Salil Chowdhury

Manohar (1954)

A rare and unusual Hindi film, possibly the dubbed version of the Tamil film Manohara.

Film Information

Language: Hindi

Lyricists: V. M. Adil & J. S. Kashyap

Only two Salil-composed songs are known for this film, both released on 78 RPM discs.

Songs

Nr	Song	Singer(s)	Hnd	Mal	Tam	Tel	Kan	Bng	Oth
MO1	Do matwale do dilwale	Shamshad Begum, Chorus	✔	-	-	-	-	-	-
MO2	Maharaja jaago ji	Asha Bhonsle, Chorus	✔	-	-	-	-	-	-

Notes & Background

Manohar (1954) is a mysterious entry in Salil Chowdhury’s Hindi filmography. It appears to be a dubbed Hindi version of the Tamil film Manohara, though no surviving documentation fully confirms this.

Only two songs composed by Salil have been found, both issued on HMV 78 RPM records, making them extremely rare.

These recordings are prized among collectors not only because of their scarcity, but also due to their unique melodic style, showcasing Salil’s early experimentation.