HYDERABAD: Who can forget the signature tune of Doordarshan or the classic ‘mile sur mera tumera – tho sur banne humara’, national television’s theme song that reverberated in every living room in the country not so long ago?
The man who composed those soothing tunes, and many more, – the legendary musician Louis Banks – clearly remembers the days when he was an inseparable part of Indian cinema. Working along with great musicians of Bollywood like R.D. Burman, Bappi Lahiri and Shankar- Jaikishan, Bank’s contributions to many movies are significant. He was one of the key musicians who introduced jazz music to Indian cinema. The 81-year-old Banks contributed more than 10,000 jingles for television and radio.
Deccan Chronicle caught up with the man, also known as the Father of Indian Jazz.
Louis Banks says his life changed due to the electricity crisis in Calcutta. “In 1977, when R.D. Burman came to our club and heard me, he gave me an offer to play piano…