Mein Laut Chalo" and "Ghazab Kiya Tere Vaade Pe Aitbaar Kiya".

Khayyam always preferred to work with poets rather than film lyricists. That is the reason one finds poetry playing an equal role in Khayyam's compositions as the music or the singer.

On his 89th birthday, Khayyam announced the formation of a charitable trust, Khayyam Jagjeet Kaur KPG Charitable Trust, and decided to donate his entire wealth to the trust to support budding artists and technicians in India. His wealth at the time of announcement was valued at around .

He decided not to celebrate his birthday after the terrorist attack on India's border post of Pulwama and donated to the kin of the martyrs.

Personal life Khayyam married Jagjit Kaur in 1954 in one of the first inter-communal marriages in the Indian film industry. They had a son, Pradeep, who died of a heart attack in 2012. Inspired by their son's helping nature, they started a trust, "Khayyam Jagjit Kaur Charitable Trust" to help artistes and technicians in need.

Death In his last days, Khayyam was suffering from various age related ailments. On 28 July 2019, Khayyam was admitted to Sujay Hospital in Juhu, Mumbai due to lung infection. He died on 19 August 2019 following a cardiac arrest at the age of 92. He was buried the following day with full state honours.

Awards and nominations Khayyam being awarded Padma Bhushan by President Pratibha Patil in 2011. Won 1977: Filmfare Best Music Director Award: Kabhi Kabhie 1982: Filmfare Best Music Director Award: Umrao Jaan 2007: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award: Creative Music 2010: Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award

Nominated 1980: Filmfare Best Music Director Award: Noorie Pyaar Ki Baatein (1951) Gul Bahar (1954) Lala Rukh (1958) Mohabbat Isko Kahete Hain (1965) Kabhi Kabhie (1976) Trishul (1978) Noorie (1979) Ahista Ahista (1981) Dil-e-Nadaan (1982) Dil...Akhir Dil Hai (1982) Lorie (1984) Tere Shahar Mein (1986) Devar Bhabhi (1986) Jaan-E-Wafa (1990)