Description
When we remember the golden period of Hindi Flim music of 60’s & 70’s of the last century, the names
of great music directors like Shankar Jai Kisan and Nausad come to our mind. There is another name of
S. Mohinder which comes to our memory as a popular music director of that Era, who gave us immortal
songs like Guraza Hua Zamana Aata Nahi Dobara. This music director was born on 8th September 1925 at
Sillanwali in the Montgomery District of Punjab (Now in Pakistan) in a Sikh family with his original name
as S. Mohinder singh Sarna. From his very childhood, he had considerable interest in music. He started an
apprenticeship in 1930 with an accomplished Sikh religious vocalist Sant Sujan Singh.
He raised his skills for several years in accordance with classical music in the tutelage of Sant Sujan
Singh. Initially he strived to be a singer. Later when his family moved to Sheikhupura (now in Pakistan),
close to Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of the founder of Sikhism (Guru Nanak),
He received his further training in classical music from Sikh religious musician Bhai Samund Singh. The
love for classical music brought S. Mohinder to Benares, the Mecca of Indian Classical Music. After some
years of grooming he moved to Bombay (now Mumbai), the centre of the film industry. His first successful
film was Nili (1950), which was a musical hit. When he became a music director in flimistaan studio, he gave
a number of musical hits. He is also well known for his music in Punjabi films. He being a devout Sikh, his
preference was for such films which had Sikh religious stories and themes as Nanak Naam Jahaj Hai, Dukh
Bhanjan Tera Naam, Man Jeete Jagjeet etc. During the decade of nineteen seventies, S. Mohinder composed
music for some private albums also including some featuring Sikh devotional music and some featuring the
folk music of Punjab. Legendry Punjabi singer Surinder Kaur was prominently featured on some of these
albums. One album of Shabads in the voice of Asha Bhonsle is a musical masterpiece.
In the mid 80’s S. Mohinder singh shifted to USA, where now he is staying with his son Satinder Pal
Singh’s family in northern Virginia. Whenever he gets an opportunity and health permits, he still composes
music for devotional and classical albums.
