R. D. Burman
Rahul Dev Burman was an Indian music director and singer, who is considered to be one of the greatest and most successful music directors of the Hindi film music industry. From the 1960s to the 1990s, Burman composed musical scores for 331 films, bringing a new level of music ensemble with his compositions. Burman did his major work with legendary singers Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and Mohammed Rafi. He also worked extensively with lyricist Gulzar, with whom he has some of the most memorable numbers in his career. Nicknamed Pancham, he was the only son of the composer Sachin Dev Burman and his Bengali lyricist wife Meera Dev Burman.
He was mainly active in the Hindi film industry as a composer, and also provided vocals for a few compositions. He influenced the next generation of Indian music directors, and his songs remain popular in India and overseas. Many years after his death, his songs continued to inspire new singers and composers.
Biography
Early life
Burman was born to the Hindi film composer and singer, Sachin Dev Burman, and his lyricist wife Meera Dev Burman, in Calcutta. Initially, he was nicknamed Tublu by his maternal grandmother, although he later became known by the nickname Pancham. According to some stories, he was nicknamed Pancham because, as a child, whenever he cried, it sounded in the fifth note, G note on c major scale, of music notation; in Hindustani Classical Music, Pancham is the name of the fifth scale degree:. Another theory says that the baby was nicknamed Pancham because he could cry in five different notes. Yet another version is that when the veteran Indian actor Ashok Kumar saw a newborn Rahul uttering the syllable Pa repeatedly, he nicknamed the boy Pancham.Burman received his early education in West Bengal from Ballygunge Government High School in Kolkata. His father S. D. Burman was a noted music director in Hindi-language films, the Mumbai-based Hindi film industry. When he was seventeen years old, R. D. Burman composed his first song, Aye meri topi palat ke aa, which his father used in the film Funtoosh. The tune of the song Sar jo tera chakraaye was also composed by him as a child; his father included it in the soundtrack of Guru Dutt's Pyaasa.
In Mumbai, Burman was trained by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Samta Prasad. He also considered Salil Chowdhury his guru. He served as an assistant to his father and often played harmonica in his orchestras.
Some of the notable films in which Burman is credited as the music assistant include Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Tere Ghar Ke Samne, Bandini, Ziddi, Guide and Teen Devian. Burman also played mouth organ for his father's hit composition "Hai Apna Dil To Aawara", which was featured in the film Solva Saal, and sung by Hemanta Mukhopadhyay.
In 1959, Burman signed up as a music director for the film Raaz, directed by Guru Dutt's assistant Niranjan. However, the film was never completed. The lyrics of this Guru Dutt and Waheeda Rehman-starrer film were written by Shailendra. Burman recorded two songs for the film before it was shelved. The first song was sung by Geeta Dutt and Asha Bhosle, and the second one had vocals by Shamshad Begum.
Burman's first released film as an independent music director was Chhote Nawab. When the noted Hindi film comedian Mehmood decided to produce Chhote Nawab, he first approached Burman's father Sachin Dev Burman for the music. However, S. D. Burman declined the offer, advising he was unavailable. At this meeting, Mehmood noticed Rahul playing tabla, and signed him as the music director for Chhote Nawab. Burman later developed a close association with Mehmood, and made a cameo appearance in Mehmood's film Bhoot Bungla.
Personal life
Burman's first wife was Rita Patel, whom he had met in Darjeeling. Rita, a fan, had bet her friends that she would be able to get a film-date with Burman. They two married in 1966, and divorced in 1971. The song Musafir Hoon Yaaron from Parichay was composed while he was at a hotel after the separation.Burman married Asha Bhosle in 1980 after a protracted romance despite his mother's vehement opposition to their relationship. Together, the couple recorded many hit songs and also staged many live performances. However, towards the end of his life, they did not live together. Burman had financial difficulties, particularly later in his life. His mother Meera died in 2007, thirteen years after his death. She had been suffering from Alzheimer's even before her son's death. Just before her death she had been moved to an old age home, and moved back to her son's residence after the issue became a controversy.
Death
R.D. Burman died on 4 January 1994 due to a heart attack. Burman had been suffering from Cardiovascular disease for around six years before his death and even underwent a surgery because of an earlier heart attack in 1988.Music career
1961–1975: Early career, rise to prominence and widespread success
R. D. Burman began his career as a music director with the 1961 film Chhote Nawab, which proved to be a lukewarm success and so his next three ventures, Bhoot Bungla, Teesra Kaun and Pati Patni. He established himself with Vijay Anand's musical mystery film Teesri Manzil, which had Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh in the lead. It went on to become a huge success at the box office which was attributed to its superhit songs, "O Haseena Zulfonwali Jane Jahan", "O Mere Sona Re Sona", "Aaja Aaja Main Hoon Pyar Tera", "Deewana Mujhsa Nahin" and "Tumne Mujhe Dekha Hokar Meherban", all of which were featured in the year-end annual list of Binaca Geetmala. Also the soundtrack of Teesri Manzil proved to be the seventh best-selling Hindi film album of the 1960s.Burman's other notable work of the decade was the musical comedy Padosan , whose songs like "Ek Chatur Naar", "Mere Samne Wali Khidki Mein", "Mere Bhole Balam" and "Kehna Hai Kehna Hai" remain popular to date and played a major part in making the film a commercial success. In 1969, he delivered music for two hit films, Waris and Pyar Ka Mausam and also while working as an assistant to his father in Shakti Samanta's Aradhana, he played an instrumental role in making Kishore Kumar the playback voice of Rajesh Khanna, who became a superstar with the film's blockbuster success and same for Kumar whose singing career was boosted and he became the leading playback singer of Hindi cinema and remained at that position till his death in 1987.
Burman emerged as the leading music director of Hindi cinema in the year 1970 with Shakti Samanta's musical romantic drama Kati Patang starring Rajesh Khanna and Asha Parekh. At the box office, it went on to become a blockbuster with almost all of its songs, such as "Yeh Shaam Mastani", "Pyaar Deewana Hota Hai", "Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai", all three solos by Kishore Kumar and "Jis Gali Mein Tera Ghar", a solo by Mukesh proving to be chartbuster and playing an important role in the box office success of the film and making its soundtrack one of the highest-selling Bollywood album of the 1970s. The same year, he also delivered music in another Rajesh Khanna hit The Train, which had the popular songs "Gulabi Aankhen", a solo by Mohammed Rafi and "Kis Liye Maine Pyar Kiya", a solo by Lata Mangeshkar.
For the next three years he worked in top-grossing films, such as Haré Rama Haré Krishna, Caravan, Mela, Amar Prem, Mere Jeevan Saathi, Apna Desh, Jawani Diwani, Raampur Ka Lakshman, Parichay, Seeta Aur Geeta, Samadhi, Anamika, Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Yaadon Ki Baaraat and Namak Haraam, all of which had superhit songs like "Chadti Jawani Meri Chaal Mastani", "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja" and "Kitna Pyara Wada Hai", "Dum Maro Dum", "Phoolon Ka Taron Ka" and "Kanchi Re Kanchi", "Rut Hai Milan Ki Sathi Mera Aa Re" and "Gori Ke Haath Mein Jaise Ye Challa", "Raina Beeti Jaye", "Chingari Koi Bhadke", "Kuchh Toh Log Kahenge" and "Yeh Kya Hua", "O Mere Dil Ke Chain", "Chala Jaata Hoon" and "Aao Na, Gale Laga Lo Na", "Duniya Mein Logon Ko", "Kajra Lagake Gajra Sajake" and "Ro Na Kabhi Nahin Rona", "Samne Yeh Kaun Aaya", "Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani" and "Jaan-E-Jaan Dhoondta Phir Raha Hoon Tumhe Raat Din", "Gum Hai Kisi Ke Pyar Mein Dil Subah Sham" and "Rampur Ka Vasi Hoon", "Musafir Hoon Yaaron" and "Sa Re Ke Sa Re", "O Saathi Chal" and "Koi Ladki Mujhe Kal Raat", "Kaanta Laga", "Jab Tak Rahe" and "Jaan-E-Jaana Jao", "Panna Ki Tamanna", "Meri Bheegi Bheegi Si" and "Bahon Mein Chale Aao", "Vaada Karo" and "Tera Mujhse Hain Pehle Ka Nata Koi", "Yaadon Ki Baaraat Nikli Hai Aaj Dil Ke Dwaare", "Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko, Nazar Nahin Churana Sanam", "Lekar Hum Deewana Dil, Phirte Hai Manzil Manzil" and "Meri Soni, Meri Tamanna, Jhuth Nahin Hai Mera Pyar", "Diye Jalte Hain Phool Khilte Hain" and "Main Shair Badnaam". The soundtrack of Caravan proved to be one of the best-selling Hindi film albums of the 1970s while that of Yaadon Ki Baaraat emerged as the second best-selling Hindi film album of the decade. For Caravan, Amar Prem and Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Burman received three consecutive nominations at Filmfare for Best Music Direction. In 1974, his notable ventures, included Aap Ki Kasam, Khote Sikkay, Ajanabee and Phir Kab Milogi, all of which had evergreen songs like "Karvatein Badalte Rahe", "Jai Jai Shiv Shankar", "Suno Kaho Kaha Suna", "Zindagi Ke Safar Mein, "Jeevan Mein Tu Darna Nahin", "Ek Ajanabee Haseena Se", "Hum Dono Do Premi", "Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein" and "Kahin Karti Hogi". Burman's peak came in 1975 when he scored music for Sholay, Deewaar, Khel Khel Mein, Warrant, Aandhi, Khushboo and Dharam Karam, all of which were hugely successful at the box office, especially Sholay which emerged as an All Time Blockbuster and remains the biggest hit in the history of Indian cinema. Its songs "Mehbooba Mehbooba", "Yeh Dosti Hum Nahin", "Haa Jab Tak Hai Jaan", "Koi Haseena" topped the year-end annual list of Binaca Geetmala and made its soundtrack one of the best-selling Hindi film albums of the 1970s along with winning Burman another nomination in the Best Music Director category at Filmfare. Other notable songs composed by him that year were – "Kehdoon Tumhe Ya Chup Rahoon", "Humne Tumko Dekha", "Ek Main Aur Ek Tu, Dono Mile Is Tarah", "Khullam Khulla Pyar Karenge Hum Dono", "Sun Bhai Baarati", "Ruk Jana O Jana Humse", "Tere Bina Zindagi Se", "Tum Aa Gaye Ho Noor Aa Gaya", "Is Mod Se Jate Hain", "O Majhi Re Apna Kinara", "Ek Din Bik Jayega Mati Ke Mol", "Tere Humsafar Geet Hain Tere".