Manohari Singh

Manohari Singh was one of the members of R.D. Burman's dream team. He started off as an assistant to Salil Chowdhury and then S.D. Burman but is most remembered for his association with Pancham.

He was the master of wind instruments in Pancham's team. While he was most proficient at the saxophone, he could also play other brass instruments as well as flutes and mandolin. Some of the songs Manohari Singh played the saxophone for are: for S.D. Burman - "Gaata Rahe Mera Dil" ("Guide", 1965), "Khilte Hain Gul Yahaan" ("Sharmilee", 1971); for R.D. Burman - "Aaja Aaja Main Hoon Pyar Tera" ("Teesri Manzil", 1966), "Mehbooba" ("Sholay", 1975); and for O.P. Nayyar - "Hai Duniya Usiki Zamana Usika" ("Kashmir Ki Kali", 1964). Such was his sax playing prowess that he was called upon to play the instrument by almost all major music directors of that time, including Shankar - Jaikishan, Laxmikant - Pyarelal and Kalyanji - Anandji.

In the latest seventies and early eighties, Manohari Singh teamed up with another of R.D. Burman's assistants, Basudev Chakraborty to compose music for films as Basu - Manohari. The most well known song composed by this team was the 1976 hit "Sabse Bada Rupaiya" from the movie with the same name.

After R.D. Burman's death, Manohari Singh withdrew from the film industry but continued to perform for live shows till his advanced years.