RMIM Archive Article "40".
From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian
#
# RMIM Archives..
# Subject: THE SWAN SONG
# Looking back on the melody-rich life of R. D. Burman
#
# Posted by: Vandana Venkatesan (vandana@charlie.ece.scarolina.edu)
#
# Source: Indian Express, Bombay Ed., Jan.16,1994.
# Author: Lancy P Correa and Seema Sinha
#
THE SWAN SONG
Looking back on the melody-rich life of R.D. Burman
From The Indian Express, January 16, 1994.
Music, His Birthright, was the title of Music Idia Limited's
cassette brought out some years ago to commemorate 15 years of
the company's tuning with Rahul Dev Burman, who left his musical
journey unfinished as a stroke snatched him away on January 4,
1994.
For music indeed was everything for Pancham, the nickname given
by the thespian Ashok Kumar, whose brother the late Kishore
Kumar, gave some of his best performances when singing under the
baton of RD.
A publicity-shy man, RD let his music do the talking for him.
And talk it did - in more than 400 films. The unanimous opinion
in the industry was that RD was the best among his peers - a gi-
ant among music maestros like Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Kalyanji-
Anandji, Ravi, Shiv-Hari, Rajesh Roshan, Usha Khanna and Ravindra
Jain. Says Kersi Lord, whose father Kawas Lord like him was the
arranger for many top music directors of yore, "There's no doubt
in my mind that R.D. Burman was the best. I played for him in
many films. Infact it was RD who first introduced the electronic
organ in India for the composition O mere sona re sona in Teesri
Manzil for which I had the privilege of playing the organ."
This aspect of introducing new styles was the main reason for his
super success. In fact innovativeness became synonymous with RD.
He has been quoted as saying: "I don't say that I am a knowledge-
able man when it comes to raags. I don't say I tried to do so
and so song in Raag Darbari or attempted some difficult raag in
another song. Whatever comes to my head I compose."
So we have such creative gems as diverse as Aaja aaja main hoon
pyaar tera (Teesri Manzil), his passport into the big league, Dum
maro dum (Hare Rama Hare Krishna), heralding the bell-bottom-
hippie culture into filmdom, Muthukodi kawadi hada (Do Phool),
which introduced comedian Mehmood as a singer, Jaane jaan dhoon-
data phir raha (Jawani Diwani), where the echo effect was used
tellingly, Ek chatur naar (Padosan), without doubt the most comic
song ever to be filmed, Duniya mein logon ko (Apna Desh), intro-
duced the distinct Pancham rhythm and voice, Mere naina saawan
bhadon (Mehbooba), gave ample evidence of RD's classical base,
and Tu rootha to main (Jawaani), had Asha singing in an ephemeral
voice to a new foot-stomping beat. Suggests veteran Dev Anand, a
fan of RD's father, the great S.D. Burman, "Pancham combined the
tradition of Dada (S.D.) Burman and the modern melody. Dada
wasn't very happy about my Hare Rama Hare Krishna project, as he
felt that the brother-sister story wouldn't click therefore I de-
cided to take his son. Within 10 days we recorded six songs! Dum
maro dum became a cult song."
The Pancham style came to symbolise a unique culture which
spawned many die- hard fans. Says lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri,
with whom RD had a memorable innings, "Pancham had this knack of
copying a foreign tune and Indianising it." Concurs another top
lyric writer Anand Bakshi, "I have worked with many music direc-
tors but RD was just extraordinary."
RD's shrill intonations, an innovativeness that was too much for
the conservative '60s and '70s, notwithstanding, his gurgling
voice for Duniya mein logon ko (Apna Desh), Monica O my darling
(Caravan), Mehbooba mehbooba (Sholay), Yamma yamma (Shaan),
Samundar mein nahakar (Pukar), Sapna mera toot gaya (Khel khel
mein) and Dil lena khel hai dildar ka (Zamane ko dikhana hai),
were chart busters.
His repository of music didn't end with songs, they extended
beyond and embellished the background score too, a little known
fact that many have found convenient to push under the carpet.
Who can forget the memorable banshee wails in the greatest Hindi
film ever, Sholay?
Recalls Rahul Rawail, who did seven films with RD: "He was a very
enthusiastic person. I remember when we were struggling to get
the background music in Betaab for Sunny Deol's introduction. RD
called me at 2 o'clock in the morning and suggested something
that became a memorable signature tune."
For all his talents and outputs, however, awards came in few and
far between. He bagged two filmfare awards for Sanam Teri Kasam
and Masoom but after many eons in filmdom. He narrowly escaped
getting the national award for his music twice - first when Par-
veen Sultana won the best singer award for Humein tumse pyaar
kitna (Kudrat) and later in Gulzar's Ijaazat when Asha and Gulzar
bagged the awards for best singer and best poet. An irony it was
that the jury deemed it fit to honour the film's songs but keep
the publicity away from the master. This was the way RD lived
his public life-as private from the public as only he could keep
it.
Many who were associated with him promised that they would work
with him again even when he wasn't quite the rage, but few kept
their word. This life for RD in his later days was quiet on many
fronts, with both health and friends deserting him. He died in
his sleep leaving behind his dreams for a million melodies.
-Lancy P Correa and Seema Sinha.
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From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian