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Vijay Kalyanji Shah (born 5 June 1959), popularly known as Viju Shah, is an Indian music composer who works in the Hindi film industry. He is the son of Kalyanji Virji Shah, music director from the composer duo Kalyanji–Anandji.[1]
Viju Shah | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Vijay Kalyanji Shah 5 June 1959 |
| Occupation(s) | musician, score composer |
| Years active | 1989 – present |
| Spouse | Sunanda Shah |
| Parent | Kalyanji Virji Shah |
Having composed for over 20 Hindi film soundtracks, Shah is known for his compositions in Tridev (1989), Vishwatma (1992), Mohra (1994), Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997) and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998). He is the recipient of 1 Filmfare Award from 8 nominations.
Shah is primarily known for his work on the keyboard and has earned the title "the King of Synth Sounds".[2] Shah emerged as a composer during a pivotal time in the Hindi film industry, when traditional orchestral arrangements were giving way to programmed music. He witnessed and contributed to the significant shift from acoustic to electronic soundscapes, becoming a key figure in the evolution of modern Bollywood music.[3]
Career
editDebut and breakthrough with Tridev (1989)
editShah made his Bollywood debut with Rajiv Rai's action thriller Yudh (1985) under his original name Vijay Shah. It marked the first of several collaborations with Rai.
Shah achieved his breakthrough in Bollywood with Rai's musical action thriller Tridev (1989). The film's soundtrack emerged as a major success, with songs like "Tirchi Topiwale", "Gali Gali Mein Phirta Hai" and "Gajar Ne Kiya Hai Ishara" becoming instant hits. Tridev earned him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director (jointly with Kalyanji–Anandji).
Success (1992–1998)
editFollowing the success of Tridev, Shah singlehandedly composed the soundtrack on Rai's action thriller Vishwatma (1992), which featured the hit song "Saat Samundar", one of the major hits of the year, which was followed by composing the background score for the horror thriller Junoon (1992). The following year, he composed the background score of the action drama Lootere (1993), which earned him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Background Score.
The duo's collaboration reached new heights with the action thriller Mohra (1994). The film's soundtrack emerged as a major success, with songs like "Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast" and "Tip Tip Barsa Pani" becoming instant chartbusters. The music played a significant role in the film’s box office success, with the tracks becoming cultural phenomena in their own right. Mohra remains one of Shah's most celebrated works, showcasing his ability to innovate within the framework of commercial Bollywood music. The music album went on to become the second highest-selling Bollywood soundtrack album of the year (after Hum Aapke Hain Koun)[4], having sold more than 8 million units.[5] The film earned him his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. The same year, he also composed the background score for Rajkumar Santoshi's comedy Andaz Apna Apna, which earned him his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Background Score.
Shah next composed the music for the romantic drama Tere Mere Sapne (1996), produced by Amitabh Bachchan's ABCL. The film's soundtrack became quite popular, with songs like "Aankh Marey" becoming instant hits, thus earning Shah his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director.
Shah and Rai next collaborated on the murder mystery thriller Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997), which emerged as the biggest hit of both their careers. The soundtrack, which featured several chartbusting songs like "Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela", "Mushkil Bada Yeh Pyar Hai", and "Gupt Gupt," is widely regarded as one of Shah's most iconic works. His innovative blend of electronic music with traditional Indian melodies set a new standard for Bollywood soundtracks in the 1990s. The music of Gupt: The Hidden Truth played a pivotal role in the film's success helped solidify Shah's reputation as a leading music composer. It also earned Shah the Filmfare Award for Best Background Score, in addition to his fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director.
Shah ended the millennium with David Dhawan's action comedy Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998). The film's soundtrack includes songs like "Makhna" which became popular hits, contributing to the film's commercial success. It also earned him his fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director.
Later career (2000–present)
editHis collaboration with Rai continued into the new millennium for films like Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat (2001) and Asambhav (2004); however, these films failed to replicate the success of their earlier projects.
In 2020, Shah composed the background score for the Netflix crime drama film Class of '83.
Awards
edit| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 35th Filmfare Awards | Best Music Director | Tridev | Nominated |
| 1994 | 39th Filmfare Awards | Best Background Score | Lootere | Nominated |
| 1995 | 40th Filmfare Awards | Best Music Director | Mohra | Nominated |
| Best Background Score | Andaz Apna Apna | Nominated | ||
| 1997 | 42nd Filmfare Awards | Best Music Director | Tere Mere Sapne | Nominated |
| 1998 | 43rd Filmfare Awards | Gupt: The Hidden Truth[6] | Nominated | |
| Best Background Score | Won | |||
| 1999 | 44th Filmfare Awards | Best Music Director | Bade Miyan Chote Miyan | Nominated |
Discography
edit| Year | Name | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Yudh | |
| 1989 | Tridev | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Music Director |
| 1990 | Muqaddar Ka Badshaah | |
| Jaanam | Album with Amit Kumar and Sapna Mukherjee | |
| 1992 | Vishwatma | All Remix "Saat Samundar Paar", "Toofan", "Dil Le Gayi Teri Bindiya", "Aankhon Mein Hai Kya" |
| 1993 | Lootere | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Background Score |
| 1994 | Mohra | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Music Director |
| Andaz Apna Apna | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Background Score | |
| 1995 | Ravan Raaj | |
| 1996 | Tere Mere Sapne | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Music Director |
| 1997 | Prithvi | |
| Gupt: The Hidden Truth | Won – Filmfare Award for Best Background Score Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Music Director | |
| Aar Ya Paar | ||
| 1998 | Vinashak | |
| Humse Badhkar Kaun | ||
| Bade Miyan Chote Miyan | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Music Director | |
| 2000 | Bulandi | |
| Beti No. 1 | Also playback singer | |
| 2001 | Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat | |
| Hadh | ||
| Kasam | ||
| 2003 | Dhund | |
| Kaise Kahoon Ke Pyaar Hai | ||
| Tujhe Meri Kasam | ||
| 2004 | Asambhav | |
| 2004 | K. Street Pali Hill | |
| 2005 | Shikhar | |
| 2006 | Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota | |
| 2007 | Victoria No. 203 | |
| 2011 | Loot | Background score |
| 2015 | Aa Te Kevi Dunniya | Gujarati film |
| 2016 | Julie 2 | |
| 2020 | Class of '83 | Background score |
References
edit- ^ "Biography of Viju Shah from hindilyrics.net". Retrieved 4 August 2010.
- ^ "Mohra – second most sold album of 1994". Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
- ^ Ghosh, Devarsi (29 June 2020). "Viju Shah interview: 'I wanted to do with electronics what Laxmikant-Pyarelal did with acoustics'". Scroll.in. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "Music Hits 1990-1999 (Figures in Units)". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 5 February 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
- ^ "Top 25 films between the years 1985-1994". Filmfare. 18 February 2018.
- ^ "Filmfare Awards 1998 Winners". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 1 September 2024.