Renowned music director Ravindra Jain, who overcame his blindness to chart a stellar career in Bollywood, died at private hospital here on Friday following prolonged illness, an aide said. He was 71.
He is survived by his wife Divya and a son Arush.
Jain, who breathed his last at Lilavati Hospital in Bandra around 4.15 p.m. following multi-organ failure and other complications arising out of renal failure, had been suffering from kidney ailments since some time. He had been on Tuesday admitted to the Wockhardt Super Specialty Hospital in Nagpur, where he, owing to his ill-health, could not attend a scheduled music concert.
As there was little improvement in his condition, Jain was airlifted to Mumbai by his family on Wednesday and admitted in the ICU of Lilavati Hospital and kept on a ventilator.
His funeral will be held at Santacruz Hindu Cemetery on Saturday afternoon, said an aide.
Born blind on February 28, 1944, to Sanskrit scholar and ayurveda doctor Pandit Indramani Jain and Kiran in then United Provinces' Aligarh, as the third child among seven brothers and sisters.
Among his siblings are D.K. Jain, a former judge and a director of the Times Group, and Pandit M.K. Jain, a renowned ayurvedic doctor.
At a very young age, Jain started learning to sing Jain bhajans and at local Jain temples and later his parents decided to teach him music under the tutelage of Pandit G.L. Jain, Pandit J. Sharma and Pandit Nathu Ram in Aligarh.
He worked in the Bengal film industry from 1960 onwards, and in 1970 came to Mumbai to work in Bollywood through Prathibhushan Bhattacharya for whose films, "Kranti" and "Balidaan", Jain composed the music.
In 1972, Jain composed his first film song with Mohammed Rafi, but it remained unreleased till today.
That was the start of a long and glorious musical career spanning nearly 45 years, making him one of the most bankable composers in the industry, with specialisation of Rabindra Sangeet which he used in his compositions with the lion's share held by historical-mythological movies.
Over the decades, he went on to compose some of the most memorable numbers in superhit movies like "Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se", "Chitchor", "Chor Machaye Shor", "Geet Gaata Chal", "Shyam Tere Kitne Naam", "Fakira," "Saudagar," "Ram Teri Ganga Maili", "Henna", among many others.
In his musical career of nearly 200 movies, teleserials, Jain is credited with introducing several new singers like Hemlata, Jaspal Singh, Manhar and others to Bollywood and brought the south Indian singing sensation K. J. Yesudas to Hindi music with the movie "Chitchor".
Later in the 1990s and 2000s, Jain also composed music for several television serials including the epic "Ramayana", "Luv Kush", "Shri Krishna", "Alif Laila", and several others in the historical, mythological and legends genre.
Prominent personalities from different walks of life, his students, singers, music composers and politicians condoled Jain's demise.
B-TOWN MOURNS RAVINDRA JAIN'S DEATH
Bollywood celebrities like Lata Mangeshkar, Rishi Kapoor, Hema Malini and Paresh Rawal have mourned the tragic demise of renowned music director Ravindra Jain calling it a great loss to the music industry.
Jain died at the age of 71 following prolonged illness at a private hospital here on Friday, an aide said.
He had been suffering from kidney ailments since some time and had been admitted to The Wockhardt Super Specialty Hospital in Nagpur on Tuesday. Owing to his ill-health, he could not attend a scheduled music concert in the state's second capital.
As there was little improvement in his condition, Jain was airlifted to Mumbai by his family on Wednesday and admitted in the ICU of Lilavati Hospital and kept on a ventilator.
Born blind on February 28, 1944, Jain started his musical career in the early 1970s and went on to compose some of the most memorable numbers in superhit movies like “Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se”, “Chitchor”, “Chor Machaye Shor”, “Geet Gaata Chal”, “Shyam Tere Kitne Naam”, “Ram Teri Ganga Maili”, “Henna”, among many others.
B-Town took to social networking sites to express their grief:
Lata Mangeshkar: It's a very sad news, great singer, poet Ravindra Jain ji passed away today. May his soul rest in peace.
Rishi Kapoor: R I P. Ravindra Jain "Daddu". Thank you for the lovely music. You did Henna for me.
Hema Malini: Just heard the shattering news that my beloved Dada,Ravindra Jain passed away today after falling sick at a concert in Nagpur. I am devastated. I've been closely associated with him for so many years! He has set lyrics and music for my dance ballets and we were in perfect sync.
Paresh Rawal: RIP Ravindra jain ji..A brilliant music composer and lyricist...Henna, Ram Teri Ganga Maili, Gori Tera Gaon Bada..What an amazing man he was.
Madhur Bhandarkar: Sad to know about the demise of #RavindraJain ji From Chor Machaye Shor to Heena ur contribution in Indian music will always be missed. RIP
Shaan: One of the greatest creative geniuses! Ravindra Jain Ji lives on... in his songs...Music died a little today..
Salim Merchant: Genius composer Ravindra jain ji left us today... RIP
Sona Mohapatra: Ramayana on TV, the songs of Chitchor, lyrics of Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se and so much more.. #Epic lifetime in music! Ravindra Jain. RIP
Kailash Kher: Another Gem of our Music and Film industry Ravindra Jain has left us for his Spritual mahayatra, We Used to Call him Daddu. What a wonderful life he lived like King in this century, always showered his love n blessing on me even before my music days.. Proudly Sang many meaningful songs for him...Supremely talented n God sent soul he was.. Such people never die, they change Swaroop to be amongst us in the form of universe.. You were institutions of Art and Learnings.. Always in our heart.. RIP Daddu
Vivek Agnihotri: RIP Ravindra Jain. “Ghungroo ki tarah, bajta hi raha hoon mein…' Music never dies.
Pritam: RIP Ravindra Jain. Very sad news. A Huge loss to the Indian music industry. We will miss you.
Esha Deol: RIP dada Ravindra Jain Ji a legend who we were privileged to have in our time and dance to ur music! will miss u
