Dev Kohli dies at 80

Veteran Bollywood lyricist Dev Kohli, who penned memorable superhit songs like Kabootar Jaa, Jaa, Jaa, Ye Kaali Kaali Aankhen, Dil Deewana, Bin Sajna Ke Maane Na and Chalti Hai Kay Nau Se Bara, passed away on Saturday morning after a prolonged illness, industry sources said.

He was 80 and breathed his last owing to age-related ailments at his Andheri home.

Born on November 2, 1942 to a Sikh family of Rawalpindi (now Pakistan), his family later settled in Dehradun.

He studied at the Shri Guru Nanak Dev Guru Maharaja College there and when he was 22, came to Bombay in 1964, searching for employment in the entertainment world. After an initial struggle of five years, he got his first break – writing a song for the film Gunda (1969) – Khushi Se Jaan Le Lo Ji, which was composed by music director GS Kohli, which barely made musical ripples.

But it was only two years later that he was catapulted to fame by penning songs for the musical film Laal Pathhar (1971) in which Kohli’s number Geet Gaata Hoon Main became a huge rage, composed by Shankar-Jaikishan and rendered by Kishore Kumar. He wrote many superhit songs for films like Maine Pyar Kiya (1990), Aansoo Bane Angare (1993), Baazigar (1994), Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1995) and Dahek (1999)