Music director Khayyam, the last of the composers from the Golden Age of Hindi cinema, the 1950s, passed away on Monday. He was 92. Khayyam is survived by his wife, the singer Jagjit Kaur.His full name was Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi, though professionally he was known only by his last name. Born in Rahon, Punjab, in British India, he ran away to Lahore and then to Bombay to try his luck in the movies as a music director. His first break came in Romeo and Juliet (1947) as a singer but it was his second film as composer, Footpath, that brought him to the notice of audiences and film producers.Though he continued giving music till 2016, he was not prolific, composing only for a little over 50 films. His music was light on the orchestration, and imbued with romance and emotion. He had a special skill of tuning poetry into film songs, without losing the essence of the line or the metre. Always seen as the choice of discerning producers, he composed many memorable songs that pleased listeners and critics alike. Listed here are 10 of his legendary songs that showcase his versatility. § ‘Sham-e-gham ki kasam’Footpath (1953) by Zia Sarhadi was the film that got Khayyam noticed. A progressive story of a newspaperman who becomes corrupt, this is one of Dilip Kumar’s least known and under-appreciated performances, done at a time when he was going through a Leftist phase. This Khayyam-composed song has only grown in popularity.‘Chin-o-Arab Hamara’Phir Subah Hogi (1958) was based on Crime and Punishment and while it did not exactly become a super hit, the combination of Khayyam and Sahir Ludhianvi – which endured for over 20 years – produced songs that have become classics. The title song is an anthem of hope even today, but this one resonates much more in these times, starting out as a satire of Iqbal’s rousing paean to the motherland (Saare jahan se achcha) and ending with great hope about the future.‘Hai kali kali ke lab par’Lala Rukh (1958) was an Orientalist fantasy, said to be based on the life of a Moghul princess variously described as the daughter of Akbar and also of Aurangzeb. A B-grade costume drama, it has this Arab-music inspired gem.‘Jaane kya dhoondhti rehti hai’Shola Aur Shabnam (1961) was only the third film of Dharmendra, who had come to the industry after winning a popular contest for young actors. Directed by Ramesh Saigal, it was a run-of-the-mill story about childhood love and separation. As always, Khayyam’s score was memorable, with at least two enduring songs.‘Tum apna ranjo gham’A big flop with great songs, Shagoon (1964), about love separated by superstition, starred Waheeda Rehman and her future husband Kanwaljeet. For this song, Khayyam chose his wife Jagjit Kaur, whose heavy voice, not heard much in Hindi films, and the notes of a piano, gave a unique flavour. ‘Rut jawan jawan’Chetan Anand directed this small film, Aakhri Khat (1966) based on a story by Kishan Chunder, about an infant who gets lost in Bombay and roams about the street in search of his mother. One of Rajesh Khanna’s earliest films, this black and white film provided an opportunity to Khayyam to show his versatility, especially in this club song with just a guitar and a trumpet, the latter played by Chic Chocolate. Bhupinder, himself a guitarist, also enacted the role of a club singer on the screen. ‘Mein pal do pal ka shayar hoon’Kabhi Kabhie (1976) catapulted Khayyam to the big time. The Yash Chopra directed multi-starrer, with Amitabh Bachchan, Rakhee, Shashi Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor, among others, is still remembered for the lavish sets and locations and its songs, written by Sahir Ludhianvi and composed by Khayyam. It’s not an easy film to select a song from, but this is a definite stand out.‘Yeh kya jagah hai dosto’After the commercial blockbuster came many other films but the film that got him his first National Award was the Muzaffar Ali-directed Umrao Jaan (1981). It was the perfect marriage of lyricist (Shahryar), composer (Khayyam) and singer (Asha Bhonsle), who worked hard to get her accent and pitch right. The opulent production values, costumes, and the gorgeous Rekha, added to its appeal. Again, each song is a beauty, but the longing in this one sets it apart.‘Dikhayi diye yun’Bazaar (1982), directed by Sagar Sarhadi, was about a young girl who is married off by her father to a much older man, with songs taken from the poetry of Mir Taki Mir and Maktoom Moiuddin. ‘Ae dile naadan’Khayyam’s last big film was a commercial flop and not even Kamal Amrohi’s direction and Hema Malini’s beauty could save it. Razia Sultan (1983) told the story of a queen in love with a slave. Audiences remained unmoved, but the songs had a sublime quality to them, not the least being this one. Lata Mangeshkar is reported to have said that this was one of her all time favourites.