Mumbai, Mar 7 (IANS): Flute maestro Hariprasad Chaurasia owes much of his global fame to the 1970 Bollywood release "Geet", starring the late Rajendra Kumar, if a new book on the late actor is to be believed.

According to Seema Sonic Alimchand's book "Jubilee Kumar: The Life And Times Of A Superstar" (publisher: Hachette India), in the film, the heroine (played by Mala Sinha) is a glamorous stage performer who falls in love with a flute player, played by Rajendra Kumar, in scenic Kullu. A major reason why the film became a hit was Kalyanji-Anandji's music, comprising unforgettable songs such as "Bansuri bajai ke", "Tere naina kyon bhar aaye", "Mere mitwa mere meet re" and "Jiske sapne humen roj aate hain". In turn, the flute played a big role in many of the songs.

The flute bits in the songs were done by a talented flautist named Hariprasad, the book noted.

So popular did Hariprasad's art become in the film that the Sultan of Morocco reportedly imported several 100 flutes from India, according to Alimchand's book.

In fact, his work in the film was one of the early stepping stones that led to Hariprasad eventually become Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.