Khayyam wanted to be an actor

Khayyam learnt music because actors in those days were required to sing.

Indore: He has been the man behind some of the most beautiful melodies in Hindi cinema but not many know that musician Khayyam stepped into the world of showbiz with a dream to become an actor.

Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi, better known as Khayyam, started learning music because actors in those days were required to sing. "I wanted to become an actor in my youth. In those days actors were required to have a sense of music because they had to sing also," Khayyam said. Known for his music in hits like `Kabhi Kabhi` and `Umrao Jaan`, the 85-year-old musician said he did some work as an actor but destiny had other plans for him. After learning the nuances of music from greats like Husnlal and Baba Chisti, Khayyam devoted himself to music. Khayyam was awarded the 2007 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India for 2011. The musician, who credits his wife Jagjeet Kaur for his success, says he never looked back after composing in Amitabh Bachchan starrer `Kabhi Kabhi` in 1976. PTI