Vintage Musical Legend Mohini Chowdhury

Muktir Monidro Sopano Toley is one of the most famous patriotic songs in Bangladesh. This song exhilarated and inspired millions of demonstrators during the Glorious July Revolution 2024. How many of us really know about the originator of this staggering song? This song was written by lyricist Mohini Chowdhury.

Mohini Chowdhury wrote the lyrics of some more highly popular songs like Ami Duranto Baishakhi Jhor, Din Duniyar Malik Tomar, Bhalobasha Morey Vikhari Korechhey and so on. However, Mohini Chowdhury is ignored in the present era though his songs have stood the test of time.

Mohini Chowdhury has been a forgotten name since Bangladesh became independent. His birth centenary passed off almost mutely in 2020. Most of the audiences remember singers but become totally oblivious about lyricists. The same thing happened in case of Mohini Chowdhury. Mohini Chowdhury was born at Kotalipara in Gopalganj district on 5 September 1920. He and his family migrated to Calcutta while Mohini Chowdhury was a student. His lyrics spoke of the lives and livelihoods of the ordinary masses of Bengal.

Mohini Chowdhury’s father Moti Lal Chowdhury used to work for the Postal Department under the colonial British government in India. Mohini Chowdhury’s mother’s name was Golap Kamini Debi. Mohini Chowdhury passed matriculation exams from Ripon School, Calcutta with distinction and passed ISC from the same institution. Mohini Chowdhury became engaged with writing songs out of passion leaving behind his bachelor studies in an incomplete status. Mohini Chowdhury found a job in Calcutta in 1940. He continued that job for only eight years.

Mohini Chowdhury’s name has been overshadowed under the canopy of so-called modernism. Most of the listeners even don’t know that the above celebrated songs were originally written by Mohini Chowdhury. This is a disgraceful thing for us. Mohini Chowdhury’s whimsical friend Ashok Sarker migrated to the United States of America as Purno Das Baul Team’s Manager. Ashok Sarker became very intimate with the hippies. Mohini Chowdhury passed away at the closure of the 1990s. Ashok Sarker was residing in Canada at that time. A friend gifted a CD full of the world’s most reputed songs to Ashok Sarker. That CD contained only one Bengali song which was Din Duniyar Malik Tomar which was written by long forgotten Mohini Chowdhury.

West Bengal singer Ratan Kahar became an epicenter for such hue and cry a few years ago. Ratan Kahar’s song “Boro Loker Biti Lo Lomba Lomba Chool” was transformed into a Hindi musical video. However, Ratan Kahar was paid a big sum for this song by the concerned music company afterwards. But nobody cares about Mohini Chowdhury.

Mohini Chowdhury started off his professional career in 1943 as a lyricist of Gramophone Radio. Mohini Chowdhury wrote songs for a broad number of films including Roy Chowdhury, Gumiye Achhey Gram, Rong Berong, Sandha Belar Rupkotha, Eki Gramer Chhele, Blind Lane etcetera. Mohini Chowdhury worked for parliamentarian Meghnad Saha for a few years. Mohini Chowdhury also started working for industrialist DN Bhattacharya in 1954. Mohini Chowdhury passed Bachelor of Arts as a private candidate. DN Bhattacharya’s business collapsed in 1971 as a result of which Mohini Chowdhury lost his job. Mohini Chowdhury had to undergo a great deal of monetary hardship during the dusk of his lifespan. Mohini Chowdhury worked with timeless singers like Manna Dey and Sachin Dev Burman.

A huge mass gathering was held at Brigade Parade Ground in Calcutta after Bangladesh became independent in 1971. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman addressed the rally. Mohini Chowdhury’s landmark song Muktir Mondiro Sopano Toley was played at that rally. The whole program was broadcasted by radio. Mohini Chowdhury was alive at that time.

Mohini Chowdhury also wrote the song Prithibi Amare Chay. Mohini Chowdhury was lovingly called the pioneer of Mass Songs (Gono Sangeet). Prominent singers like Salil Chowdhury took blessings from Mohini Chowdhury by touching his feet. Mohini Chowdhury wrote songs for Deben Bhattacharya’s hit film Nayika Sangbad.

Ki Misti Dekho Mist and Keno Ei Hridoy Chanchal Holo are another two famous songs written by Mohini Chowdhury. If we review Mohini Chowdhury’s life, we find that he adhered to music despite all odds and hazards during his lifetime. Mohini Chowdhury was never concerned about earning money or making a livelihood. He was a thoroughly creative lyricist. Mohini Chowdhury always held his head high in the middle of adverse circumstances. We would request Bangladesh government to build a monument in memory of Mohini Chowdhury at his birthplace which would be a real tribute to this magnificent lyricist.

 
Ashwattha Chowdhury is
Secretary of Chowkash Samajik Sangstha, Nabinagar under
Brahmanbaria district.