By Admin 
Khemchand Prakash is a name in the world of Hindi film music, whose tunes gave a new identity to the music of the old era. He was not only a great composer but also a mentor who gave a starting platform to legendary artists like Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey, Naushad and Mukesh. His guidance and passion changed the lives of all of them, but the fate of them was that they themselves could not see the heights of these stars.
‘Passion for music since childhood’
Khemchand Prakash was born on 12 December 1907 in Jaipur. His father Govardhan Das was a well-known Dhrupad singer and Kathak dancer. Khemchand was engrossed in music since childhood and learned the depth of raga, taal and tunes from his father. At the age of just 19, he became a Jaipur court singer. After this, he also worked as a singer in the courts of Bikaner and Nepal, where he got a chance to understand the nuances of royal music.
‘Journey to Kolkata and first step in the film industry’
After this Khemchand reached Kolkata and joined New Theatres. Here he worked as an assistant to the famous musician Timir Baran in films like ‘Devdas’ (1935). During this time, he also sang a comic song in ‘Street Singer’ (1938), which became quite popular. These years in Kolkata proved to be the foundation for his career and he closely understood the music patterns of the film industry.
‘New beginning in Mumbai and first chance given to superstars’
Khemchand came to Mumbai in 1939 and composed the music of ‘Meri Aankhen’ and ‘Ghazi Salauddin’ for Supreme Pictures. Later he joined Ranjit Movietone and gave music in films like ‘Diwali’, ‘Holi’, ‘Fariad’ and ‘Tansen’. During this period, he gave recognition to Lata Mangeshkar, gave a chance to Kishore Kumar to sing his first song and gave entry to names like Naushad and Manna Dey in the industry. At that time Khemchand was like a talent factory.
‘Birth of an evergreen legend’
Khemchand’s most iconic film was ‘Mahal’ (1949). The song ‘Aayega Aane Wala’ from this film became the turning point in Lata Mangeshkar’s life. This song became such a hit that Lata instantly became a superstar. Khemchand’s music opened many careers and gave direction to many stars.
Unfortunately, on August 10, 1950, at the age of just 42, Khemchand Prakash died due to liver cirrhosis. He could not see the success of the artists he launched. Today, even though his name is less heard by common people, his tunes and the legacy created by him will always be special for music lovers.