Ranjit Gazmer : Legendery Nepali Music Director

Ranjit Gazmer is a musician of Nepali and Hindi films. Ranjit Gazmer was a student of Amber Gurung at his Art Academy of Music in Darjeeling, India. His contemporaries were Gopal Yonzon, Karma Yonzon, Sharan Pradhan, Aruna Lama and Jitendra Bardewa, all of whom went on to be musicians. He was a part of a musical group called Sangam Club and was also a drummer for The Hillians, the first-ever Western band formed in Darjeeling. In 1966, he moved to Birgunj, Nepal with his friends, which included Anuradha Koirala (then Anuradha Gurung), managing an English-medium private school. In 1967, Ranjit had moved to Kathmandu with his friends and became a studio musician at Radio Nepal. Later, Ranjit moved to Mumbai (Bombay then) to pursue his music career there with RD Burman. Ranjit Gazmer worked under RD Burman in Mumbai, playing madal in several Hindi film songs.

In the early part of 1970, a youth from the hill town made his way to Mumbai with only a madal (a traditional Nepali drum) for company. In 1982, Ranjit arranged for Asha Bhosle to sing her first Nepali film song. Since then he has composed music for several Nepali films such as Samjhana, Kusume Rumal, Lahure, Saino, and Darpan Chaya. He is based in Mumbai and records songs in the studios there. “I was introduced to R.D. Burman by an acquaintance, Manohari Singh. I had taken my madal with me and he asked me to play it on the spot,” recalled Gazmer.It was Burman, who gave the hill youth his first break in Hindi films. In fact, the legendary music director was looking for a Nepali touch to Dev Anand’s role in the Hindi blockbuster Hare Rama Hare Krishna, whose story was based in Nepal, and Gazmer seemed just right.“I worked extensively on the film, especially in the song Kancha re. In fact, I came to be known as kancha in film circles after that,” said the madal player. His association with Burman continued and he worked on other superhit films like Sholay and Ajnabee. 

He has also carved a niche for himself as a music director in the Kathmandu-based Nepali film industry. “In 1982, I arranged for Asha Bhosle to sing her first Nepali song. Since then Ashaji has lent her voice to a number of Nepali hits,” said Gazmer, who has been the music director for hit films like Darpan Chaya, Saino and Kusum Mero Rumal, during his stint as a music director. Like singer Udit Narayan (who also sings in Nepali), Gazmer is based in Mumbai and records songs in the studios there. Though this forces him to constantly fly between Mumbai and Kathmandu, Gazmer is not too keen to settle down in these parts. “Things have changed and though I have fond memories of the place I do not think I will come back and settle here,” said Gazmer who had tried setting up a recording studio in Siliguri some time back. “My son, Satyajit, is also working in Bollywood. He was the assistant director in the film Chocolate.

Discography

Year	Film	Notes
1981	Bansuri
1983	Samjhana
1985	Kusume Rumal
1985	Basudev
1987	Saino
1989	Lahure
1991	Chino
1991	Trishna
1992	Dui Thopa Aanshu
1993	Koseli
1994	Dakshina
1996	Deuta
2001	Darpan Chaya
2002	Lahana
2007	Dui Kinara