Usha Khanna

Usha Khanna (Hindi: उषा खन्ना; born 7 October 1941) is an Indian music director in Hindi cinema. She was the third female music director in the Indian film industry, after Jaddan Bai and Saraswati Devi one of most commercially successful in male dominated industry. She is most known for songs like "Chodo kal ki baatein", "Shaayad meri shaadi ka khayal", "Zindagi pyaar ka geet hai" and "Aap to aise na the". She remained active for more than 3 decades from 1960s to 1980s. She is still active making some music for some movies and television-serials, more than 40 years after her debut as music director in Dil Deke Dekho (1959). She received a Filmfare Award nomination for composing the songs for the huge hit film Souten (1983).

Biography

Born in Gwalior, her father, Manohar Khanna, was a lyricist and singer, working as Assistant Superintendent in the Water Works Department in then Gwalior State. When he came to Bombay (now Mumbai) for some work in 1946 he met Jaddanbai who was mother of Hindi film actress Nargis Dutt.On her request he started writing Gazals for Hindi films by the name, Jaaved Anwar .He was getting a monthly salary of Rs. 250 in Gwalior State and Jaddanabi offered him Rs. 800 for 3 gazals which he wrote for Jaddanbai,s Nargis Art Productions film Romeo Juliet . Usha Khanna did often take inspiration from Arabic music, which she liked and she claims that she has never lifted any song directly, but that she has composed something along the lines.