Alam Khan (1944-2022): Adieu, music maestro

"Hayre Manush, Rongin Fanush, Dom Furalei Thush".

These unforgettable lines, etched in Bangladeshi musical history, reminds us just how fragile our existence really is. The unparalleled talent behind the song, eminent composer and music director Alam Khan, passed away yesterday at 11:32am at a hospital in the capital.

His son, Arman Khan, confirmed the news to The Daily Star. The artist's namaz-e-janaza took place at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) after Asr prayers.

Khan was a titan in Bangladesh's music industry. His body of work solidifies his legacy, but it is also the person behind the music that we remember.

Khan, who went on to win seven national film awards as music director, started his musical career at a very early age. At only the age of 10, the maestro had made the music and provided vocals for the song "Niribili Sondhaye Dekha Hole Dujonaye", which was written by his friend Maksudur Rahman. While the song was never released, it marked the entry of the artistes into the world of music.

Fans and music lovers will remember him as the mind behind "Orey Neel Doriya", "Hayre Manush Rongin Fanush", "Ami Rojonigondha Phuler Moto Gondho", "Daak Diyachhen Doyal Amare", "Ki Jaadu Korila Piriti Shikhaila", "Tumi Jekhane Ami Shekhane" and "Shobai to Bhalobasha Chay". The first two songs in particular were the ones that pushed him to superstardom.

"Orey Neel Doriya" from the 1978 movie "Sareng Bou" was composed and produced by Alam Khan, with Mukul Chowdhury penning the lyrics and Abdul Jabbar providing his voice. The song was a pop-culture phenomenon then and continues to be so.

Even today, the song is remade and covered due to its popularity. A survey by RTV on the song recognised it as one of the best songs of the golden age of Bangladeshi music.

What solidifies  Khan's legacy in the Bangladeshi music industry, is his role in pushing artistes such as Ferdous Wahid, Andrew Kishore and Sheikh Ishtiaq as playback singers -- with all three making their playback debuts under him.

Even though Khan will no longer be with us, the legacy he leaves behind has ensured that we will never forget him. His music will forever be tied to the culture of our country, the history of our film music, and in our hearts and minds.