MUSIC AND INDIA - 8 (S.D. BURMAN)

Sachin Dev Burman was a connoisseur and titan among the composers of Indian film music and was a scion of the princely family of Tripura. He underwent classical training from his father, Sitar player and Dhrupad singer Nabadweep Chandra Dev Burman, he chose the legendry KC Dey (Manna Dey’s uncle) as his first guru in Kolkata. Ustad Badal Khan, Ustad Allauddin Khan and Ustad Bishwadev Chatterjee were also his teachers.

In 1944 at the request of Sasadhar Mukherjee of Filmistan, Sachin Dev Burman left Kolkata and came to Bombay and scored music for Shikari and Aath Din, he did few other films but these did not have much impact until he composed for Mashaal on the insistence of Ashok Kumar who asked dejected Burman Dada to compose for the movie and then return to Kolkata. “Upar Gagan Vishal” launched Manna Dey and established SD Burman in the Hindi Film industry.

It was a matter of time before Dev Anand signed him for Baazi the super hit movie of 1951 followed by Jaal in 1952 that consolidated SD Burman’s position and became a force to reckon with.

Dada Burman has the highest average of hit songs among any composer in Hindi films. Obviously, such success stemmed from his unshakeable belief in himself, and he was known to refuse films where the filmmaker wanted ‘hit’ songs. “I compose only good songs”, he would tell them. There was a time in Bombay when the lyrics were set to tune by the music directors. Dada changed the theory. The tune first, the lyrics later. Today nine out of ten songs are composed in this manner. His music had a strong foundation of folk and classical and was known to innovate by mixing them with Western arrangements.

When Lata Mangeshkar refused to record with him, he delivered hit after hit with Asha Bhosle and Geeta Dutt and only made up with her because his son R. D. Burman wanted her to sing his careers first song. He groomed singers like Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumarand even Hemant Kumar and made Rafi sing in a soft, crooning fashion when others wanted high pitched or maudlin vocals from him.

He struck a balance with most poets/lyricists including Kaifi Azmi (Kagaz Ke Phool), Sahir Ludhianvi (Pyaasa), Majrooh Sultanpuri (Nau Do Gyarah), Shailendra (Guide), Hasrat Jaipuri (Ziddi), Neeraj (Prem Pujari), Shakil Badayuni (Kaise Kahoon) and Anand Bakshi (Aradhana). He had a long standing association with Dev Anand and composed music for all his movies starting from Baazi and worked with other film makers like Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt, Shati Samanta, Pramod Chakraborty, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and NC Sippy.

S. D. Burman was a prolific singer too and lent his voice to many memorable songs that he composed and also composed by others.

He never took many assignments at a time and when a theme of a film was not suited to his composing range, he would recommend his colleagues to the producers as he did for Madhumati (Salil Chowdhury). He was a perfectionist and hard taskmaster, he recorded songs only after sufficient rehearsals.

His contribution to Hindi film remains unparalleled and he passed on his legacy to his son R. D. Burman and left for his heavenly abode on October 31, 1975.

Some of his composition:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9XOBlsNfh8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1rzBZCxJtA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk6gv1JQm5g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYOh2gPe2cQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiviSaSSK7g

Kala Pani - Hum Bekhudi Mein Tumko Pukare - Mohd Rafi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaOj7OJaVZw

Meri Surat Teri Ankhen 1963 - Tere Bin Soone Nain Hamare Baat Takat Gaye 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY8cFBljzQc

Kaise Kahoon  - Man Mohan Man Mein 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9ignpH-K3k

Kaagaz Ke Phool - Dekhi Zamane Ki Yaari - Mohammed Rafi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAGqPIki0vI

Pyaasa (1957) - Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To -  Mohammed Rafi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z6Lr0JYAro

Kala Bazaar - Khoya Khoya Chand Khula Aasman - Mohd Rafi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT9kqNvaUoQ

Guide - Wahan Kaun Hai Tera Musafir - S.D.Burman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KR67xAVj5U

Guide - Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai - Lata Mangeshkar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1odcNKyfZJU

Abhimaan - Lootey Koi Man Ka Nagar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZXFhAs3AyM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPy1VYXSrYc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aQDjbwc-v8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7lFQ2iOU4Y

My all time favorite sung by Dada Burman is the song from Aradhana

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYF9RIPNHac