Robin Ghosh

Robin Ghosh রবিন ঘোষ
Born	13 Sep 1937 Baghdad, Iraq
Origin	Dhaka, Bangladesh
Died	(2016-02-13)February 13, 2016 (aged 78) Dhaka, Bangladesh
Occupation	Film score composer
Years active	1961–1986

Robin Ghosh (Template:Lang-ur), (Template:Lang-bn), (13 September 1937 – 13 February 2016) was a Bangladeshi (earlier Pakistani) playback singer and film music composer, best known for singing and composing music for Lollywood films from 1961 to 1986. Playback singer Ahmed Rushdi has a notable contribution to Ghosh's success. Ghosh gained fame in the mid-1960s when Rushdi sang his compositions in films like Chakori (1967), Jahan Tum Wahan Hum, Paisa, etc.

Early life

Ghosh's father worked for the International Red Cross and was posted at Baghdad during the Second World War, where Ghosh was educated in a convent school. When Ghosh was young, his father S.M Ghosh left the family and married another person. His brother, Ashok Ghosh, was a film director in Bangladesh.

When the Second World War ended in 1945, the six-year-old Ghosh along with his family moved to Dhaka, in Bengal (in pre-partitioned India). He showed interest in music, collecting gramophone records and playing the harmonium, and finally graduated with music major in Dhaka.

Family life

In the late 1950s, Ghosh was offered a job at the Dhaka Radio Station by a friend. This friend's sister, Jharna Basak (now better known as the film actress Shabnam) who occasionally played in various Bengali films became friends with him. The two finally got married. Together they had a son, Ronnie (born 1966).

Film career

Since Robin Ghosh was a Christian, he had exposure to 'choir singing' at his church. When he was young, he had also worked with veteran film music composer Salil Chowdhury. Later he also worked, as an assistant, with a Pakistani film music composer from Bengal, Muslahuddin. In the early 1960s, film director Ehtesham visited Dhaka Radio Station, and offered Ghosh a contract as a composer for his films. His debut was for the Bengali film Raj Dhanir Bookay in 1960, and followed by numerous other Bengali and Urdu films, including Chanda (1962), Talash (1963), Paisa (1964), Chakori (1967) and Bhaiya (1966). After the release of the film Tum Meray Ho, Ghosh moved to Karachi, Pakistan continuing to compose film music into the 1980s. He composed songs for the film Aaina (1977) one of the greatest films ever made in the Pakistani film industry. This film celebrated its Platinum Jubilee at the Pakistani cinemas.

Awards and recognition

Robin Ghosh won a total of 6 Nigar Awards for the following films:

• Nigar Award for best film composer in the film Talash (1963)
• Nigar Award for best film composer in Chakori (1967)
• Nigar Award for best film composer for film Chahat (1974)
• Nigar Award for best film composer for film Aaina (1977)
• Nigar Award for best film composer for film Bandish (1980)
• Nigar Award for best film composer for film Dooriyan (1984)

Death and legacy

On 10 February 2016, Ghosh became ill and was admitted to a hospital in Dhaka. He died on 13 February 2016 due to respiratory failure. He was 78 years old.

Robin Ghosh's music fans gathered at the Karachi Arts Council, after his death, to pay tributes to him and his music. Pakistan's music connoisseur Sultan Arshad was among the main speakers at the event. He remarked that Robin Ghosh was known for his orchestration skills and had been influenced by western music, but he was best known for mixing a syrupy sweetness of Bengali music in his compositions.

External links

• Robin Ghosh at IMDb, Robin Ghosh filmography on IMDb website
• Robin Ghosh filmography on Complete Index To World Film (CITWF) website