पंडित अमरनाथ

Pandit Amarnath (1912-1947) was a Hindi and Punjabi film music director born in Jalandhar, Punjab. He began his career as a singer and stage actor in Jalandhar's theatre scene during the 1930s before entering Hindi cinema, making his debut as a composer in 1942 with Nishani. Based first in Lahore and later in Bombay, he became a leading exponent of what came to be called the Punjab School of Hindi film music, and served as director of the HMV (His Master's Voice) orchestra in Bombay.

Amarnath is credited with discovering and mentoring several singers who went on to become major names in playback singing, including Shamshad Begum, Naseem Akhtar, and Zeenat Begum - his composition "Raaten Na Rahin Woh Bhi Na Rahen," sung by Zeenat Begum for the 1944 film Daasi, became so popular that he was thereafter known as "Pandit Amarnath of Daasi fame," with Daasi remaining his most celebrated score. He also trained a generation of musicians who worked in his orchestra, including Khayyam. He is widely credited with recommending his young assistants Husnlal and Bhagatram - who would go on to form Hindi cinema's first composer duo - to Prabhat Film Company, launching their independent careers.

Amarnath died of cardiac failure in February 1947, at the age of 35, while in the middle of composing the score for the film Mirza Sahiban; Husnlal and Bhagatram completed the film's music after his death.