Om Prakash Bhandari (9 March 1917 – 9 January 2003),[1] better known as Qamar Jalalabadi, was an Indian poet and lyricist of songs for Hindi movies.
He was born as Om Prakash Bhandari in a Punjabi family on 9 March 1917[2] in Jalalabad, a village near Beas in Amritsar district, Punjab, India.
His songs were sung by many notable singers including S. D. Batish, Noor Jehan, G. M. Durrani, Zeenat Begum, Manju, Amirbai Karnataki, Mohammad Rafi, Talat Mahmood, Geeta Dutt, Suraiya, Mukesh, Manna Dey, Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar.
[citation needed] His brush with comedy was in Aansoo Aur Muskan with, " Guni Jano, Bhakt Jano…" sung by Kishore Kumar as an actor in the movie.
On one hand he wrote mesmeric duets like "Sun Meri Saanwari Mujhko Kahin Tum Bhool Na Jaana…" sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi (film: Aansoo 1953) and on the other hand he penned comic relief songs like "Khush Hai Zamana Aaj Pehli Tarikh Hai" endured with full throttle gusto by Kishore Kumar (film: Pehli Tarikh-1954).
Burman, Anil Biswas, Shyam Sunder, Sajjad Hussain, Master Krishnarao, C. Ramchandra, Madan Mohan, Sudhir Phadke, S.D.
He once gifted a bungalow in Khar, Mumbai to one of his married sisters to save her from a difficult marriage, and shifted to simpler accommodation in Juhu with his own family.