Vijay Kalyanji Shah (born 5 June 1959), popularly known as Viju Shah, is an Indian music composer who works in the Hindi film industry. He is the son of Kalyanji Virji Shah, music director from the composer duo Kalyanji–Anandji. Having composed for over 20 Hindi film soundtracks, Shah is known for his compositions in Tridev (1989), Vishwatma (1992), Mohra (1994), Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997) and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998). He is the recipient of a Filmfare Award from eight nominations. Shah is primarily known for his ability on the keyboard and has earned the title "the King of Synth Sounds". He emerged as a composer during a pivotal time in the Hindi film industry, when programmed music was taking over the traditional orchestral music. He was one of the pioneers to the significant shift from acoustic to electronic soundscapes, becoming a key figure in the evolution of modern Bollywood music.

Career

Debut and breakthrough with Tridev (1989)

Shah made his Bollywood debut with Rajiv Rai's action thriller Yudh (1985) under his original name Vijay Shah. It marked the first of several collaborations with Rai. Shah’s breakthrough in Bollywood started when he composed for Rai's musical action thriller Tridev (1989). The film's soundtrack emerged as a major success, with songs like "Tirchi Topiwale", "Gali Gali Mein Phirta Hai" and "Gajar Ne Kiya Hai Ishara" becoming instant hits. Tridev earned him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director (jointly with Kalyanji–Anandji).

Success (1992–1998)

Following the success of Tridev, Shah singlehandedly composed the soundtrack on Rai's action thriller Vishwatma (1992), which featured the song "Saat Samundar"—one of the major hits of the year. Eventually, it was followed by a composing opportunity for the background score of horror thriller, Junoon (1992). The next year, he composed for the action drama, Lootere (1993), which earned him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Background Score. The duo's collaboration reached new heights with the action thriller, Mohra (1994). The film's soundtrack emerged as a major success, with songs like "Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast" and "Tip Tip Barsa Pani" becoming instant chartbusters. The music played a significant role in the film’s box office success, with the tracks becoming cultural phenomena in their own right. Mohra remains one of Shah's most celebrated works, showcasing his ability to innovate within the framework of commercial Bollywood music. The music album went on to become the second highest-selling Bollywood soundtrack album of the year (after Hum Aapke Hain Koun), having sold more than 8million units. The film earned him his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. The same year, he also composed the background score for Rajkumar Santoshi's comedy Andaz Apna Apna, which earned him his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Background Score. His work continued in the musical score of romantic drama, Tere Mere Sapne (1996), produced by Amitabh Bachchan's ABCL. The film's soundtrack earned Shah his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. Shah and Rai next collaborated on the murder mystery thriller, Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997). The soundtrack, which featured several songs like "Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela", "Mushkil Bada Yeh Pyar Hai", and "Gupt Gupt," is widely regarded as one of Shah's works. Shah ended the millennium with David Dhawan's action comedy Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998). The film's soundtrack includes songs like "Makhna" which became popular hits, contributing to the film's commercial success. It also earned him his fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director.

Later career (2000–present)

His collaboration with Rai continued into the new millennium for films like Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat (2001) and Asambhav (2004); however, these films failed to replicate the success of their earlier projects. In 2020, Shah composed the background score for the Netflix crime drama film Class of '83.

Awards

Discography