Pankaj Mullick

Pankaj Kumar Mullick (1905–1978) occupies a seminal place in the cultural history of Indian cinema and modern Bengali music. Born in Kolkata into a family with a strong inclination towards traditional music, he developed an early fascination with sound and melody. His formal training in Indian classical music under Durgadas Bandyopadhyaya provided him with a solid technical foundation, while his academic years at Scottish Church College broadened his intellectual outlook. A turning point in his artistic life came through his close association with Dinendranath Tagore, which led to a lifelong engagement with Rabindra Sangeet and a personal rapport with Rabindranath Tagore himself.

Mullick’s professional career began in the 1920s with the Indian Broadcasting Corporation, later All India Radio, where he remained associated for nearly five decades as a composer, performer, and music director. His early recordings, beginning in 1926, established him as a leading voice of Rabindra Sangeet and brought classical-literary music into popular consciousness. During the 1930s and 1940s, he emerged as a central figure in Indian cinema, working extensively with New Theatres, Calcutta, where he served as one of its principal music directors for over twenty-five years.

As a composer and innovator, Pankaj Mullick played a historic role in introducing and systematizing playback singing in Indian films, working alongside filmmakers and sound engineers to refine the medium. He composed music for numerous landmark films and collaborated with iconic artists such as K. L. Saigal, S. D. Burman, Hemanta Mukherjee, Geeta Dutt, and Asha Bhosle. His devotional program, Mahishashur Mardini, broadcast annually on Mahalaya morning, remains one of the most enduring musical traditions of All India Radio.

Awarded the Padma Shri and later the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for lifetime achievement, Pankaj Mullick’s legacy continues through his recordings, compositions, and the enduring influence he had on Indian film music, radio culture, and Rabindra Sangeet.