Biography
Madan Mohan Kohli (1924 - 1975), was an Indian musician, considered one of the most melodic musicians in the Hindi film industry. He was born on June 25, 1924, in Baghdad, where his father worked as an Accountant General in the Iraqi police force. After 1932, his family returned to their hometown of Chakwal and then to the Jhelum area of Punjab, in British that time India. He was left in the care of a grandparent while his father went to Mumbai to look for business opportunities. He attended a local school in Lahore where he learned the basics of classical music but never received any formal music education. Shortly afterwards, his family moved to Bombay He enlisted in the Army as a Lieutenant in 1943. He served there for two years until the end of World War II, when he left the Army and returned to Mumbai to pursue his musical interests. In 1946, he joined All India Radio as a program assistant, where he came in contact with various artists and began composing music that was broadcast on All India Radio. In 1947, he transferred to All India Radio Delhi where he worked for a short time. In 1947 he had the opportunity to record two of his own songs which were quite successful and he soon entered the Hindi film industry and became one of the most important composers of film music.
He died of cirrhosis of the liver on July 14, 1975.