Spicezee Bureau
New Delhi, June 27: Music lovers all over the nation pay tribute to R D Burman, the music composer who brought a unique verve in Hindi film music, on his sixty-ninth birth anniversary.
Credit goes to RD Burman aka Pancham for ushering in the era of electronic rock and bringing novelty, style and exuberance in Hindi film music starting with the 60s.
Born on 27 June 1939, RD Burman’s love for music showed at an early age. He learnt to play the Sarod from the legendary Ustad Ali Akbar Khan at very young age and liked playing the mouth organ. He composed his first song – ‘Aye meri topi palat’, for the film Funtoosh in 1956. The very next year, his father borrowed the tune of ‘Sar jo tera chakraye’ for Guru Dutt’s film ‘Pyaasa’. Comedian Mehmood gave Pancham his first film Chote Nawab in 1961 and the first song in the film was recorded by Lata Mangeshkar, after that, there was no looking back.
The maestro became well-known for his timeless compositions for films like ‘Teesri Manzil’, ‘Padosan’, ‘Aradhana’, ‘Kati Patang’, ‘Amar Prem’, ‘Hare Rama Kare Krishna’ and many such classics. He stupefied the audience by composing music in entirely different genres. He created the classical based ‘Raina Beeti Jaaye’ as he flirted with seminal rock score in ‘Hare Rama Kare Krishna’ and cabaret in ‘Piya Tu Ab to Aajaa’ from Caravan in 1971.
The versatile composer experimented widely and did not abide by conventional norms. Most of his compositions were sung by his wife Asha Bhonsle. Towards the mid-1980s, Panmcham’s career began to falter due to the Disco age overtaking him. Yet, he gave beautiful music in films like Saagar and Ijaazat. His last memorable compositions were for ‘1942-A Love Story’, for which he received his third Filmfare Awards.
The timeless quality of Pancham Da’s music can be figured out from the fact that most of the remixes being done today are of his songs. Composers Vishal-Shekhar have taken to his music in ‘Jhankaar Beats’. They pay tribute to him again in their upcoming ‘Bachna Ae Haseenon’ starring Ranbir Kapoor. World-renowned music composers including AR Rahman have the highest regards for RD Burman’s music.