8 OP Nayyar Songs Which Contradict His Signature Music Style

He didn’t record a single song with Lata Mangeshkar, had feuds with Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi, read the Ramayana in Urdu because he’d never learnt Hindi, and loved Black Label whisky till his last days. At the height of his career, O P Nayyar was the most expensive music director in Bollywood and charged in the range of Rs 1 lakh per film, which was an unheard of amount at the time. It was particularly outrageous because his songs were often considered entirely too provocative. For years, All India Radio refused to play some of his songs, deeming them too scandalous. None of this upset O P Nayyar.
His songs were unmistakably his own, seasoned with Hindustani classical music and American jazz. He created a sound that was distinctive and unconventional. Clip-clopping tonga noises, bansuri and Western drums, piano and sitar, velvety voices that oozed sensuality – all these summed up to become his signature tunes. Albeit there remain a few songs which does not have his signature style. But his music has stood the test of time.

Here’s a list of few such songs!!!

1. Raagini – This semi classical number saw Rafi giving playback to Kishore Kumar.

2. Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi – The Haunting Asha Bhonsle solo sans the clip clopp rhythm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUWbc5MaTI0

3. Baharein Phir Bhi Aayengi – The ever romantic score involving the love triangle of 2 sisters zeroing on the handsome Dharmendra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQblX2TmEZI

4. Sambandh – Mukesh crooning for O P Nayyar was very unlikely, but here’s an inspirational song in his voice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pflINcgXW9Q

5. Naya Daur – Though this film has some of his distinct rhythm and music, this particular bhajan stands out from the list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-Ql-t07U_w

6. Ek Baar Muskura Do – An unlikely Kishore Kumar rendering a sad song for O P Nayyar.

7. Sone Ki Chidiya – Rafi again rendering the sad song with aplomb. The orchestration very different from the other O P Nayyar songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NufQfRt0uCQ

8. Pran Jaaye Par Vachan Na Jaaye – The film counted as the last of OPN-Asha combination, this song gets a disco base from him.