Career
Ismail Darbar is from Surat, Gujarat. He worked for several years as a session violinist for leading music directors Laxmikant Pyarelal, Kalyanji Anandji, Bappi Lahiri, Rajesh Roshan, Anand-Milind, Nadeem-Shravan, Jatin-Lalit and A. R. Rahman. Finally he got the break after so many years with Sanjay Leela Bhansali"s film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
Earlier Darbar had played violin for Jatin-Lalit in the movie Khamoshi: The Musical.
Later on his music in Bhansali"s Devdas was acclaimed. He did not work with Bhansali after Devdas due to personal differences.
After Devdas, Darbar did a few more movies but was unable to get much success. In 2005, he composed for seven out of 12 tracks for Subhash Ghai"s Kisna: The Warrior Poet after A. R. Rahman had left the project mid-way to complete an international assignment.
However Ghai would later say, "The music has turned out so well that you can"t distinguish an Ismail song from a Rahman one".
He was one of the four judges on Zee television"s Indian musical program Sa Re Georgia Ma Pa Challenge 2005. The other judges were Jatin-Lalit, Aadesh Shrivastava and Himesh Reshammiya. He was one of the four judges on Sa Re Georgia Ma Pa Challenge 2005 and Sa Re Georgia Ma Pa Challenge 2007.
He was also one of the three judges for Amul Star Voice of India 2 and Bharat Ki Shaan: Singing Star – Season 2 on Doctor of Divinity National.
In 2007, Ismail Darbar also came up with a music album called Rasiya Saajan directed by South Ramachandran. Ismail Darbar also appeared Bigg Boss (Season 3) on Colors television He entered in state level politics by joining BJP Gujarat in 2011
Ismail refused to pay his due salaries and instead settled score by assaulting his former employee.