Khayyam went to Lahore looking for roles in films. There he met
Baba Chishti, a famous Punjabi music director. After listening to a composition by Chishti, he sang to him its first part. Impressed, Chishti gave him an offer of joining him as an assistant. Khayyam assisted Chishti for six months and came to
Ludhiana in 1943. He was only 17 then. He gained greater recognition from the film
Phir Subha Hogi (1958) starring
Raj Kapoor and
Mala Sinha, in which songs written by
Sahir Ludhianvi and sung by
Mukesh and
Asha Bhosle were set to tune by Khayyam. Notable amongst them are
"Wo Subha Kabhi To Aayegi", "Aasman Pe hai Khuda Aur Zameen Pe Hum" and
"Chin-o-Arab Humara"., a duet
"Parbaton Ke Pedon Par" by
Mohammed Rafi and
Suman Kalyanpur, and
"Bujha Diye Hain Khud Apne Haathon" by
Suman Kalyanpur. Other popular songs are from the film
"Mohabbat Isko Kahete Hain" (1965). That includes
"Thehriye Hosh Mein Aa Loon" which is a
Rafi -
Suman duet, and
"Jo Hum Pe Guzarti Hai" by
Suman Kalyanpur. The 1970s saw Khayyam team up with
Sahir Ludhyanvi once again to work in the
Yash Chopra-directed
Kabhi Kabhie (1976). Khayyam provided music to the films of the late-1970s and early-1980s. Songs from
Trishul, Thodi Si Bewafaai, Bazaar, Dard, Noorie, Nakhuda, Sawaal, Bepannah, and
Khandaan are some of his best works. He had
Asha Bhonsle sing the songs "In Aankhon Ki Masti Ke", "Ye Kya Jagah Hai Doston", and "Dil Cheez Kya Hai", which are evergreen. Subsequently, Khayyam composed music for
Thodisi Bewafai, Dard (both 1981) and
Dil-E-Nadaan (1982), all of them starring Khanna in the lead. Khayyam created music for the
Kamal Amrohi directed film
Razia Sultan (1983) and his song
"Aye Dil-e-Nadan" sung by Lata is considered as a milestone. He also composed non-film songs. Some of them include
"Paaon Padun Tore Shyam, Brij Mein Laut Chalo" and
"Ghazab Kiya Tere Vaade Pe Aitbaar Kiya". Khayyam always preferred to work with poets rather than film lyricists. That is the reason one finds
poetry playing an equal role in Khayyam's compositions as the music or the singer. On his 89th birthday, Khayyam announced the formation of a charitable trust, Khayyam Jagjeet Kaur KPG Charitable Trust, and decided to donate his entire wealth to the trust to support budding artists and technicians in India. His wealth at the time of announcement was valued at around . He decided not to celebrate his birthday after the
terrorist attack on India's border post of
Pulwama and donated to the kin of the martyrs. == Personal life ==