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Tradition Of Success
Kharel is known for writing songs that are simple and easy to comprehend for the masses
By THAKUR AMGAI
“ E Durka Sitara, Mero Chandani Kahan Chha”
This evergreen song – sung and composed by Batu Krishna Jwala - which has retained its popularity among the Nepalese audience for the past 50 years was the first creation of the lyricist. The fine verses make it difficult to believe that it was a maiden venture of a young song writer.
The lyricist who proved his flair for writing songs from the very first song is none other than Kiran Kharel. His songs written over the years have established him as a popular personality in Nepal and abroad. In addition, Kharel is revered widely as a radio anchor and the anchor of hundreds of Nepali documentaries.
Kharel, now in his mid sixties, is still as energetic as he was during his youth. He is actively involved in writing songs and inspiring younger generation of musicians and litterateurs.
As a child he nurtured two ambitions – to become a radio anchor and write songs. “I had two ambitions during my childhood, one to become a song writer and the other to become an anchor in Radio,” said Kharel, “And I think I have become successful in both.”
“I never had very great expectations,” said Kharel adding, “So, I am very much content with what I have achieved over the years.”
Born on the new year day of 1940 in the eastern district of Kavrepalanchowk, Kharel came to Kathmandu since early childhood for schooling.
At that time there were no signs of modernism in Kathmandu . The technical features of Radio would astonish him. “As we gathered around the radio set at a neighbor’s house to listen to various programs, I would wonder how people could stay inside such a small radio and speak.”
Later, as he grew he understood that people would speak from a studio and the sound would be electronically transmitted to the Radio sets. The people who spoke from the Radio were revered by the public. Kharel wanted to become one of them.
He had the necessary skill to become an anchor. Since early childhood he was praised for his voice and reading style when he narrated the Hindu epics Ramayana and Swasthani in front of a small audience in Kavre.
He started going to Radio Nepal and mingled with the anchors and musicians there. He also started writing stories, which were published in the magazines then. He then got the opportunity to write articles and read them for ‘Bal Karyakram’ (Children’s Program) of Radio Nepal . In mid-1960s, he joined as a program producer and a Radio anchor.
He worked for Radio Nepal for about seven years. During these times he wrote and gave voice to many radio dramas and programs. He also continued with his other passion – song writing. Tailing the success of the first song, his subsequent songs also became popular. In less than one decade during the beginning of his career he bagged the prestigious award as the best lyricist awarded on the occasion of Radio Nepal’s anniversary four times.
For his contribution to the Nepali music and Radio Nepal , he was awarded the much coveted ‘Prabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu’. Later he was also decorated with ‘Prakhyat Trishakti Patta’ and ‘Chhinnalata Puraskar’. He has received countless honors and awards by now.
After serving in Radio Nepal for about seven years, he joined the Royal Nepal Film Corporation. His main job was to write scripts and announce for the documentaries that the corporation made. He worked his way through to the Deputy General Manager and retired from the corporation after its privatization about twelve years ago.
He has published anthologies of his songs including ‘Ke Ho Timro Nam ’, ‘Mero Paru’ and ‘Priyatama’.
Kharel has written songs for about a hundred feature films. Likewise, he has written scripts and announced for about two hundred documentaries. In total, he has written about five hundred songs.
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