Subir Sen
Born(1934-07-24)24 July 1934
Dibrugarh, Assam Province, British India
Died29 December 2015(2015-12-29) (aged 81)
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
GenresWorld music, Pop
Occupation(s)Singer
Instrument(s)Vocal, singing
Years active1950–2015

Subir Sen (24 July 1934 – 29 December 2015)[1][2] was an Indian playback singer who sang modern songs in Bengali and Hindi. He was also one of the artists of Rabindra Sangeet.

Personal life

Sen was born in Dibrugarh, Assam to Sailesh Chandra Sen and Lily Sen. Sailesh was a doctor. They also had a pharmacy in Guwahati. His siblings were Prithwish Sen, Gauri Sen, Sunil Sen and Arun Sen. He passed the Matric Examination from Guwahati and came to Kolkata in pursuit of music.[3] He was married to Roma Sen.

Career in Music

Music interested Subir Sen from a young age. During his schooling, he attended a classical vocal music competition at Morris College, Lucknow. He secured first place and received his award from Pandit Shrikrishna Ratanjankar. In 1951, he came to Kolkata and was admitted to Ashutosh College.[4] While in Kolkata, he started taking music lessons from Pandit Chinmoy Lahiri, who sent Sen to Shri Usha Ranjan Mukherjee to learn thumri.[3]

While he was studying in Ashutosh College he took part in the KEREJU Music Competition conducted by HMV, and he was selected as first among around fourteen hundred competitors.[5][6] Subir Sen described this event in his own words in "আমি তো গেয়েছি সেই গান", where he sang a song composed by his mentor Sri Anupam Ghatak: সারা রাত জ্বলে সন্ধ্যাপ্রদীপ.[7]

Sen's first record was released by Columbia records in February 1954 and contained two Bengali modern songs whose music was composed by Sri Chitto Roy and lyrics written by Sri Shyamal Gupta: 'জীবন-বাতি নিভিয়ে যেদিন' and 'আর কত জানাব তোমায়'.[8] Subir Sen was invited to Mumbai by Guru Dutt. Sudhin Dasgupta too was invited by Guru Dutt to work for his production house. For some time, Subir Sen and Sudhin Dasgupta stayed together in Tardeo Sonawala building in Mumbai when Sudhin composed a song "এত সুর আর এত গান" (Eto sur aar eto gaan), which was recorded by Subir Sen much later.[3] The second record of Subir Sen appeared in 1956 and contained two compositions of Sudhin Dasgupta, 'ঐ উজ্জ্বল দিন ডাকে স্বপ্ন রঙ্গীন' and 'স্বর্ণঝরা সূর্যরঙে'. It was this record of Subir Sen that made him famous and gave Subir Sen a permanent place in the world of Bengali music.[8]

এত সুর আর এত গান যদি কোনদিন থেমে যায়
সেইদিন তুমিও তো ওগো জানি ভুলে যাবে যে আমায়।

কতদিন আর এ জীবন কত আর এ মধু লগন...
তবুও তো পেয়েছি তোমায় জানি ভুলে যাবে যে আমায়।

আমি তো গেয়েছি সেই গান যে গানে দিয়েছিলে প্রাণ...।
ক্ষতি নেই আজ কিছু আর ভুলেছি যত কিছু তার...

এ জীবনে সবই যে হারায় জানি ভুলে যাবে যে আমায়।.[8]

While in Mumbai, Subir Sen was scouted by Shankar-Jaikishan, the famous music composer-duo and was inducted to the Mumbai film industry. In Om Prakash's first production, "Aas Ki Panchhi" (1956) starring Rajendra Kumar, Subir Sen sang the title song through the lip of the hero riding on a bicycle leading a team of NCC cadets: "Dil mera ek aas ka panchhi, udta hai oonche gagan par." Subir Sen also lent his voice to various Hindi movies such as Chhoti Bahen (1959), Boy Friend (1961) and Passport (1961).[9] He was associated with Salil Chowdhury, Sudhin Dasgupta, Abhijit Bandopadhyay, Anal Chatterjee, Amiyo Dasgupta[10] and many other noted music composers of Calcutta (Kolkata) and Bombay (Mumbai) that time.

In 1967, Subir Sen debuted as a music director when composing music for Bengali film মিস প্রিয়ম্বদা (Miss Priyambada). In 1972, he was music director for the Hindi film "Midnight."[11] The film, directed by Raju, was released in England in 1972. Playback songs were: Koi mera ho gaya (Subir Sen), London ke mele mein & Zindagi Ka Hai Yeh Fasana (Md. Rafi), Tumsa meet mila (Geeta Dutt and Talat Mahmood), and Tere yad mein sajan (Geeta Dutt).[12]

Subir Sen acted in several movies in Bengali and Hindi. He was an actor-singer in Bengali movies Momer Alo (1964) (with Uttam Kumar) and Anubhav (with Sanjeev Kumar). He was offered the lead role in the Hindi movie Abhiman by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and when Subir Sen declined, it was given to Amitabh Bachhan.[13]

Subir Sen's literary contributions are rare and difficult to retrieve, but his writings' spontaneity may be observed in a chapter of a book titled Shyamal Mitra – a compilation of essays, a memoir of Shyamal Mitra.[4]

Awards

  • 2007 – Harmonica Sangeet Samman – Lifetime achievement award.
  • 2012 – Sangeet Maha Samman by Government of West Bengal
  • 2013 – "Banga Bibhushan" by the Government of West Bengal.[14][15]

Death and legacy

Survived by his daughter (Supriya Sen, presently a professor in occupational therapy at Virginia Commonwealth University), he died of lung cancer in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, at 8 a.m. on 29 December 2015.[16][14][17] Subir Sen had a deep, dreamy, romantic and appealing voice.[18] His renditions of Rabindra Sangeet, Hindi film songs, and Bangla modern songs were popular and represented a genre of its own kind. Sen was fond of Western music, particularly of Jim Reeves and Nat King Cole. According to Abhijit Bandopadhyay, he created an international style of his own.[19]

Runa Laila, a notable Bangladeshi singer, was one of Sen's nieces.[20][21]

Discography

Film and Non-film songs of Subir Sen
Subir Sen Discography
Year Song Film/Director Language Music Composer Lyrics Starring
1962Aa ja re nayan dware soloRoop Ki Rani Choro Ka Raja
Dir: H S Rawail
HindiShankar – JaikishenShailendraDev Anand & Waheeda Rehman
1962Aa ja re nayan dware with Asha BhonsleRoop Ki Rani Choro Ka Raja
H S Rawail
HindiShankar – JaikishenShailendraDev Anand & Waheeda Rehman
-Aagneogiri ke jwolte dekhe-Bengali---
1968Aah dil mein hain nayan mein neer hainRani ChandrawatiHindiS N TripathiLalita Pawar
-Aaha piano amar prothom prem mon rangano-BengaliKalyan Sen BaratShibdas Bandyopadhyay-
1956Aaja re aaja with Geeta DuttC I D Chhoo MantarHindiShankar – Jaikishen
-Aakash jekhane golpo bole-Bengali--
1981Aamar jibon tarani-BengaliSalil ChowdhurySalil Chowdhury-
1973Aami je tomar tumi je aamar with Asha BhonsleKayaheener Kahini
Dir: Ajay Kar
BengaliMukul Roy-Uttam Kumar, Aparna Sen
1973Aami pore nilamAlbum titled Mousumi monBengali--
1954Aar kato janabo tomay-BengaliChitta RoyShyamal GuptaColumbia Records
(GE24715)
1981Aar kichhu smorone nei-BengaliSalil ChowdhurySalil Chowdhury-
1981Adhikar ke kake dey-BengaliSalil ChowdhurySalil ChowdhuryCMRS-107[22]
-Aranyer jhor-BengaliSubir SenKumar Bishwarup-
-Asto akash jemon kore-BengaliSailen MukherjeeIndrajit-
1961Baharen Luta Ke Nazare Dikha Ke with Suman KalyanpurAnarbalaHindiBulo C RaniRamesh Chandra PandeyDaljeet, Krishna Kumari[23]
-Bandhu tomake jeno-BengaliSwapan RoyGopinath Mukhopadhyay-
1965Bujh gaya dil ka diyaJadui Anguthi
Dir: A M Khan
HindiSuresh KumarZafar RahiChitra, Manher Desai, Krishna Kumari
1963Chand tale jhoom jhoom, thirak rahi hain ghoonghar with Suman KalyanpurJab Se Tumhe Dekha Hai
Kedar Kapoor
HindiDattaramPradeep Kumar, Geeta Bali, Shammi Kapoor
-Chand tumi eto alo kotha hote pele-BengaliAbhijit BanerjeeBankim Ghosh-
-Chondon anka chhotto kopal-Bengali--
1961Dekho Na Jao Jane ManBoy Friend
Dir: Naresh Saigal
HindiShankar – JaikishenShammi Kapoor, Madhubala & Dharmendra[24]
-Deyal ghorite ekhon onek raatBengali---
1980Dharanir pothe potheBengaliSalil ChowdhurySalil Chowdhury-
1956Dheere chalo zara with Lata MangeshkarAas Ki Panchhi
Dir: Mohan Kumar
HindiShankar – Jaikishen-Rajendra Kumar, Vyjayanthimala
1959Dil leke ja te ho kahan with Kamal BarotO Tera Kya Kahna
Dir: K. Parvez
HindiKalyanji Virji ShahIndeevarMehmood, Chitra, Helen[24]
1956Dil mera ek aas ka panchhiAas Ki PanchhiHindiShankar – Jaikishen-Rajendra Kumar, Vyjayanthimala
-Dur diganta dheke achhe meghe-Bengali--
1981Dustara paarabaar-BengaliSalil ChowdhurySalil Chowdhury-
1968E jeno sei chokhBengaliAbhijit BanerjeeAbhijit Banerjee-
-E raat nibir holoBengali---
-Ei ujjwalo din daake swapno rangeen-BengaliSalil ChowdhurySalil Chowdhury-
-Ek rash elo chulBengali-
1957Eto sur aar eto gaanPuja AlbumBengaliSudhin DasguptaSudhin Dasgupta-
1964Gagan ke chanda na poochh humse with Lata MangeskarApne Huye Paraye
Ajit Chakraborty
HindiShankar – Jaikishen-Manoj Kumar & Mala Sinha
1960Gar tum bura na mano with Asha BhonsleMehlon ke khwab
Dir: Muhafiz Haider
HindiS. MohinderRaja Mehdi Ali KhanPradeep Kumar & Madhubala[24]
1959Gori tere natkhat naina with Geeta DuttHum Bhi Insaan HainHindiHemanta MukherjeeShailendra-
-Haajar golap ghirechhilo more-BengaliSubir SenAnup Chatterjee-
-Haate sob Haat-Ghori bandha-BengaliSubir Sen-
1968Hoyto tomar anek khoti korechhiAlbum "Eto Sur Ar Eto Gaan"BengaliAbhijit BanerjeeAbhijit Banerjee-
1960Humein yun rahon par chalna hai with Aratu MukherjeeMasoom
Dir: Satyen Bose
HindiRabin BanerjeeRaja Mehdi Ali KhanSarosh Irani, Aziz, Honey Irani
1981Jaanina jaanina kon sagorer dheu-BengaliSalil ChowdhurySalil Chowdhury-
-Jaar alo nive gechhe-BengaliPrabir MazumderPrabir Mazumder-
-Jakhan haat baralei akash-BengaliAbhijit BanerjeeBabu Guhathakurata-
1969Jayse pani chhupa ghata mein with Lata MangeskarBandhan
Dir: Narendra Bedi
HindiKalyanji–AnandjiRajesh Khanna, Mumtaz, Jeevan
-Je buke tomar byatha chhilo-BengaliSubir SenKumar Bishwarup-
1954Jiban baati niviye-BengaliChitta RoyShyamal GuptaColumbia Records
(GE24715)
-Kalo meghe dambaru-BengaliBhupen HazarikaPulak Bandyopadhyay-
1962Kasam na lijiye with Purnima SettJadu Mahal
Dir: Akkoo
HindiBulo C Rani-Helen, Ajit, Azad, Hiralal
1965Ki bhalo laglo chokhe-BengaliSudhin DasguptaSunil Baran
1981Kichhudin pore ar-BengaliSalil ChowdhurySalil Chowdhury-
-Kichhu phul diye aaj-BengaliAnal ChatterjeeShyamal Gupta
1972Koi mera ho gayaMidnight
Dir: Raju
HindiSubir SenTajdar Taj
1981Kono bhalo kobitar duti ponkti dao-BengaliSalil ChowdhurySalil Chowdhury-
1989Konodin tumi aar gaibe na-Bengali--In memory of Hemanta Mukherjee after his death
1962Kya kaha jara phir kaho with Geeta DuttGanguHindiKalyanji – AnandjiQamar Zalalabadi or Prem DhawanChandrashekhar and Naaz
-Lal dopati o phul tomar-Bengali---
1959Main rangeela pyar ki rahi with Lata Mangeskar & Ameen SayaniChhoti BahenHindiShankar – JaikishenHasrat JaipuriBalraj Sahni, Nanda, Shyama
1957Manzil wohi hai pyar kiKathputliHindiShankar – JaikishenShailendraVyjayanthimala and Balraj Sahni[24]
1967Monalisa tumi ke balona-BengaliAbhijit BanerjeeAbhijit Banerjee-
-Nagar jiban chhobir maton hoyto-BengaliAbhijit BanerjeeAmiyo Dasgupta-
1966Noy thakle aro kichhukhon-BengaliAbhijit BanerjeeGauriprasanna Mazumder-
1981Odhikar ke kake dey-BengaliSalil ChowdhurySalil Chowdhury-
1964Ogo kajol noyonaMomer AloBengaliRobin Chatterjee-Subir Sen, Sabitri Chattopadhyay, Uttam Kumar
-Ogo Shakuntola-BengaliBhupen HazarikaPulak Bandyopadhyay-
-Oi ujjwalo din daake swapno rongin-BengaliSudhin DasguptaSudhin Dasgupta-
1981Pagol Haowa aamar mato tumio hariye geleBengaliSalil ChowdhurySalil Chowdhury2126-3115
1969Phaguner daak elo je with Sandhya MukherjeeAparichito
Dir" Salil Datta
BengaliRobin Chatterjee--
-Phis phis bon jhau-Bengali---
1989Phooler bagicha hote sera phul-BengaliBuddhadeb GangopadhyayShyamal SenguptaIn memory of Hemanta Mukherjee after his death
1989Poth je ekhono baki-Bengali---
1959Pyar mein milna sanam with Lata MangeskarArdhanginiHindiVasant DesaiMajrooh SultanpuriRaj Kumar & Meena Kumari
-Raat holo nijhum-Bengali-Gauriprasanna Mazumder-
-Sandhya logone swapno magane-BengaliAbhijit BanerjeeShyamal Ghosh-
1967Saradin tomay bhebe-BengaliAbhijit BanerjeeAbhijit Banerjee-
1971Sedin dujone dulechhinu boneAnubhav
Dir: Basu Bhattacharya
Rabindra Sangeet in Hindi movieRabindranath TagoreRabindranath TagoreSubir Sen as guest artist, with Sanjeev Kumar
-Shato barsho ki tar-o besi kichhi aage-BengaliSalil ChowdhurySalil Chowdhury[25]
-Siri uthe gechhe dhaape dhaape-Bengali---
-Sudhu sei gaane aaji-Bengali---
1981Sukher bandhan jei na chukalam-BengaliSalil ChowdhurySalil Chowdhury-
1961Sun le dastaan yun na sataPassport
Dir: Pramode Chakravorty
HindiKalyanji – Anandji-Pradeep Kumar, Madhubala
-Sundar kichhu dekhle pore-Bengali---
-Swarna jhora surya ronge-BengaliSudhin DasguptaSudhin Dasgupta-
1962Thaam mujhe gir na jaaoonRaaz Ki Baat
Dir: Bolton Ci Nagi
HindiRabin BanerjeeHairat SitapuriAgha, Abhi Bhattacharya, Mohan Choti
1957Tomar haasi lukiye haase-BengaliSudhin DasguptaAnal Chatterjee-
1957Tomar shishir bheja-BengaliAnal ChattopadhyaySamir Deb-
-Tomare peyechhi bole-Bengali---
-Tomay peyechhi aami-BengaliSailen MukherjeeIndrajit-
1966Tomra amar gaan shune aaj-BengaliAbhijit BanerjeeGauriprasanna Mazumder-
-Tumi amar prem-BengaliAbhijit BanerjeeMiltu Ghosh-
1964Tumi bolechhile-BengaliAbhijit BanerjeeShibdas Bandopadhyay / or/ Amiyo Dasgupta-
1968Yeh pukar kiske liye geet banke with Suman KalyanpurRani ChandrawatiHindiS N TripathiLalita Pawar
Rabindra Sangeet by Subir Sen
Subir Sen Discography
Song Co-singer Album
Asa Jaoar Pother DharePurabi MukhopadhyayNabin Megher Sur by SAREGAMA[26]
O dekhbi re bhai ay re chhute--
Sedin dujone dulechhinu bone-Anubhav (1971)

References

  1. "এত সুর আর এত কষ্ট". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  2. "Singer Subir Sen dead". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "Subir Sen Interview: Part 1: KOLKATA GAAN". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  4. 1 2 Sen, Subir (2010). "বুকের মধ্যে ধরে রেখেছি". In Chattopadhyay, Alok (ed.). Shyamal Mitra – a compilation of essays. Kolkata: Aajkal Publishrs' Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 978-81-7990-115-1.
  5. "Weekend Classics Radio Show – Subir Sen Special". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  6. "শিল্পী". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  7. Sen, Subir (2009). "আমি তো গেয়েছি সেই গান". Sudhin Dasgupta – Collection of Musical Essays. Kolkata: Aajkal Publishrs' Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 978-81-7990-083-3.
  8. 1 2 3 "সম্পাদক সমীপেষু: প্রথম রেকর্ড অন্য". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  9. "Subir Sen Biography". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  10. "Subir Sen Interview: Part 2: KOLKATA GAAN". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  11. "Midnight". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  12. "Zindagi Ka Hai Yeh Fasana – Mohd. Rafi (Midnight – 1972)". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  13. "Subir Sen Interview: Part 3: KOLKATA GAAN". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  14. 1 2 "Veteran singer Subir Sen passes away". Business Standard India. 29 December 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  15. "Soumitra refuses Banga Bibhushan Award". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  16. "Veteran singer Subir Sen passes away in Kolkata". The Hindu. 30 December 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  17. "Subir Sen passes away". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  18. "এত সুর আর এত গান তুলে রেখে সুরলোকে সুবীর সেন". 29 December 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  19. "Abhijit Banerjee: Subir Sen punched the styles of Jim Reeves". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  20. "৭১-এ রুনা লায়লা". মানবজমিন. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  21. "৬৭-তে রুনা লায়লা, জন্মদিনে ভারতে বিশেষ আয়োজন". www.jugantor.com. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  22. Gupta, Samir Kumar (2011). সলিল চৌধুরী - প্রথম জীবন ও গণসংগীত. Milemishe, Kolkata.
  23. "Anarbala 1961". January 1961. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  24. 1 2 3 4 "Radio Ceylon – 29-12-2017 – FS (Tribute to Subir Sen)". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  25. "শতবর্ষ কি তারও বেশী কিছু আগে". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  26. "Asa Jaoar Pother Dhare". Retrieved 23 November 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.