The news about Shannu’s [Shravan Rathod] demise left me shattered. We have lost one of the greatest music composers of India. We started out as teenagers, almost 48 years ago. During my Elphinstone College days, our mutual friend Harish Bhopaiya introduced us, knowing Shravan and I would connect over music. Soon after, in 1973, we judged a singing contest at St Anne’s Girls’ School, and after that, started jamming together. One fine day, Shravan suggested that we team up, like Laxmikant-Pyarelalji and Kalyanji-Anandji. That’s how our journey started.

We composed over 1,200 songs together. Our first assignment was Bhojpuri movie Dangal (1977), which went on to complete a golden jubilee. Mithun Chakraborty, who was like our godfather, believed in us and helped us sign Ilaaka [1989]. The next year, we bagged Aashiqui [1990], which was a turning point in our lives. That film was God’s gift to us — I had gone to Mecca before that, and prayed for international fame. For Aashiqui, we had a sitting with Gulshan ji [Kumar] at Mithun da’s bungalow at Madh Island. The sitting went on from 11 pm to 2 am. After hearing the songs, Papa ji [Kumar] hugged us and said, ‘Let’s work together.’ 

The success of Aashiqui’s album landed us Saajan [1991], Phool Aur Kaante [1991], Sadak [1991], Deewana [1992], Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke [1993], Raja Hindustani [1996] and many more movies. Shravan was like my younger brother. We did everything together — from buying his first car to [scouting the city for] his first house. Unfortunately, we were hit by a tragedy [the Gulshan Kumar murder case in 1997] and suffered for no fault of ours. [The environment] was so vicious that we kept fighting, until one day, Shravan broke down. It created a rift between us till we reunited for Do Knot Disturb [2009].

In spite of our differences, our bond was unbreakable. I had spoken to him only 25 days ago. I was constantly in touch with his son Sanjeev from the day he was hospitalised. Today, it feels as if a part of my body has been taken away. In the course of our partnership, we’ve lived a lifetime, and seen the highs and lows together. I feel helpless that I couldn’t meet my friend to bid him goodbye.