2016-06-27 Mon

Rahul Dev Burman, better known as R.D. Burman, - a famous Bollywood music director was born on 27th June 1939. Today is the 77th Birth anniversary of this music maestro. He was born to the Bollywood composer/singer Sachin Dev Burman and his lyricist wife Meera Dev Burman in Kolkatta.

R. D. Burma was also known as Pancham by Ashok Kumar. Many stories are famous behind his nickname. The popular one is that, the veteran Indian actor Ashok Kumar saw a newborn Rahul uttering the syllable Pa repeatedly; he nicknamed the boy Pancham – the fifth swara of the swaramala. Another story says that the baby was nicknamed Pancham because he could cry in five different notes. Whatever the story was, his nickname – along with him – became a legend.

Since the very childhood, RD assisted his father. The first composed song came when he was just 9 years old. He composed “Aye meri topi palat ke aa”, which his father used in the film Funtoosh. The tune of the most popular song “Sar jo Tera Chakaraye” was also composed by him as a child.

He was known for introducing an upbeat, Western copied music that defined much of the music of the 1970's. Though this style has influenced generations of music directors even to today, his father did not approve of such upbeat, funky style.

Shammi Kapoor starring "Tesri Manzil" marked a major milestone in his career. The upbeat style of RD suited Shammi Kapoor so well that Shammi and RD became inseparable. However, there was a variety in Pancham Da’s musique. He was equally famous for slow and romantic songs such as “yeh jo Mohabbat Hai” as well as for the songs like “Dum Maaro Dum”.

Though in 1980’s R. D. Burman was overshadowed by Bappi Lahiri and other disco music composers, his memory was still fresh in the minds of his numerous fans. His last composure “Kuch Na Kaho” is still a preference as the best romantic and sensuous song ever.

He was awarded a total of only three Filmfare Awards, one of which was awarded posthumously (for 1942: A Love Story). He also appears on an Rs.5 commemorative stamp issued in the year 2013 by India Post.