Everyone has seen a Police Officer. Tall and broad, usually a six footer, with a bold chin and nose, this guardian of the law command awe and respect from every quarter. Can you imagine one of your most favorite Music Directors in this enviable position? Yet this would have happened, in the natural course of things, to his young man whom the entire music world now knows as C. Ramchandra, had not fate intervened. C. Ramchandra is full 6’ high, broad shouldered, has a large forehead and a fine crop on top with sprinkling of silver in it.

As a child he had two ambitions – one to be a Police Officer and the other to be a good actor. He failed in his first but very nearly succeeded in the other. For while in the English 5th Standard, he bade good-bye to education and turned towards stage and music.

He was born on 12th January 1918 of a middle class Brahmin family at Puntambe in Nagar District. Ram spent his childhood in Nagpur where his father was a Station Master. Even as a child he was passionately fond of music and had his initiation in the art in the Shree Ram Sangeet Vidyalaya, Nagpur. At the early age of 14, he abandoned his school career and came to Kolhapur in 1932 to join the films. He found a job in Lalit Pictures which went into liquidation no sooner it started. He then joined Samrat Cinetone and played the hero’s role – Naganand – in their maiden picture. The picture having failed, this concern also closed it shutters and Ram had to return to Puntambe completely disappointed in 1934.

The work in Kolhapur had gripped him and the boy was restless at the little village. Barely three years later, he came down to Bombay in 1937 to try his luck again.

Those days were the beginning of the talkies and the few film producing concerns that were functioning were doing very well. Nineteen year old Ram was tall and impressive and though not favored with good looks, his keenness and passionately genuine desire to go on the screen brought him a job to work as an extra in the Minerva Film Co., on Rs. 20/- per month. As an extra, he had very minor and negligible roles in “Saed -E-Havas” and “Atma Tarang”. Soon after the completion of “Atma Tarang”, however, he was retrenched and this came to him as a severe blow. Confident of his own abilities and with grim determination to make yet another effort, he boldly went to Shri Sohrab Modi and entreated him to give him some job. Sohrab Modi has a very keen eye for talent and he decided to retain the youngster on the same salary as harmonium player in the Music Department. This marked the end of his career on the stage but simultaneously proved to be the beginning of a very brilliant and successful career in the domain of music.

His tunes are always extremely rich in variety and freshness and a mood of complete abandon and carefree attitude runs freely through his hits.

While a staunch devotee of Indian Classical Music, C. Ramchandra is definitely of the opinion that Music for the films is entirely a separate affair.

He does not want therefore to be fettered and, as is amply borne out, has the most cosmopolitan outlook. For the proper presentation, correct tone and timbre to his scores, C. Ramchandra utilizes between 20 and 25 instruments.

He always attends concerts of Western Music and makes study of popular music. Thus he obtains ideas in orchestration new to the Indian Music.

He likes to use 10 to 12 Violins, 2 Cellos, 2 Clarinets and 1 trumpet besides other instruments like Piano, Tabla, Sitar, Guitar etc. for his presentation.

In the opinion of C. Ramchandra purely musical pictures will not succeed financially. He always liked to do quality work and therefore prefers to have only two pictures on hand at a time. His popularity and box office success however are responsible for sadling him with too much of work at a time much against his wishes and principle. In his opinion late Pandit Amarnath was the most brilliant music director India ever had. He says he has yet to meet a tune maker like him. Amongst the song writers he mentions P.L. Santoshi, Pradeep and Rajendra Krishan as the most versatile both in ideas and style. Shantaram according him is the most able director and Lata the most efficient and brilliantly gifted play back singer. The standard of cine music has definitely been raised since after her entry into the line and the speed of recording the songs has also quickened on account of her quick grasp and efficient and almost flawless rendering.

Hardly 13 years before a penniless man drawing a miserable living – wage of Rs. 20/- per month, Chitalkar is now the proud owner of a three storeyed building worth over a lake of rupee in Shivaji Park and is always to be seen rushing about the different studios for his recordings or rehearsals in the most up-to-date smart automobiles. A staunch devotee of Shri Saibaba of Shirdi, Ram ascribes all his success to Baba’s favors. He has recently floated a picture producing concern of his own under the name Shri Sai Productions and you will soon hear Shri Ramchandra as Producer/Music Director of a new picture. We wish him all luck in his venture. He is plain in his habits and most unassuming and amiable in disposition. Romantic and gay by nature he always brings brilliance and life to any gathering. Let us all hope and wish him greater successes and more glorious achievements (This interview was conducted in 1951).