Season nowadays is so fragrant and colourful. And as far as our country is concerned, nature cannot take the sole credit for that! Besides bright green grass and leaves, myriad array of awesome flowers and sugary sound of chirping birds what makes the season more springly is enchanting hues of flamboyant attires, fascinating fragrance of garlands, bouquets and perfumes and sound of scintillating bands and some folksy tunes. From mid Jan to mid March, wedding ratio goes at its peak and there is a single Indian composer who rules the season with his timeless melodies since decades. 

Let's match this fact with the wedding rituals. 

- Mehndi / sangeet - O Meri Johara jabeen.. 

- Baaraat - aaj mere yaar ki shaadi hai..

- Shadi - mere banne ki baat n puchho mera banna hariyala hai..

- Bidaai - Babul ki duaayen leti ja.. 

Tell us, how many wedding functions have you attended where these songs composed by Ravi were not played or sung?! And why just wedding functions, Ravi's utterly melodious compositions have walked hand in hand at each phrase of life with us throughout. 

From his gorgeous treasure, we had a tender expression of emerging fondness : 

Kaun aaya ki nigaahon mein chamak jaag uthi.. 

kisi patthar ki murat se muhabbat ka irada hai.. 

Alluring urge of a wooing heart :

husnwale tera jawab nahin.. or

Chaudahvin ka chaand ho..

Sublime spill for lovey-dovey rendezvous :  

Ye raaten ye mausam nadi ka kinara.. or

maine ek khwab sa dekha..

Grievance of an interim or ultimate departure: 

aaj ki mulaqat bas itnee..  or 

chalo ek baar phir se ajnabi ban jaayen...

Pang of pinning state :

jab chali thandi hawa... or 

woh dil kahaan se laun...

and

An unconditional acceptance of whatever life has to offer :

vaqt se din aur raat..  and

sansaar ki har shay ka itna hi fasana hai..

Ravi's bale was full of melodious gifts for just everyone! For a little child - "chanda mama door ke.. " and a homeless begger - "garibon ki suno woh tumhari sunega.." 

For a loving sister - "raakhi dhagon ka tyohar.." and also an endearing wife - "tumhi mere mandir, tumhi meri puja.."! This composer has made an assuasive  bhajan "tora man darpan kahlaye" and a jazzy club song "aage bhi jaane na tu" with equal expertise. 

This awesome composer of golden era, Padma Shri Ravi Shankar Sharma, popularly known as Ravi was born in Delhi on 3rd March, 1926 in a middle class family. From very childhood he was extremely fond of singing. Considering his passion for music, his father brought him a harmonium but his singing assignments hardly went beyond some religious gathering in his neighborhood. To support his family Ravi has to take job in Indian Postal and Telegraph department at very young age. But destiny has yet to open all its cards and the first one unfolded was Ravi's meeting with  Mohammad Rafi who encouraged him to peruse his desire of being a playback singer. Ravi took a big break from job and departed for the city of dreams - Mumbai. After struggling for many penniless days and sleepless nights (spent on Malad railway platform) finally he got his first job at Filmistan as a tabla player and chorus singer. 

In 1952, he got to held the singing microphone for the first time, of course, as chorus singer for film Anand Math. The song was Vande mataram.. and its composer was Hemant Kumar who discovered Ravi's immense talent and offered him to be his assistant. Ravi assisted him in films like Samrat, Shart, Jagriti, Champakali and then came the blockbuster hit Nagin. 

After Nagin's tremendous success, in which Ravi had hugely contributed,  Hemant Kumar only insisted him to work as an independent composer. Devendra Goyal, Ravi's close friend gave him his first film  Vachan as an independent music director in1955. Ravi composed a superhit soundtrack and the film celebrated its silver jubilee. Journey of Ravi's musical career started and accelerated from first note only and rest is the history. 

This superbly talented music director has composed marvelous soundtracks for approx 70 Hindi films and several Malayalam films. The saga of Hindi film music would have been incomplete without his contribution and still he always remained underrated compared to his contemporaries. Be that mighty singers like Mohammad Rafi and Manna Dey or modest Mahendra Kapoor, Ravi's music arrangement has never overpowered the singer and that I would say, was his signature style. He mostly kept the music quite soft and mellow which allowed the poetry and singing flourish so beautifully. For example,  Chaudahvin ka chand.. Rafi sahab's sublime voice enfolded with minimalist music arrangement, spilling .. floating.. sinking deep, deeper in sheer essence of Shakeel's beauteous poetry..  For this song, Shakeel Badayuni received Filmfare award for best lyrics. But besides Dada Burman and Madan Mohan, how many composers have brought out such fleecy, feathery renditions from Rafi sahab's voice box? 

Also Mahendra Kapoor whose singing career burgeoned beautifully under Ravi's magical baton. Ravi's music showcased soothing, subtle yet pretty absorbing shades of his singing abilities which was quite different from his songs with Kalyanji-Anandji or even O P Nayyar. And same with Asha Bhonsle whose singing sounded agile and intoxicating with O P Nayyar, bold and bewitching with R D Burman and at the same time, Ravi's music unveiled very graceful and elegant style of Asha Ji's crooning. As comely, as supple and sedate as Sadhana's milky white attire and her poise and panache persona lip-syncing Asha ji on screen.. kaun aaya... 

Ravi and Sahir Ludhiyanvi, said to be very close friends to each other, worked together for 17 films and gifted us some gorgeous, timeless soundtracks like Gumrah, Humraaz, Waqt, Kaajal, Aaj aur kal, Aadmi Aur Insaan, Aankhen, Dhund and Ek Mahal Ho Sapnon Ka. Sahir's poetry sounded mightiest when supported by tender yet elegant tunes of Ravi. 

As mentioned, Ravi, during his entire career, has composed quite fascinating score for each of zoners, but the one appeals me the most are his songs describing beauty of nature. 

- Neele gagan ke tale.. 

- Yeh wadiyan yeh fizayen... 

- Yeh hawa.. yeh fiza.. aa bhi jaa... 

- Sansar ki har Shay ka... 

- Yeh raaten yeh mausam nadi ka kinara..

All mesmerizing melodies with lovely lush of violins, Santoor, Flute, mandolin, guitar and mostly the soft singing lifted with little reverb creating a hauntingly beautiful effect. 

You know, I have been writing since morning, first in office, then at home, taking big breaks in between. Things coming to mind and it's getting lengthier. Thought, what would I put to end the write-up?! And posting the same thing that flashed first on my mind-scape.