Radio Farishta is paying tribute to music maestro Khayyam to mark his 81st birthday. "Kabhie Kabhie mere dil mein… Khayal aataa hai… Ke jaise tujhko banaayaa gayaa hai mere liye", "Dil cheez kya hai… Aap meri jaan lijiye… Bas ek baar mera kaha… maan lijiye…” For decades, songs like these have immortalized romance on the silver screen. Bringing life to poignant poetry with melody is the genius called Khayyam.

Radio Farishta, the 24-hour classic (retro) Hindi film music station on WorldSpace Satellite Radio celebrates Khayyam Saab's 81st birthday with a special series dedicated to his music and his journey in the Hindi film industry. Aired at 10 pm from Monday to Friday through the rest of February, the series promises listeners a peek into the veteran's life, love and of course, his music.Mohammed Zahoor Khayyam Hashmi, popularly known as Khayyam composed music for the heart and from the heart.

His name echoes the highest caliber of music in the Hindi film industry. Khayyam is part of what is known as ‘the golden era’ of Hindi films in the decades that spanned during the late 1950s through to the 1960s. Famed for working on his own terms, Khayyam was one of the most expensive and sought-after composers of his time. In this exclusive series, Khayyam shares never-before-heard facts about his life along with hand-picked songs from his library with Radio Farishta listeners. The maestro shares memoirs on his mentors, contemporaries and the composers who set the trends in Hindi film music as he selects songs that tribute their contributions.