Music director duos are a unique Bollywood feature, and many have become iconic.
In this special series, Dinesh Raheja explores prominent music duos, and their dynamics.
Laxmikant-Pyarelal scored music for a record-shattering 450-plus films. From Parasmani in 1963 till Khalnayak's Choli Ke Peeche in 1993, their tunes flooded the airwaves.
They began with B-grade films but, in 1967, their hit scores for Aye Din Bahaar Ke, Milan, Farz and Shagird provided the wind beneath their wings to help them soar straight to the A league.
The childhood buddies never looked back.
They fashioned innumerable musical masterpieces embellished with classical raags and desi rhythms -- the playful Bindiya Chamkegi, the spiritual Satyam Shivam Sundaram, the romantic Main Shayar Toh Nahin and foot-tappers like Dafliwale.
Up-tempo chartbusters such as My Name Is Anthony Gonzalves, Om Shanti Om and Ek Do Teen also affirmed the duo's ability to match beats with the changing mood of the times.
For a brief period in the 1990s, their relationship was strained but L-P soon reconciled and the strains of their musical jugalbandi continued to be heard.
They celebrated their re-entry into the RK banner with Prem Granth (1996), but sadly, it was to be among their last significant scores.
Laxmikant passed away two years later, at the age of 60.
Subsequently, Pyarelal was offered films but he says he didn't find them worthwhile.
After several years, the maestro did return to work for a music album and for the Dhoom Taana song in Om Shanti Om (2007) but it proved difficult to recreate the L-P magic in a new era.
Pyarelal has since opted for voluntary retirement but it is heartening to see him being deservedly felicitated on reverential television music shows.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff