Nachiketa Ghosh

His father Dr. Sanat Kumar Ghosh was an eminent physician of Kolkata. Sanat-babu was a gold medalist doctor and acted as the attending physician of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, the famous chief minister of West Bengal. Sanat-babu was also a student of Dr. B.C. Roy. Sanat Babu inspired his eldest child, Nachiketa, to become a physician. Nachiketa graduated from the R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, then affiliated with the University of Calcutta, as an M.B.B.S. doctor, but never intended to accept medical science as his profession.

Every Sunday, eminent musicians like Krishna Chandra Dey, Subal Dasgupta, Kamal Dasgupta, and Kana Satkari used to gather in the Shyambazar house of Dr. Sanat Kumar Ghosh and that gave young Nachiketa the chance to observe those maestros at close proximity. During his childhood he accompanied many of them as a tabla player. Gradually Tabla (and music as a whole) became the first love of Nachiketa. A small incident reflects the dedication of the budding musician and the pain he had to accept for that: it was a very cold winter night and young Nachiketa had just returned home playing tabla with the great celebrity dancer Gaharjan Bai . The young boy didn't know what was in store for him. After returning, he found his very conservative grandmother standing for him. She ordered him to take cold bath at past midnight and there was no other option for him.

At the age of 24, he emerged as a young, promising music director and a new wave started to flow in the world of Bengali music. His style of composing music was a revolution in itself.

The musical journey of Nachiketa Ghosh started during his college days. At that time he acted as a music director for the film called "Twenty Fifth July" but this film never released in West Bengal. In the year 1953, the film "Boudir Bon" got released where Nachiketa appeared as a professional music director for the first time. The next film "Joydeb", which released on 1954, gave him a lot of appreciation and he never looked back till his death.

Bengali music industry was passing through its golden era at that time and Nachiketa got the chance to work with all the geniuses. He delivered a number of masterpieces at that period of time but undoubtedly the team composed of Nachiketa Ghosh, Gouri Prasanna Majumdar, Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay and Uttam Kumar gave Bengali film industry a new era which people of this part of the world will never forget.

In the early sixties, Nachiketa left Kolkata and went to Mumbai to work in the Mumbai film industry. After working there for seven to eight years, he again returned to Bengal and started working in the same old tune. He started using Manna Dey in place of Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay for the voice of Uttam Kumar. Songs from films like "Dhonni Meye", "Mouchak", "Sannashi Raja", "Nishi Padma", "Strii", "Kajallata", "Bilombito Loy" etc. had taken permanent place in the golden history of Bengali film songs. The maestro gifted a huge list of ever immortal Bengali film songs like "Mou Bone Aaj", "Malati Bhromore", "Nishi Raat Banka Chand", "Putul Nebe Go", "Nir Choto Khoti Nei", "Surjo Dobar Pala", "Jodi Bhabo Eto Khela Noy", "Tumi amar Chirodiner", "Manush Khun Hole Pore", "Sona Roder Gaan", "Khirki Theke Singoduar", "Aaj Dujone Mondo Hole", "Pagla Garod Kothai Ache", "Kichimichi Kichimichi" etc.

Besides working on film songs, he worked extensively on basic songs. He worked with lyricists like Gouri Prasanna Majumdar, Mukul Dutta, Shyamal Gupta, Pulak Bandyopadhyay, Pabitra Mitra, Shibdas Bandyopadhyay etc. to give the Bengali audience a great collection of Bengali modern songs. In fact the songs like "Amar Ganer Swaralipi Lekha Robe", "Tumi Ele Onekdiner Pore Jeno Bristi Elo", "Ekgocha Rojonigandha Hate Diye Bollam", "Megh Kalo Andhar Kalo", "Mori mori Eki Lojja", "Cholo Rina", "Ko Phonta Chokher Jol", "Bone Noi Mone Mor", "Ek Tajmohol Goro", "Meghla Bhanga Roddur" and many more are still in the list of best selling Bengali songs.

He was the first composer to use the voice of Mohammed Rafi for a modern Hindi song in a Bengali movie called Indrani. He was also the first music director to use Lata Mangeshkar's voice for the first time in a Bengali movie. The name of the film was Ardhangini. Prior to this she sang a Rabindrasangeet in a Bengali movie.

Bengali song has got a rich episode for the world of the kids and Nachiketa Ghosh was also a pioneer in that field. His contributions for the songs like "Moinar Ma Moinamoti", "Hatti Matim Tim" can never be forgotten. He also contributed a lot in the audio play called "Thakurmar Jhuli". That album was presented to Mrs.Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, on the Children's Day and is still the most appreciated album for children all over Bengal.

Nachiketa Ghosh was married to Smt. Sibani Dutta. They have got two daughters namely Srabani and Sampurna and one son Suparna Kanti. Son Suparna Kanti Ghosh is also a very well known music composer of Bengal and has been following his father's footsteps for the last three decades.

• Nachiketa Ghosh, Aajkal, ISBN 978-81-7990-084-0