Our country has always had a tradition of great composers, and nowhere is the recognition of this sea of talent as widespread as film and public media. Today we lost a leading light of that sphere; Vanraj Bhatia passed away at his home at the age of 93. While he had been having medical issues for a period of time, this unfortunate news gives us an opportunity to look back on an illustrious career, a generational talent and musical memories that will not be forgotten anytime soon.

Through his education at The Royal Academy Of Music and the Paris Conservatory, Vanraj’s extensive knowledge of Western music traditions along with his Indian heritage gave him an artistic voice all his own. He was working for Girish Karnad’s play ‘Agni Varsha’ at the time of his passing, but his idiosyncratic approach can be seen in the worlds of advertising, cinema, television and the like. His credit list is completely impossible to list without turning any tribute into a prohibitively long read; besides the Shyam Benegal movies, the ‘Bharat Ek Khoj’ opening theme (among ‘Tamas’, ‘Lifeline’ and many, many others), there are the Hindi films like ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron’ and ‘Pardes’ (again among others). There are the literally thousands of ad jingles he did that dominated our TVs. There is the lush, detailed and expansive approach he used when appropriate to create worlds that one didn’t have to struggle to imagine. He has left his mark on all these art forms and his music is there to be listened to, but it is the memories we made that we will most cherish.

Indus Creed’s Zubin Balaporia was close to Vanraj and attended to him in his later years. He also shot the photograph you see above; a picture Vanraj loved. He honours him thusly;