Anand Modak

Anand Modak
Born	(1951-05-13)May 13, 1951 Akola, India
Died	23 May 2014(2014-05-23) (aged 63) Pune, Maharashtra, India
Nationality	Indian
Occupation(s)	Composer, Music Director
Years active	1972-2014

Anand Modak (Marathi: आनंद मोडक) (May 13, 1951 - May 23, 2014) was an acclaimed Marathi film composer and music director in Marathi cinema and Marathi theatre, known for his experimental style. He is notable films include Lapandav (1993), Chaukat Raja (1991), Tu Tithe Mee (1998), Naatigoti (2006), Harishchandrachi Factory (2009), Samaantar (2009), and Dambis (2011). In theatre, his notable compositions were for Mahanirvan, Mahapoor, Kheliya, Raigadala Jeva Jag Yete, Begum Barve, Chaukatcha Raja, and Mukta.

Early life and background

He was born in Akola, where he completed his primary education from Akola Education Society, Akola and also took early lessons in music. His mother was a singer, and later for taking further lessons in Music he came to Pune. He graduated from S.P. College (University of Pune) in Pune.

Career

In Pune, Modak came in touch with theatre directors like Jabbar Patel and Satish Alekar, who were directing experimental theatre. He started his music career in 1972, assisting Bhaskar Chandavarkar, the composer for Vijay Tendulkar's noted play Ghashiram Kotwal directed by Jabbar Patel in Pune. Later he started composing independently in 1974, with Satish Alekar's acclaimed Marathi play Mahanirvan for Theatre Academy, Pune, a theatre organisation founded by Alekar in 1973.

Meanwhile, he worked with Bank of Maharashtra while still making music, he left the job after a few years. His work in theatre, lead to composing music for radio, television, plays and eventually Marathi cinema, and later in career devotional music. He was known for his experimental style, and with music without using much instruments. He even did cinematography for the film Naatigoti (2009).

Most notable mentions about music he has given for award winning movies Chaukat Raja, Tu Tithe Mee and Harishchandrachi Factory, and plays like Mahapoor, Kheliya, Raigadala Jeva Jag Yete, Begum Barve, Chaukatcha Raja, and Mukta. One of his last films was biopic Yashwantrao Chavan - Bakhar Eka Vadalachi (2014). Over the years, he received both popular and critical acclaim for his work. He won Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Music, for Doghi, Mukta, Raosaheb, and Dhoosar.

His finest musical work came perhaps in Marathi non-film sphere. In 1980s and 1990s he was part of a prolific group in Pune whose other prominent members were Rajeev Paranjape, Chandrakant Kale, Madhuri Purandare. They did much acclaimed shows like Preet-rang and Amrit-gAthA; for Amrut-gatha, Anand Modak had set to tune verses of saint-poets Jnandev, Namdev, Eknath, Tukaram.

He died in Pune following a heart attack, at the age of 63. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.

Selected filmography

Films

As composer

Year	Title	Language
1979	22 June 1897	Marathi
1990	Disha	Marathi
1991	Chaukat Raja	Marathi
1993	Lapandav	Marathi
1995	Aai	Marathi
1998	Tu Tithe Mee	Marathi
2000	Zindagi Zindabad	Marathi
2006	Naatigothi	Marathi
2006	Divasen Divas	Marathi
2007	Dohaa	Marathi
2009	Harishchandrachi Factory	Marathi
2009	Samaantar	Marathi
2010	Umang	Marathi
2011	Dambis	Marathi
2012	Masala	Marathi
2014	Yashwantrao Chavan - Bakhar Eka Vadalachi	Marathi
2014	Rama Madav References External links Anand Modak at IMDb