'''Ghulam Haider''', (1908-53)

Music composer born in Hyderabad (Sind,
Pakistan). Studied dentistry. Leading composer
from the Lahore group with e.g. Shyam Sundar,
Khurshid Anwar and S.D. Batish. With
[[Naushad]] initiated a musical revolution helping
to institutionalise an [[All-India Film]] aesthetic
in the 40s. Learnt music from Babu Ganeshlal,
with whom he worked in theatre playing
harmonium in Calcutta. Briefly composer for
the Jenaphone recording label. Broke into films
in Lahore with Shorey; then worked for
Pancholi starting with the Punjabi film Gul-e-
Bakavali featuring Nurjehan as a child actress.
Regular composer for Pancholi until Poonji. His
score for Khazanchi led to a series of
Pancholi hits pioneering new marketing
strategies. Best-known compositions, often
sung by Shamshad Begum, invoke Punjabi folk
rhythms and extensively feature percussion
instruments like the dholak. Moved to Bombay
in 1944 where he worked in Filmistan (Chal
Chal Re Naujawan) and Minerva.
Composed one successful Mehboob film
(Humayun) and gave Lata Mangeshkar her
first big break in playback singing (Majboor, in
duets with Geeta Dutt and Mukesh). Returned
to Lahore after Partition, where he started
Filmsaz with director S. Nazir Ajmeri and actor
S. Gul, making Beqaraar. Also scored Akeli,
Bheegi Palkein and the two Nurjehan films
Gulenar (1953) and Laila.


'''FILMOGRAPHY''': 1934: Thief of Iraq; 1935:
Majnu 1935; Swarg Ki Seedhi; 1939: Gul-e-
Bakavali; 1940: Yamla Jat; 1941: Choudhury;
Khazanchi; 1942: Khandaan; Zamindar;
1943: Poonji; 1944: Bhai; Chal Chal Re
Naujawan; Phool; 1945: Humayun; 1946:
Behram Khan; Jag Biti; Shama; 1947: But
Tarash; Manjdhar; Mehndi; 1948: Barsaat Ki
Ek Raat; Majboor; Padmini; Patjhad;
Shaheed; 1949: Kaneez; 1950: Do Saudagar;
Putli; 1953: Aabshar.

[[Music]]