Emperor of Melodies

A former journalist, Sharma felt Khayyam’s is a story that needs to be documented. “Khayyam’s music ran almost parallel to the prevalent trends in Hindi film music of that time. Yet he is somehow not as celebrated as his contemporaries like Naushad and Shankar-Jaikishan,” says Sharma, who decided to make the film while working on a similar project on composer Ravi. Instead of adopting a traditional documentary style with a voice-over, he lets his subjects tell their stories. He calls it an “autobiography on screen”. The anecdotes, memories and insights into Khayyam’s creative process are punctuated with interviews of artistes he has worked with. Khayyam Ki Sangeet Yatra features interviews with Gulzar, Asha Bhosle, Muzaffar Ali and Talat Aziz, among others.

Produced by the Films Division of India, the documentary shows Khayyam, 88, with his wife, singer Jagjeet Kaur, 83, discuss their life, career and music. It also throws light on little known facts like how Khayyam was employed in the forces during the World War II for soldiers’ recreation. He had a different name in his initial years as a composer when he had struck a partnership with composer Rahman Varma to form the duo Sharmaji-Varmaji. After Varma left for Pakistan during the partition, Khayyam went back to his original name with Footpath in 1953.

“He created a new world of melodies that blended folk with classical seamlessly. They are still fresh today,” says Sharma, who has made a similar film on Shammi Kapoor.