S Mohinder who had received the national award for best music director in the Punjabi blockbuster, Nanak Naam Jahaz Hai (1969), and who is best remembered for the wistful melody, Guzra hua zamana aata nahi dobara, passed away after a heart attack at his Oshiwara residence in Mumbai.
Singer Lata Mangeshkar described him as “a very good music director and an extremely nice gentleman.” His daughter told TOI on phone , “When my father won the award, the first to congratulate him was SD Burman, whose Aradhana was in contention for the same prize.” Although Burman’s senior received the best male playback award for Aradhana’s title track.
The film composer was a partition rots survivor and used to work as a coolie on the Lahore railway station platform told him that riots had broken out and that he must take the train to Bombay to survive. Later, he stayed at a gurdwara in Dadar where he later also served as a raagi, the musician who sings Gurbani and was paid Rs. 10.
Prominent singers and music composers like Suraiya, K Asif, S Mukherjee, Madhubala were his supporters. His works are regarded in Punjab music industry as well.
