A time-travel to the golden era of Music with Arvind Haldipur
We all work to sustain our livelihoods, don’t we? But, if we were to think how many of us vividly remember the projects we worked on, or the presentations we led, or the excel sheets we prepared, or the number of times our bosses felt proud, most of us would have a tough time recollecting. There’s someone that could give you a lot of FOMO, in terms of how illustrious his career has been, but believe me, it’ll only inspire you to look within and find out what makes your eyes twinkle and heart joyous as music does his! The revered guitarist, Arvind Haldipur, who has graced the music of multiple movies with his musical gift, astounds you as he paints a picture of the moments that are etched on his memory, may I say, forever!
Arvind believes that nothing could inspire you to create music unless there’s an innate attraction and madness that drives you towards it. His father, Parshuram Haldipur, an astute mandolin player, and brother Amar Haldipur, a gifted violin player have certainly been instrumental in shaping him up as a musician; but, it’s his love for the music that made him persevere relentlessly to master his musical skills. He learned how to play Indian notes on a mandolin from his father, understood the nuances of playing the western notes on a violin from his brother and ended up becoming a sought-after guitarist. It’s Arvind’s father who suggested that he learned playing guitar, because unlike mandolin, it’s a complete instrument that he could play rhythm, harmony and melody on, and would become the most popular musical instrument in the times to come. Parshuramji’s foresightedness sure needs an applause here. Who could imagine a song without a guitar today?
What would amaze you about Arvind is his earnest respect and gratitude towards people that have been a part of his journey thus far. He realised where his calling lies when as a child, he would fancy the bands that played in wedding processions and would wonder how they created music. Gorakh Ramprasad Sharma, the younger son of Pandit Ramprasad Sharma and the brother of Pyarelal Sharma, of Laxmikant-Pyarelal fame is his Guru and the man who he has admired the most. He talks about how Gorakhji would train anyone who needed a hand in music and has created a legion of musicians that generations have looked up to.
Arvind first rose to fame when he was introduced to Rajesh Roshan by his brother, Amar Haldipur, to be the guitarist for creating the music of the 1974 film, “Kunwara Baap”, starring Mehmood. Arvind and Rajesh became fast friends and worked together for about 70–75 films, including the musical blockbuster, Julie. Watching Arviind play the “Bhool gaya sab kuch” and “My heart is beating” makes you wonder how serene and pure music is meant to be. You’d also be charmed by the unadulterated bliss that you see on Arvind’s face as he pulls at each string; his excitement seems as fresh as if he’s playing the song for the first time! Isn’t that what love for doing what you do is all about — doing the same thing a million times, each time with unprecedented enthusiasm?
When asked about the process, Arvind says there’s none. He believes that practice is the only process. He reminisces about how seamless and beautiful the journey to create a song would be. It’s far from believing, but they would record a song with the artists within a span of 4 hours, that’s how well-rehearsed and chiseled the artists were with their respective craft. Arvind explains how they would absorb the story of every movie and understand each situation where the song was to be fitted. Every instrument that was used to create music had its own specific purpose, depending upon the mood and the emotion of the situation. It’s wonderful how when we listen to a composition, it seems so effortless, when every chord, every word, every pause of the song has been so meticulously created.
You would know how a musician has the ear and soul that would seek music from the most unlikely places. It would be a shame to ask if you know the song, “Ek Do Teen…” which is the immortal composition of Laxmikant-Pyarelal was inspired by a popular tune that was played in several processions, including Ganesh Visarjan and marriages by the local bandmasters. That’s the beauty of musicians; they experience music anywhere and everywhere. They don’t approve of a composition until every nerve within them moves at the sound of it.
While Arvind has worked with legends of the legends in Bollywood, there have been people that have left a lasting impression on him, both professionally and personally. Music maestros including Shankar Jaikishen, OP Nayyar and Laxmikant-Pyarelal have guided him through his ebbs and flows across his glorious span in the industry. One of his breakthrough moments was playing guitar in a live setup alongside the Nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar, as she spellbound the world with “Lag Ja Gale”. He has the fondest memories with the Goddesses, as he says, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle and is awed by the simplicity and humility that they exhibit at all times.
Arvind has proved, time and again, that he’s as distinguished a musician that he is because of the love that his heart is brimming with for everything musical. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that we’ll stay indebted to him for the strings he pulled at our hearts when he played the signature tune of Karz, which is his dedication to his mentor Gorakh Ramprasad Sharma, who had originally played the tune for the first time on an acoustic guitar. The childlike enthusiasm and curiosity for music and the relentless pursuit to get better at it is what each of us should imbibe from Arvind. That’s what metamorphoses your work to love!
Watch Arvind take you to the golden days of music and give you a glimpse of his musical genius!
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