It’s been 22 years. On January 4, 1994, the legendary RD Burman left the world, shattering millions of fans. I was at Mumbai’s Press Club with two others, checking the tabloids. While they expressed shock and showered intense tributes, I was indifferent. But, as our conversation continued, I realised I had actually grown up on his music without knowing they were his songs. The only Pancham films I positively knew were Namak Haraam , Hare Rama Hare Krishna , Sholay and Hum Kisise Kum Nahin .
I wasn’t a music journalist yet. And there were many like me. We’d all grown up on films of the 1970s and 1980s. But while we knew the singers and actors, we were often clueless about the composer or lyricist.
Many of us were inclined towards Western rock or pop, and would know the names of band members, albums, birthdays and death anniversaries. To me, it didn’t matter whether it was RD, SD, Laxmi-Pyare, Kalyanji-Anandji or anybody else, as long as I liked the song. Then, ‘ Mere naina saawan bhaadon ’ meant only Mehbooba, Rajesh Khanna and Kishore.
In a way, that was the turning point.
There was no Google or Wikipedia, but the best way was to check back covers of cassettes at Rhythm House, or just pay more attention to the radio.
When the music of 1942: A Love Story became a rage later that year, I had a fair idea that RD was also the brain behind Amar Prem, Kati Patang, Parichay, Yaadon Ki Baraat, Aap Ki Kasam, Ajnabee, Khel Khel Mein, Aandhi, Khushboo, Kinara, Masoom, Kudrat, Saagar, Ijaazat, Parinda and so many more. All personal favourites.
I shifted my beat to music journalism in 1995. That’s when my Pancham craze acquired a different dimension. I started discovering songs other than the regular hits. ‘ Roz roz aankhon taley ’ from Jeeva became an anthem. So did ‘ Khali haath shaam aayi hai ’ and ‘ Katra katra ’ from Ijaazat , from which I previously only knew ‘ Mera kuchh saamaan ’. The RD-Gulzar-Asha album Dil Padosi Hai was a find.
Like most fans, I liked his sound, and the way he balanced peppier numbers, romantic songs and classical-based tunes.
His use of Latino rhythms, jazz and various global influences was trendsetting. Yes, he got inspired too. ‘ Mehbooba mehbooba ’ from Sholay was a lift of Demis Roussos’ ‘Say You Love Me’ and ‘Tumse milke’ from Parinda a rehash of Leo Sayer’s ‘When I Need You’. At times, he did it smartly; taking the first word of the Goldfinger title song to create the Zehreela Insaan hit ‘ O hansini’ , before launching into another tangent.
Some of my best RD sessions were with PR professional Hemant Kenkre, who knew the nitty-gritty of songs, right from the instruments to the props and even the beats. Discussions revolved around his choice of and approach with different singers. Through him, I got exposed to the composer’s Bengali music, first with ‘ Phire esoAnuradha ’, ‘ Mone pore RubyRoy ’ and ‘ Tomateamate ’. Recently, Delhi-based harmonica player Arijit Mukherjee has been flooding me with rare songs and loads of trivia.
Over the years, film journalist Chaitanya Padukone educated me about the musicians in RD’s team. Just a weekend ago, the great percussionist, Homi Mullan, passed away. Sadly, there’s been minimal media coverage, but his Facebook page is filled with tributes.
Today, Pancham, Homi and the legendary saxophonist-flautist Manohari Singh must be creating some great music in the heavens. Rock on!
(Narendra Kusnur is a freelance music writer)
I liked the way he balanced peppy numbers, romantic songs and classical tunes
