‘Kabhi Kabhi, a poem, was not easy to compose’

BENGALURU: The legendary music composer Mohammed Zahur Khayyam, who gave hits such as Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayal aaya hai and Tere chehre se nazar nahi hatati, worked for the British army during the Second World War.The 90-year-old musician, who ran away from his home to pursue his love for music, says that he learnt about “dedication and discipline” from the Raj’s army. He tells City Express, over phone while waiting for his flight to Bengaluru, that he served the army for three years.
His family did not want him to pursue music as a career. “Every one was interested in music but they wanted me to finish my studies, and then do whatever I want to do in life,” he says.

Born Sa’aadat Hussain in undivided Punjab, in Nawanshahr District, he left home because he wanted to work in films. Khayyam says, “K L Saigal was a dear friend of mine. I wanted to be K L Saigal.” He adds, “Everyone in my family was educated but I was not interested in academics. They told me there is no place in the home for people who are not interested in studies… so I left.”

He received training from Pandit Amar Nath in Delhi and then headed to Lahore to learn music from the famous Baba Chishti. Chisti was so impressed with Khayyam’s work that he offered to take him on as his assistant. The younger Khayyam shifted to India in 1943 with another composer. They did not want to be identified as Muslim and so they called themselves Sharmaji-Varmaji. After a few years, when his partner left for Lahore, Khayyam started working in Delhi and identified himself as Mohammed Zahur Khayyam.
It was easy to travel to Lahore those days, but he did not travel home frequently. He says, “When I met my parents after about 20 years, post partition, passport was not required or issued to travel,” he says.     

Speaking about the immensely popular Kabhi Kabhi mere dil mein, he says, “It’s a simple poem but composing a poem is difficult. It is like a blessing from God.” But he says that his muse is whimsical, either inspiring him to compose music immediately or making him wait for months to come up with a tune. He used to read the entire film script and understand the characters to compose a song.
 Khayyam has worked all his life in India and now wishes to donate all he owns to the needy, and even runs a trust for this purpose. He and his wife Jagjit Kaur are in the city today for Shaam–E-Khayyam, a musical fund-raising event organised by Rotary District 3190 at Good Shepherd auditorium.