Maharashtra names Raam-Laxman for Lata Mangeshkar Award

The Maharashtra government's prestigious 'Lata Mangeshkar Award' for 2018 will be conferred on Vijay Patil, of the music director duo Raam-Laxman, Cultural Affairs Minister Vinod Tawde said here on Friday. The annual award is declared on the birthday (September 28) of the legendary singer, Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar, who completed 89 on Friday, he said.

Patil, the surviving partner Laxman of the famous Raam-Laxman team, shall be honoured with a cash prize of Rs 500,000, citation and a trophy at a function, Tawde added. Born in 1942 in Nagpur, Patil along with his late partner Raam, composed superhit music for some of the biggest Bollywood films, besides Marathi, Bhojpuri and other Indian languages. They are best known for their work with Rajshri Films, the late comedian Krishna alias Dada Kondke, Ravindra Raval and other leading film-makers. Kondke first noticed their talent and in 1976 hired them to compose for his riotous comedy, 'Pandu Havaldar'. The music proved to be a raging hit, giving them a firm foothold in the film industry.

Though Raam died in 1976, Patil continues to retain his partner's name till date and later, he composed blockbuster music for films like 'Maine Pyar Kiya', 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun,' 'Hum Saath Saath Hain,' 'Agent Vinod', 'Deewana Tere Naam Ka', 'Tarana', 'Hum Se Badhkar Kaun', 'Pathhar Ke Phool', 'Anmol', '100 Days', 'Police Public', 'Satvaan Aasman', among many more. In Marathi, Patil composed music for 'Tumcha Aamcha Jamla', 'Ram Ram Gangaram', 'Bot Lavil Tithe Gudgudlya', 'Aali Angaavar', 'Aapli Mansa', 'Hich Khari Daulat', 'Deedh Shahane', 'Lake Chaaalli Sasarla', 'Devta'.

One of their composed bhajans, 'Deva Ho Deva, Ganpati Deva, Tumse Hai Badhkar Kaun' sung by Mohammed Rafi is a regular playing during the annual Ganeshotsav festival in Maharashtra. During his four-decade long career, which started with setting up a stage orchestra named 'Amar-Vijay' in Nagpur in 1974, Raam-Laxman composed music for more than 150 films, bagging several top awards.

Prior to this, the award has been conferred on eminent singers and composers like Manik Verma, Shrinivas Khale, Gajanan Vatve, Datta Davjekar, Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki, Pt. Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Jyotsna Bhole, Asha Bhosle, Anil Biswas, Master Sudhir Phade, Pyarelal Sharma of the Laxmikant-Pyarelal duo, Ravindra Jain, Snehal Bhatkar, Manna De, Jaymala Shiledar, Khayyam, Mahendra Kapoor, Suman Kalyanpur, Sulochana Chavan, Yeshwant Dev, Anandji Shah of Kalyanji-Anandji duo, Ashok Patki, Krishna Kalle, Prabhakar Jog, Uttam Singh and Pushpa Pagdhare.