Iqbal Qureshi (12 May 1930 — 21 March 1998) was an Indian music composer and director, credited with film scores for several Hindi films between 1958 and 1986, best known for his music to the song "Ek Chameli Ke Mandve Tale" in the film Cha Cha Cha (1964), the first Indian film to feature Western dance.
His interest in music began as a child when he sang for private gatherings and for All India Radio. He became involved in the Indian People's Theatre Association when he moved to Mumbai as an adult and began to direct music for dramas.
He composed music for 10 songs in the 1958 film Panchayat, in which he combined folk and classical music and promoted the use of the been and the kanch tarang glass instrument in the song "Tha Thaiya Karke Aana".[2][3][8] The duet was sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Geeta Dutt.[8]
In 1960, he composed music for two films; Bindiya and Love in Simla,[9] both with songs written by Rajendra Krishan and sung by Mohammed Rafi.[2][8] The tunes to two of these songs, "Main Apne Aap Se Ghabra Gaya Hoon" and "Yoon zindagi ke raaste sanwaarte chale gaye" showed how Rafi could reach high pitched notes.[2][3] Qureshi's "Gaal Gulabi Kiske Hain" in Love in Simla, sung by Rafi and starring the then new actor Joy Mukherjee, was hummed for years to come.[3][7]
The following year he composed music for the film Umar Qaid, which included the sad ghazal "Mujhe raat din ye khayaal hai, woh nazar se mujhko gira na dein", written by Hasrat and sung by Mukesh.[2]
He composed and directed the music for Chandrashekhar's 1964 film Cha Cha Cha, which featured Helen in her first leading role.[11] The film included the song "Subah Na Aayi Shaam Na Aayi", written by the then new songwriter Neeraj, and sung by Rafi.[8][7][12] From that film, he became best known for composing the music to Makhdoom Mohiuddin's poem "Chara Gar", depicted in the song "Ek Chameli Ke Mandve Tale", which tells the story of two lovers who can never be together.[2][6] The music was described by Indian film music historian Manek Premchand as Qureshi's "best efforts".[2]
After 1964, the films he contributed to were not as successful.[2] He composed the music in Alam Ara (1973), the remake of the first Indian talkie film Alam Ara (1931).[3] By 1986, he had directed the music for 25 Hindi films.[5][8]
Death
Qureshi died at home in Vile Parle, Mumbai, on 21 March 1998, weeks after giving a television interview.[2]