KARACHI, March 22: Nisar Bazmi, one of the most iconic musicians of the country, died after a long illness here on Thursday night. He was 82. Responsible for the success of many a star singer, Bazmi’s numbers had an uncanny knack of catching the imagination of the public.

Ahmed Rushdi’s “Aise bhi hain meherban” or “kuchh loag rooth kar bhi”, Noor Jehan’s “Abhi dhoond hi rahi thi”, Runa Laila’s “Dil dhadke” or “Kaatay na katay”, Mehdi Hasan’s “Ranjish hi sahi”, Nayyara Noor’s “Bol re guriya bol zara”, and Alamgir’s “Hum chale to humaray” were all instant hits, speaking volumes for the quality work Bazmi produced in a music career spanning over 60 years.

Born Syed Nisar Ahmed in Mumbai, India, in 1925 into a religious family, he changed his last name to Bazmi to embark on a film music career in India. His first film, Jumna Paar, was released in 1946 and immediately established him as a first-rate composer.

Bazmi composed songs for more than 40 films in India (“Jaib katra”, “Dagha baaz dost”, “Extra girl”, “Khaufnaak aankhein”), 28 of which were released before he migrated to his new homeland.

In Pakistan, he started his career with “Aisa bhi hota hai”. His national songs were as popular as his film numbers. PTV played a great role in popularising “Yeh watan tumhara hai”, “Khayal rakhna”, “Hum zinda qaum hain” and “Aae rooh-i-Quaid”.