Creative Genius- RD Burman

सुबहो आती है, रात जाती है
सुबहो आती है, रात जाती है यूँ ही
वक़्त चलता ही रहता है रुकता नहीं
एक पल में ये आगे निकल जाता है
आदमी ठीक से देख पाता नहीं
और परदे पे मंज़र बदल जाता है
एक बार चले जाते हैं जो दिन-रात, सुबहो-शाम
वो फिर नहीं आते, वो फिर नहीं आते
ज़िन्दगी के सफ़र में गुज़र जाते हैं जो मकाम

The beautiful lyrics of the movie Aap ki Kasam penned by Ananad Bhakshi describes the uncertainty of the stardom in Bollywood. As it is being said that Bollywood only worships the rising sun. No Matter how talented you are, you would be dumped at a time when you are not needed. The Bollywood is a an opportunistic industry, who dumped the pure gold –RD Burman aka Pancham, in 80’s  in a frenzy and Maniac indignation to Disco. In other words Pancham lost to Bappi Lahiri and the new entrants of the music industry.

Despite giving the best of the music in 80’s for Sagar and Ijjazat,Pancham was dumped . For Ijjajat ,Gulzar Sahab and Asha Bhosle got the national awards. But that was not enough. He was even dumped by his guardians Nasir Hussain and Dev Anad. Directors who dropped him without any reason included stalwarts like Shekhar Kapoor, Ramesh Sippy, Yash Chopra,  Subhash Ghai. His tryst with the destiny met the same fate like Bharat Bhushan, AK hangal, Achala Sachdev, Nalini Jaywant, Bhagwan Dada, Vimmi, Mahesh Anand who died penniless.

RD Burman is one of the greatest music composers of the independent India who created music of whatever was available to him. He was a creative genius who created music from bamboo sticks, sandpaper, bottles, and spoons. . He often mixed disco and rock elements with Bengali folk music.He experimented with his music and uses saucers and spoons for tinkling sound. He was the first to use western instruments to mix it with traditional Indian music to create altogether a different music. Everybody considered Nasir Hussain a mad, when he thought to create a romantic songs on Cabaret Tunes. How can a sensual cabaret be a romantic? His inquisitiveness was satiated by the upcoming legend Pancham Da by creating music for “Teesri Manzil,” which was his first movie as a music director.  Now see the effect by perfect Jugal bandi of sensual cabaret with Romantic subtleness. This was not possible for anyone except RD Burman,a creative son of a legendary father SD Burman…

Burman has been credited with revolutionizing Bollywood music.A creative genius, Burman introduced influences from around the world in his works, giving us masterpieces like  Aane wala pal Jane wala Hai. Tum aa gaye ho Noor aa  gaya Hai, 'Aaja Piya Tohe Pyaar Du' and 'Rim Jhim Gire Sawan',  Bahon Mein Chale Aao ,  Piya Tu Ab To Aaja,  Kitna Pyara Vaada Hai,  Is Mod Se Jaate Hai , Chadhti Jawani Meri , churiya liya hai Tum mne jo dil ko and hundreds of soulful songs giving stardom to both Kishore Kumar and Rajesh Khanna..

RD Burman’s creativity flourished with the creative genius of Gulzar Sahab.. Both of them Joined together to create some of the greatest musical hits; Like Beeti Na Betaye Raina,, Mera Kucch Samaan , Aane wala Pal jane wala hai, Musafir hoon Yaro, Tum se Naraz nahi Zindagi, Tere Bina Zindagi se Shikwa to Nahi, Tum aa gaye ho noor aa gaya hai, O majhi Re aapna Kinara, Naam Gum Jaye ga,, Roz Roz Ankhon Tale,

RD burman had three wives; Music, Rita Patel and Asha Bhosle. RD burman married to Rita Patel in 1966 and they divorced in 1971. He later married to Asha Bhosle in 1980 before he died in 1994..

During the late 1980s, RD was overshadowed by  Bappi Lahiri with his disco beats which were completely copied from the west. RD was thrown out from many projects and all the film makers stopped patronising him as his music was not scoring any brownie points to the producers. His music composition flopped at the box office one after the other. Forget about the film makers, even the Nasir Sahab did not cast him in Qayamat se Qayamat Tak , though RD was an integral part of all the movies of Nasir Sahab from Teesri Manzil. Hussain defended Burman in the press, saying that the latter did not give weak music in Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai (1982) and Manzil Manzil (1984). He also said that the composer was going through a lean phase during the recording of Zabardast (1985).^] But after these three films flopped, Hussain stepped down as a director, and his son and successor Mansoor Khan switched to other composers. The filmmaker Subhash Ghai promised Burman Ram Lakhan (1989), but gave it instead to Laximikant Pyarelal In 1986.

As it is being said that form is temporary but class is permanent. He created a mesmerizing music in 1942 a love story just before his Cardiac arrest in 1994. The fact is that all these resounding soulful melodies created by Pancham are an integral part of our lives and memories and will always be. He was the musical phenomena , a maverick, a wizard of music, the game-changer of the Indian film and music industries, the quintessential musical genius. He will remain to be till the eternity. He will never be forgotten and will remain in our hearts.