Shankar Jaikishan (SJ) are known to be the most versatile composer deo, the Hindi film industry was ever blessed with! SJ were the pioneers in popularizing Indian film music not only in India bu also overseas. who can forget the immortal songs like 'Awara hoon', 'Gar aya mera pardasi' and 'mera joota hai japani' ? These are the compositions that made Raj Kapoor a superstar and every one to take notice of Hindi film musics around the world. 'Awara hoon' and 'mera joota hai japani' are still a rage in Middle East, Africa, China and Russia.
 
 
SJ were the first music composer to understand, realize and demonstrate the important role which the orchestra can play in enhancing the overall impact impact of the song. They revolutionized the use of orchestra and interlude music of songs and made these as the integral and inseparable parts of their composition rather than using tan using these as mere fillers, as was the practice their advent on the horizon of Hindi film music, That is why prelude, interlude and background music of many of their song is as notable, Hun-able and melodious, as the tune of the main song. Quite often, their song cannot be reproduced impressively without playing their interlude.
 
 
Due to their vast knowledege and command over various forms of musics (classical, flok, oriental, westren, to nam a few) Snamkar-Jaikishan could do full justice to any film irrespective of the theme annd subject of the film. The amply demonstrated this by creating memoriable musics for themes as drivers as 'Basant Bahar' and 'Amrapali' one hand, 'An evening in paris' and 'Brahmchari' on the other hand and like 'Teesri Kasam' on an entireel different front. Needless to say, irrespective of the success or failure of the film commerically their musics invariable came out a success.
 
 
While SJ are widely known for their memoriable and immortal melodies for various films of Raj Kapoor (Barasaat, Awara, Sri 420, Chori-Chori, Anari, Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti hai, Sangam, Mera Naam Joker) Shammi Kapoor (jungli, Professor, Dil Tera Deewana, Brahmachari, Janwar, Budtameez, An evening in paris, Pagla Kaheen Ka, jawan Mohabbat, Prience, jane Anjane) and Rajendra kumar (Zindagi, DIl ek Mandair, apana aur preet parai, Ai Milan ki bela, Arzoo, Sasural), they also gave musics for sevveral of the movies of other matinee idols like Dev Anand (Asli Naqli, Love Marriage, JPKSHH, Pyar-Mohabbat), Monoj kumar (Harya aur Rasta, Penchan, Sanyasi) and jitendra (Mere huzoor), to name a few. They were the ones to give Shammi Kapoor the 'Yahoo' image with their revolutionary songs 'Yahoo, chahe koi mujhe jungle kahe' and 'Aiai y karun main kya suku. suku' and were the one big reason why Rajendra kumar was called 'jubilee' star, since a Rajendrs Kumar films with musics by SJ celebrated jublies!
 
 
Contrary to the popular belief that SJ mainly created popular light-musics-oriented songs, if one counts the total number of their classical-musics-based songs, one realizes in amazement that they also played a very significant role in taking the Indian classical music to the masses. The success of their classical-musics-based songs too i un-paralleled such as in Basant Bahar ('Sur na saje kya gaun main' : Manna Dey, 'Bhay bhanjana vandana suhamari' : Manna Dey, 'Badi der bjai kab loge khabar more Ram' : Rafi, 'Main piya teri tu mane ya na mane' : lata), Seema ('Man mohana bade jhoothe' : lata, 'Tu pyar ka sagar hai' : Manna Dey), Love in Tokya ('Koi matwala aya mere dware' : Lata), jane Anjane (Chhan Chhan baje re payaliya : Manna Dey), Sanjh aur savera ('Ajahun na aaye baalma sawan beeta jaye' : Rafi-Suman Kalyanpur), Beti Bete ('Radhik hai raat jawan jagte rahoto' : Asha), Sangam (Ai mere sanam : Lata-Mukesh), Mera Naam Joker (Kate na Kat Raina : Manna Dey-Asha Bhonsle) and numerous others.
 
 
To say that Shankar-Jaikishan understood that taste masses, would be an understatement; on the country, they shaped the taste of the masses to their own innovative will, by their charing, age-les melodies. They created hit after hit so consistently that their films made silver/golden jubliees, quite often sole an the strength of their music. Their music catered to classes and masses alike; while most of their 'popular compositions were 'classy' in content, their more 'classy' composition had surprising 'Mass-appel'. No other music composers have so much variety as Shankar Jaikishan. They hold the record for maximum number of (9) Film-fare Best musics awards which remains as unconquered feat up till now!'
 
 
A tribute to their artistry came when their song 'Jaan Pehchan ho : sung by Mohammed Rafi from their 196 movie 'Gumnsm', was included in the opening scenes of the Holy-wood movie 'Ghost World' released in 200 (ie. full 40 yearsa after creation of the song by SJ!). Prelude of Baharo phool Barsao was used in songs English album by JEM. Hollywood movie "The guru" too included a SJ song from Sasural.