Legendary music composer and National Award winner Vanraj Bhatia, 93, passed away on Friday. The Padma Shri awardee was facing old age issues and was mostly bedridden.
As per reports, his health further deteriorated in the last couple of months while he remained with only a little activity at his home, where he ultimately passed away. The legendary composer had won the National Film Award for Best Music for Govind Nihalani’s ‘Tamas’ in 1988 and the Padma Shri in 2012. He carved his niche with his distinct notes in the seventies and the eighties in the art cinema circuit.
Earlier, the Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) had come to the aid of the music composer following reports about his declining health and poor financial situation in a daily. The veteran was said to be having trouble walking properly and was unable to get treatment due to lack of funds.
Born on May 31, 1927, in Mumbai, Vanraj Bhatia studied western classical music at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Paris Conservatory. He returned to India in 1959 and started working as a Reader in Western musicology at the University of Delhi.
Vanraj Bhatia was also one of the pioneers of spiritual music with albums such as Bhagavad Gita and Anant. He had more than 7,000 advertising jingles to his credit. In 1972, Bhatia composed the background music for his first Shyam Benegal film, ‘Ankur’. His television show compositions included ‘Khandan’, ‘Tamas’, ‘Wagle Ki Duniya’, ‘Naqab’, ‘Lifeline’, and ‘Banegi Apni Baat’, but his most iconic compositions for television was for ‘Bharat Ek Khoj’.
