Sajjad Hussain

Sajjad Hussain (15 June 1917 – 21 July 1995) was an Indian film score composer. He was also an accomplished mandolinist, playing the mandolin as a "Top Grade" player for the Indian film industry in Mumbai for more than five decades, reputed to have played more than 22,000 songs, including title-songs and background music. These songs included the three songs sung by Noor Jehan: Koi Prem Ka Deke Sandesa, Alam Par Alam Aur Sitam Par Sitam and Badnaam Mohabbat Kaun Kare. But when the film producer Shaukat Hussain Rizvi gave the entire credit to his wife Noor Jehan for the success of the songs, Sajjad Hussain vowed never to work with Noor Jehan again.

Sajjad went on to work with many notable singers, including Suraiya, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle. He was regarded highly by his contemporaries, including Anil Biswas. One of the best scores that Sajjad Hussain created was in the film Rustam Sohrab (1963) in which Suraiyya sang 'Ye kaisi ajab dastan ho gayi hai'. Lata Mangeshkar's one of the most favourite songs 'Ae dilruba' and 'Phir tumhari yaad aayi ae sanam' by Mohammed Rafi, Manna Dey and Sadat Khan were appreciated. In a 2012 interview, Lata Mangeshkar named him as her favourite composer. His music compositions rank among the most complex scores of Hindi film songs.

Contentious personality Sajjad Hussain was known for his contentious personality.

Lata Mangeshkar was once asked in an interview about music directors that she had found difficult to please. She replied that in the beginning of her career, there were difficulties with everyone because she was still learning and was new in the field. But she was always apprehensive with Sajjad Hussain because he was so particular. Sajjad Hussain never liked loud singing. He always insisted that all the musical instruments were perfectly tuned. He never compromised on that. She added that even many years after the first recording, Sajjad Hussain's songs sound effortless and are not painful to hear.

Sajjad Hussain is considered in India to have had a strong understanding of film song lyrics, instrumentation, classical music and the voice quality of his singers. He had learned and mastered numerous instruments, namely violin, veena, jaltarang, flute, piano, banjo, accordion, Hawaiian and Spanish guitar, sitar, clarinet, harp and mandolin. Veteran music director Naushad is quoted as saying, "He (Sajjad Hussain) was an extremely talented man, very knowledgeable about music, but his temperament was his undoing."

Another highly respected music director Anil Biswas once observed, "By all standards Sajjad Hussain was an original, a genius music director, different from all others and each of his musical composition carried most difficult notations, which he himself used to create and took utmost pleasure out of it."

Filmography Gaali (1944) Dost (1944) Dharam (1945) 1857 (1946) Tilasmi Duniya (1946) Kasam (1947) Mere Bhagwan (1947) Rooplekha (1949) Khel (1950) Magroor (1950) Saiyyan (1951) Hulchul (1951) Sangdil (1952) Rukhsana (1955) Rustam Sohrab (1963) Mera Shikaar (1973) Aakhri Sajda (1977)

A nearly 15-minute mandolin composition by Sajjad was used in the Telugu movie Muthyala Muggu (1975). In addition, he was the Music Director for Sinhala film "Daiwa yogaya" which was a box office hit in Sri Lanka in 1959, which was partly credited to its songs.