Prafulla Kar’s Experiments With ‘Onglish’, Odissi Music & Literature; Check His Popular Songs

Bhubaneswar: Much before Bollywood came out with ‘Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain I Love You’, legendary musician, lyricist and singer Prafulla Kar had already started the trend of ‘Onglish’ in Ollywood, mixing English and Odia words in songs that became chartbusters.

In ‘Mu Ta Manisha Marini’ from the film ‘Mamata’, Kar used English, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, Punjabi and Urdu. Fans were treated to ‘Onglish’ once again in ‘You Hasining, I am Pashining’ in ‘Gul Guli Gul Guli’ from the movie ‘Sindura Bindoo’. These films were released in 1975 and 1977 respectively, years before the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Khud-Daar, which was released in 1982, film critic Surya Deo told Odisha Bytes.

Check the songs here

Kar never shied away from experimenting with music.

He experimented with Odissi music in ‘Manika Alo Alo Manika’ in the film ‘Shesha Shrabana’, which was released in 1976. He also did away with the usual pattern of reciting the ‘Bhagabata’ in ‘Bandhu Mohanty’.

Kar also had the ability to turn literature into music. For example, ‘Re Atman Nidra Pahari’ from the movie ‘Mamata’ (1975) was actually taken from Madhusudan Rao’s works.

Encouraged, he continued this in ‘Balidan’, in which Ramakrushna Nanda’s ‘Ahe Dayamaya Biswa Bihari’ takes a musical form, winning rave reviews for it. He tried it again in the movie ‘Rama Balarama’ (1980) with the song ‘Akhila Brahmanda Pati’.

In 1978, Kar won the Best Playback Singer Award for ‘Balidan’ while the Critic Circle of India awarded him the Best Music Director for ‘Ramayana’ in 1980.

The musician, singer, lyricist, writer and columnist also recorded ‘Odia Bhagabat’ (HMV), ‘Odia Chhanda’ (Odissi Research Centre), ‘Kruntanjali’ (an album featuring visually-impaired singers of Odisha), an album of patriotic songs written by eminent freedom fighters of Odisha and a collection of ‘Gita Govind’ of Jayadev rendered by Vani Jairam.

‘Prabhukrupa’, a devotional music album by Kar recorded in Anuradha Paudwal’s voice under T-Series, sold over 10 lakh cassettes. Kar also composed music for Odissi dance drama, ballet and music.

Kar’s songs enriched more than 70 Odia films over six decades. Be it Rupa Heithiba Labanyabati, Kamala Desha Rajakumara, Mo Priya Tharu Kie Adhika Sundar or Re Atman Nidra Parihari, his mellifluous compositions have enthralled millions of music lovers for generations.

His death has drawn curtains on an era and left a void in the Odisha film industry.

Here are some of his other popular songs:

Song: Rupa Hoithiba Labanyabati…
Movie: Puja Phoola
Singer: Chitta Ranjan Jena
Lyrics & Music: Prafulla Kar

Song: Nei Jaa Re Megha Mote…
Movie: Balidan
Singer: S. Janaki
Music: Prafulla Kar

Song: Maajhi Re…
Movie: Sesha Shrabana
Singer: Pranab Patnaik
Music: Prafulla Kar

Song: Mo Priya Tharu…
Movie: Sindura Bindu
Singer : Chittaranjan Jena
Lyrics & Music: Prafulla Kar

Song: Megha Barasila Tupuru Tupuru…
Movie: Sesha Shrabana
Singer: Vani Jairam
Music: Prafulla Kar

Song: A Phula Kaha Thare…
Movie: Puja Phula
Singer : Anuradha Paudwal
Music: Prafulla Kar