It’s been two and a half decades since Rahul Dev Burman passed away yet his melodies continue to captivate us.
RD Burman, fondly known as Pancham Da among his fans and loved ones was born on 27 June 1939 in Kolkata. He was the only son of composer/singer Sachin Dev Burman and lyricist Meera Dev Burman.
A celebrated music composer, he changed the sound of music in Indian cinema, leaving behind a rich legacy for generations to come. RD once said, “Meri Awaaz Ki Koi Pehchaan Honi Chaahiye (my voice should have its own identity)”. A creative genius, Burman introduced influences from around the world in his works, giving us masterpieces like ‘Aaja Piya Tohe Pyaar Du’ and ‘Rim Jhim Gire Sawan’.
On his death anniversary, here’s taking a walk down memory lane
Pancham has been credited with revolutionizing Bollywood music. He made scat singing fashionable. He improvised with wordless vocals, making us love his nonsense syllables. Even today we go crazy and groove over ‘‘Duniya Mein Logon Ko’ (Apna Desh – 1972)
A master of classical music, he aced foreign trends too. Burman rigorously inculcated elements from rock, funk, jazz, disco, afro-beat and folk into his songs. His classic ‘Mehbooba Mehbooba’ from Sholay forces all to shake our legs on it
Some of Pancham’s most prolific work was in Bengali. He wrote, composed & sung compositions for Durga Puja celebrations
It was always a treat for the audience to have Burman and Kishore Kumar working together. Their fans called it was a musical match made in heaven. The duo collaborated on more than 30 films which belted numerous hit numbers.
The 1980s and early 1990s were particularly difficult for RD Burman. Times had changed. Despite his legendary status, Pancham was unable to find much work in the film industry. All that changed with ‘1942: A Love Story’, in which Pancham reclaimed his mantle as one of the greatest film score producers India has ever seen.
RD passed away on January 4, 1994, at the age of 54 but his music lives on in the hearts of millions
