Imagine the time when there was no Nepali songs. Imagine when there was no tea with sugar in Nepal, black tea with salt and ghee being the norm. Also imagine there were no entertainment available. What we imagine was the living reality for Nepalese in the first decade of this Bikram Sambat century. It was just after the Rana regime had been sent packing. In the family of singer, Prem Dhoj Pradhan started singing Hindi songs to entertain himself taking after his mother who sang for Radio Nepal. Since he recorded his first song for Nepali movie Maitighar, “Namana laaj tesari” he remained active until he passed away on May 6th from chest infection at the age of 83.
His romance with heartfelt songs depicting innocent love will live on forever in our hearts. His life has been brought to an end in the most trying of times. It is not just an end to a remarkable life, but also a message to us all. It means the death of innocence and chivalry that oozed out of his persona.
More than a thousand songs in Nepali and 100 in Newari, he has sung songs that are still pulling the heart strings of Nepalese. While Narayan Gopal is known for his tragedy songs, Prem Dhoj became the epitome of love as his name suggests. Those were the times when Hindi songs ruled and Nepali songs hardly existed. But songs from the team of Nepali singers back then, even his mother, started making Nepali songs popular.
We know him just from his songs and some interviews on social media, in his tribute Nepal’s legendary comedian Madan Krishna Shrestha has posted a heart-felt words. He highlighted the unique character of Prem Dhoj as someone who was the apple of the eye of all those around him, a devoted humanitarian, never wishing ill of anyone ever and blessed with an angelic aura. Madan Krishna reveals that it was in the song composed by Prem Dhoj that he sang in a contest in BS 2026 that won him the first place. His tribute has touched the hearts of millions of Nepalese.
Just the description of him on the status highlights the stark contrast between those innocent days and the present that is anything but. Let his life inspire others to emulate his persona and shed some light in the darkness we are all enduring right now.
You remain forever in Nepali hearts.
We have made a playlist of some of Prem Dhoj Pradhan’s Videos below.
