Ajit Merchant

Ajit Merchant was a veteran Indian music composer and director who worked in Gujarati films. Ajit Merchant was born on 15 August 1925 in Bombay. His family belonged to Bet Dwarka. His wife was Nilamben. He passed away on 18 March 2011 in Bombay. Ajit was a disciple of Pandit Shivkumar Shukla.

He was a stage actor before his music career. Ajit won the best actor prize at the Mumbai State Drama Festival for his acting Pragji Dosa's play Anahat Naad. Ajit ventured into music in 1945 when he was invited by C. Mehta for his radio show Ek Daayro. He composed the songs Ekvar Ghogha Jajo Re Gheriya and Pandadi Shi Hodi for the radio show and started to work at All India Radio as a music director.

After leaving the radio, Ajit composed music for over 250 plays in Hindi, Gujarati, and Marathi languages for the theatre group Navi Rangbhoomi. He began to work for film music as an assistant to Ashok Ghosh Ashok Ghosh is a famous and talented Director, Com >> Read More... . Refugee (1948) was his first movie as an independent music director. He composed music for several Hindi and Gujarati movies- Raj Kumari (1955), Bhakta Vibhishan (1958), Chandi Pooja (1957), Indra Leela (1956), Sapera (1961), Challenge (1964), Lady Killer (1968), Divadandi (1950), Kariyavar (1948), Lagna Mandap, Bahurooi. 

Some of his famous songs are Laagi Ram Bhajan Ni Lagani Laagi, Ghanshyam Gupchup Gupchup Bhatake Bhatake, Roop Tumhara Aankhon Se Pi Lu, Ujadi Hui Ishq Ki Duniya Tere Bagair, etc. The Maharashtra Rajya Gujarati Sahitya Akademi presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.