Yesterday’s Melodies Today’s Memories - Page 4

Sahir Ludhianvi

My rebellious notes make the world think
that my heart abhors the lyrics of love,
that I find solace in strife and war,
that my very nature relishes blood-letting,
that my world cares not for life's finer things,
that the noise of revolt is music to me.

These lines, translated from Urdu, were written more than 50 years ago, under the title Mere Geet. They remain largely obscure because they are not among the work their author became more famous for: film lyrics. The above lines -- and the reason the poet gives for that state of mind -- reflect, however, an important facet of his personality. The author of these lines, Sahir Ludhianvi, was different. Unable to sing hymns to Khuda (God), Husn (beauty) and Jaam (wine), his pen would rather pour out his anguish and bitterness over social inequities, political cynicism, the artificial barriers that divide mankind, the senselessness of war, the domination of materialism over love.

His loves, and love poems, were tinged with sorrow, with the realisation that there are stark realities more important than romantic love. This facet was seen in his lines for the film Didi:

Zindagi Sirf Mohabbat Nahin Kuch Aur Bhi Hai
Zulf-o-Rukhsaar ki Jannat Nahi Kuch Aur Bhi Hai
Bhookh Aur Pyaas ki Maari Hui Is Duniya Mein
Ishq Hi Ek Haqeeqat Nahin Kuch Aur Bhi Hai.

And in

Pyaar Par Bas To Nahin Hai Lekin Phir Bhi
Tu Bata De Ki Main Tujhe Pyaar Karoon Ya Na Karoon

in the film Sone Ki Chidiya (1958).

Born Abdul Hayee on March 8, 1921, Sahir was the only son of a Ludhiana zamindar. His parents' estrangement and the Partition made him shuttle between India and Pakistan. It also brought him face to face with a struggle called life. A member of the Progressive Writers' Association, he edited Adab-e-Latif, Pritlari, Savera and Shahrab. An arrest warrant issued by the Pakistani government of the day made him flee to Bombay in 1949. By now, he had managed to publish his anthology Talkhiyaan (Bitternesses). Besides Talkhiyaan and the hundreds of film songs he penned in a career spanning three decades, Sahir also authored the anthologies Parchaiyaan, Ao Ki Koi Khwab Buney and Gaata Jaaye Banjara.

Sahir debuted in films with his lyrics for Naujawan (1951). Even today, the film's lilting song Thandi Hawayen Lehrake Aaye makes hearts flutter. His first major success came the same year with Guru Dutt's directorial debut, Baazi, again pairing him with composer S.D. Burman. Together, S.D. Burman and Sahir created some of the most popular songs ever: Yeh Raat Yeh Chandni Phir Kahaan - Jaal (1952); Jaaye to Jaaye Kahaan - Taxi Driver (1954); Teri Duniya Mein Jeene se Behtar Ho Ki Mar Jaayen - House Number 44 (1955); and Jeevan ke Safar Mein Rahi - Munimji (1955). The duo reached their creative zenith with Pyaasa (1957).

All good things, as they say, come to an end. S.D. Burman and Sahir parted ways after Pyaasa and never worked together again. Sahir, already a stalwart as the sixties approached, wrote gems for films like Hum Dono (1961), Gumraah (1963), Taj Mahal (1963), Waqt (1965), Humraaz (1967) and Neel Kamal (1968), teaming up with composers Ravi, Jaidev, N. Datta, Roshan, Khayyam, R.D. Burman and Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Sahir's work in the 1970s was mainly restricted to films directed by Yash Chopra. Though his output in terms of number of films had thinned out, the quality of his writings commanded immense respect. Kabhi Kabhie (1976) saw him return to sparkling form. These songs won him his second Filmfare award, the first one being for Taj Mahal.

Sahir's poetry had a Faizian quality. Like Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Sahir too gave Hindustani/Urdu poetry an intellectual element that caught the imagination of the youth of the forties and fifties and sixties. He helped them to discover their spine. Sahir asked questions, was not afraid of calling a spade a bloody spade, and roused people from an independence-induced smugness. He would pick on the self-appointed custodian of religion, the self-serving politician, the exploitative capitalist, the war-mongering big powers. Aren't they familiar? Close to Sahir's heart were the farmer crushed by debt, the young man sent to the border to fight somebody's dirty war, the lass forced to sell her body, the youth frustrated by unemployment, families living in dire poverty... The underdog remains; his bard is gone.

Whether it was the arrest of progressive writers in Pakistan, the launch of the satellite Sputnik, or the discovery of Ghalib by a government lusting minority votes, Sahir reacted with a verve not seen in many writers' work. Kahat-e-Bangal (The Famine of Bengal), written by a 25-year-old Sahir, bespeaks maturity that came early. His Subah-e-Navroz (Dawn of a New Day), mocks the concept of celebration when the poor exist in squalor.

Writing for films occupied much of Sahir's time and energy in and after the fifties. Never one to compromise while writing for a "lesser" medium, Sahir wrote such gems like Aurat ne Janam Diya Mardon ko Mardon ne Use Bazaar Diya for Sadhana (1958) and Tu Hindu Banega na Musalmaan Banega Insaan ki Aulaad Hai, Insaan Banega for Dhool Ka Phool (1959). Then who can ever forget Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye To Kya Hai or Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par Woh Kahaan Hain from Pyaasa? Pyaasa, a movie that many suspect was his biography, was the high point of Sahir's genius. By now, Sahir was disillusioned over the state of the nation. His dissatisfaction with Congress policies found voice in songs like Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par Woh Kahaan Hain and Chino Arab Humara - Phir Subah Hogi (1958). This combination of political awareness and humanitarian compassion is found all through in Sahir's poetry, whether written for films or not.

Ever a sensitive soul, Sahir reacted to the world around him, pouring his sentiments into the songs he penned for films. Coming from his pen, even the most mundane would have a message. For example, this song from Neelkamal: Khali Dabba Khali Botal Le Le Mere Yaar Khali se Mat Nafrat Karna, Khali Sab Sansar. His poetry could at once be sublime - Tora Man Darpan Ehlaye Bhale Bure Sare Karmo ko Dekhe Aur Dikhaye from Kajal (1965), introspective - Man Re Tu Kahe Na Dheer Dhare from Chitralekha(1964), invoking - Allah Tero Naam Ishwar Tero Naam Sabko Sanmati de Bhagwan from Hum Dono, esoteric - Khuda-e-Bartar Teri Zameen Par Zameen ki Khatir Jung Kyon Hai from Taj Mahal, and philosophical - Jahan Mein Aisa Kaun Hai Ki Jisko Gham Mila Nahin again from Hum Dono. There lay Sahir's spirituality. Ingrained in this spirituality was a quest for a greater humanity, better people, a livable world. Paradoxically, it always involved, and was about, the material rather than the metaphysical.

A colossus among song writers, Sahir fought for, and became the first film lyricist to get, royalty from music companies. He would deeply involve himself in the setting of tunes for his songs. Any wonder why they are extra melodious? There was a negative trait too: Sahir would insist he be paid a rupee more for each song than Lata Mangeshkar was. Call it a left-over of his zamindar background, or an example of success gone to the head, this egotism of Sahir has been heard of and written about.

A bachelor to the end, Sahir fell in love with writer Amrita Pritam and singer Sudha Malhotra, relationships that never fructified in the conventional sense and left him sad. Ironically, the two ladies' fathers wouldn't accept Sahir, an atheist, because of his perceived religion. Had they seen the iconoclast in him, that would have been worse; being an atheist was worse than belonging to the 'other' religion. Sahir, perhaps, had an answer to such artificial barriers in these lines written for Naya Raasta (1970):

Nafraton ke jahan mein humko pyaar ki bastiyaan basaani hain
Door rehna koi kamaal nahin, paas aao to koi baat bane

A young Amrita Pritam, madly in love with Sahir, wrote his name hundreds of times on a sheet of paper while addressing a press conference. They would meet without exchanging a word, Sahir would puff away; after Sahir's departure, Amrita would smoke the cigarette butts left behind by him. After his death, Amrita said she hoped the air mixed with the smoke of the butts would travel to the other world and meet Sahir! Such was their obsession and intensity.

Over two decades after his death, Sahir's songs remain immensely popular. His poetry continues to inspire radical groups and individuals and strikes a chord in sensitive people, leftist or not. Why else would a Vajpayee invoke Sahir while taking a dig at Pakistan?

Woh waqt gaya woh daur gaya jab do qaumon ka naara tha
Woh log gaye is dharti se jinka maqsad batwaara tha

Sahir died after a heart attack he suffered while playing cards. One suspects the poet, whose heart bled for others, never paid enough attention to his own life. There was a card-player nonchalance about himself, as seen in this Hum Dono song:

Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya
Har fikr ko dhuwein me udata chala gaya


Had Sahir (whose 22nd death anniversary falls on October 25) not allowed drink and cigarette smoke to consume himself, had he lived a fuller life like contemporaries Majrooh Sultanpuri and Kaifi Azmi did, it would have been interesting to watch him react to changing social values, to politics touching its nadir, to 'secular' becoming a dirty word, to the abuse of religion to spread hatred and get votes, to the supposed failure of communism, to the never-ending dowry deaths, to the intellectual inertia of the intelligentsia.... Perhaps he would have influenced thought as he did in the past. Maybe his message to the masses would have been the same as it was decades ago:

Tumse Quwwat Lekar, Main Tumko Raah Dikhaoonga
Tum Parcham Lehrana Saathi, Main Barbat par Gaoonga.
Aaj se Mere Phan ka Maksad Zanjeere Pighlana Hai
Aaj se Main Shabnam ke Badle Angaare Barsaoonga.

(Drawing from your strength, I shall show you the way
You wave the flag, comrades, I shall sing for you
My art will now melt your chains
From now on my poetry will rain embers)

Chitra Singh

Chitra Singh : All you need to know
"Music is everything to me and if you take it away, nothing remains of me. It thaws me and then it warms me and finally it becomes my total self." - These words echo the sentiments of Ghazal Queen, Chitra Singh.

Background: Chitra Singh hails from a Bengali Shome family of Calcutta. Her mother, Krishna Roy, was a Classical vocalist. Chitra was the only child of her parents. She did her graduation in English Honours and also learnt Classical Music and Rabindra Sangeet in Calcutta. She had a diverse range of interests, ranging from painting to dance forms like Manipuri and Bharat Natyam.

Early Days: Chitra shifted to Mumbai, to try her luck as a playback singer. She loved the hills and the expanse of the sea around her. The Metropolis appeared to be more culturally vibrant. She used to approach music directors, but with no success. Some times, she got a chance to sing in advertisements and also sang jingles. Jagjit Singh met her in 1965. She appeared to be the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen. Her trained voice was an extra benefit to him. Jagjit started accompanying Chitra on her rounds to music directors, as both of them were strugglers in Mumbai. Chitra also reciprocated the love of the youngster from Punjab. When they had no work, the two spent hours and days, lost in the world of love and music. Both of them used to sing jingles for advertisements. Ghazals brought them together further. Jagjit reminisces about those days in his various interviews, Chitra came from a very different world. She became my anchor, she made me choose my way of life, my life style, my path as a musician.

Struggle And Rise: They got married in 1969, after which they started giving Ghazal performances together, whenever they found a suitable sponsor and an audience. At this point, Chitra had a major hand in establishing her husbands credentials. Chitra was under going proper training from her husband, in Ghazals. The June 1995 issue of FilmFare quoted, Clearly, Chitra had always been a perfect foil on stage and off it, she is the glittering edge, to his rough cut image. Chitra cut her first EP (extended playing) disc in 1971, using the name Chitra Dutta. Soon the husband and wife team became immensely popular. Style They use simple and attractive couplets, which have universal appeal. Their choice of poets was from a very wide ranging group, spanning the entire country and Pakistan. They frequently used the Ghazals of Sudarshan Fakir and Muzaffar Warsi of Pakistan. They became more popular with the epoch making TV serial, Mirza Ghalib, in which both of them gave music direction. They were the earliest to experiment successfully with Western and Indian tunes, for Ghazals. The blend was superb and music lovers liked it beyond measure. The couple was a trendsetter and they applied both Western and Indian musical instruments for Ghazals, to pull younger crowds. They are also noted for being the first musician couple that recorded digitally in India.

Chitra sang the Ghazals of famous poets, like Seemab Akbarabadi, Sudarshan Fakir, Rana Sahri, Hasrat Mohani, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Bashir Badr, Prem Warbartoni, Faragh Roohvi, Rustom Sehgal Wafa, Shaharyar and so on. The Ghazals, which she sang with zeal and fervour, are given below:

>> & ;nbs p; Yeh To Nahin Ki Gham Nahin
>> & ;nbs p; Socha Nahin Acha Bura
>> & ;nbs p; Kabhi To Khul Ke Baras
>> & ;nbs p; Aankh Se Aankh Mila
>> & ;nbs p; Manzil Na De Charagh Na De
>> & ;nbs p; Khuda Hamko Aisi Khudai Na De
>> & ;nbs p; Dekha Jo Aina To Mujhe Sochna Pada
>> & ;nbs p; Kya Khabar Thi Is Tarah Se Woh Juda
>> & ;nbs p; Aise Hijr Ke Mausam
>> & ;nbs p; Jab Bhi Tanhai Mein Ghabra Ke

Chitra stopped singing and retired completely from singing after the sudden death of their only son, Vivek Singh in a car accident, on July 28, 1990. Her fans await her comeback.

JAGJIT SINGH

The Ghazal King Jagjit Singh is undoubtedly one of the most well known Ghazal Singer in the world today. Jagjit Singh is one of the foremost Ghazal singers and Chitra Singh had been a perfect foil for him till the cruel hands of fate snatched away their teenage son Vivek. Jagjit Singh rose above his grief by immersing himself into music while Chitra Singh retired into seclusion after a memorial album titled 'Someone Somewhere'.
Jagjit Singh is one of those entertainers who never pause, who never goes stale. For four decades now he has been conjuring up magic with his music and enthralling audiences. He has come out with innumerable collections of Ghazals and Bhajans, all of them winners. Jagjit Singh sings Ghazals like a human breathes. It comes so naturally to him that one could not be thought of, without the other. His voice is so mystical, full of infinite possibilities. His Ghazals bring out his elegant, urbane, quiet, and educated, yet impressive personality.

Jagjit Singh has made a name for himself by simplifying Ghazals for people who don't understand the traditional lyrics. Today the audience for Ghazals has become worldwide. In addition to listening, his fans have started to learn the Urdu language as well. This only happened because of the simplification of the languages of Ghazals. The credit goes to Jagjit Singh. His voice, a true gift of God, has the pain that an "Ashiq" feels after loosing his beloved, the love that a mother seeks for her child, the tranquility that a "Saaqi" delivers, the willing fear that a boy has when she walks in the room. There is absolutely no doubt that Jagjit Singh with his unique composing and singing style is the torchbearer of the survival of Ghazals in India.

The world of music would not be complete without Ghazals. The world of Ghazals would not be complete without Jagjit Singh. Jagjit Singh's contribution to the world of music is unique. He is indisputably one of the most talented Ghazal Singers of India.

ASHA BHOSLE

Versatility could well be Asha Bhosle's second name. No type of song has been beyond her vocal range be it a club dance, sad song, bhajan, ghazal, pop etc.

Like her older sister Lata Mangeshkar, Asha also initially did a small stint as a child artist. But being trained in classical music by her father Dinanath Mangeshkar it was more natural she too turn to playback singing like Lata did.

Asha made her playback debut in 1948 with the film Chunariya. But it took a long, long time for Asha to make it to the top. It's not as if singing opportunities didn't come her way. In fact in the 1950s Asha sang more songs than any other playback singer but the bulk of these were in small films with no distinction. And if she did get a chance to sing in an A film it was probably just the song of the heroine's friend or a female duet with bigger singers like Lata, Shamshad Begum or Geeta Dutt. But Asha had no choice. Having made an ill-advised marriage which alienated her from her family, she had to take up all the assignments she got to fend for her children.

1957 was her breakthrough year when O.P. Nayyar used her to sing the heroine's songs in Tumsa Nahin Dekha and Naya Daur. The same year S.D. Burman had his rift with Lata. And though Geeta Dutt could have been his next choice after Lata since she was already a mature singer while Asha was still raw, Geeta's troubled marriage did not make her easily available for rehearsals. Consequently S.D. Burman chose to groom Asha along with O.P. Nayyar rather than wait for Geeta.

The following year Asha made it right to the top with hit songs in films like Howrah Bridge (1958), Chalti ka Naam Ghadi (1958) and Lajwanti (1958). Asha got involved with O.P. Nayyar and thereafter she remained his premier singer till their break-up in the 1970s.

Initially Asha's voice did sound influenced by Geeta Dutt's style of singing but post 1957 she came into her own and how! By the end of the decade she was second only to Lata on the playback scene and the two sisters have ruled the playback scene well into the 90s.

The 1960s saw Asha at her best as she belted out her best songs particularly under O.P. Nayyar's baton - Aankhon se Jo Utri hai Dil Mein from Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1964), Jayiye Aap Kahaan Jayenge from Mere Sanam (1965) and Woh Haseen Dard De Do from Humsaaya (1968) to name but a few. However In spite of her incredible emotive ability she was getting typecast in songs that were more on the sensual side.

O.P. Nayyar and Asha split in the 1970s but not before he composed the prophetic gem Chain se Humko Kabhi which won her the Filmfare Award.


The 1970s also brought her close with R.D. Burman who gave her a new hip and happening sound altogether. Piya Tu Ab To Aajaa (Caravan (1971)), Dum Maro Dum (Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971)), offered fresh and stimulating challenges to her voice. Jaane Jaa from Jawaani Diwaani (1972) had her switching from the higher scales to the absolute lower ones within the song with ease!

But as she had been typecast in mainly sensual songs earlier so also with R.D. Burman and other composers she now got typecast in mainly Western type of songs.

It was Umrao Jaan (1981) which showed further new possibilities in Asha's voice. Khayyam got her to sing the ghazals in the film two notes lower and the result was magical! Dil Cheez Kya Hai, In Aankhon ki Masti, Yeh Kaisi Jagah hai Doston, Justaju Jiski Ki represent some of the finest singing Asha has ever done.

Ijaazat (1987) saw her in top form winning a National Award for Mera Kuch Samaan, a most difficult song to sing as the lyrics were more in prose form rather than standard rhythmic verse.

In the 1990s Asha has even further widened her horizon by succesfully coming out with albums in Indipop and beating the Indian pop artists on their own turf. Though she has cut down on her singing now she still makes an Urmila Matonder or Aishwarya Rai sizzle in Rangeela (1994) or Taal (1999).

The latest feather in Asha's already crowded cap is the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for her contribution to Indian Cinema.

Usha Mangeshkar


Profession: Playback Singer, Bollywood.

The magical name extends it's charisma to this youngest of the Mangeshkar sisters and one can see that despite the name her life and career couldn't have been easy with two top-notch singers in the family.

Usha Mangeshkar was born into a family of musicians and music lovers. Her father Dinanath Mangeshkar was a classical singer. But she doesn't now too much about her father's singing talents as he had passed away when she was extremely young. Like her other siblings she too inherited musical genes from father. With Lata and Asha taking on the mantle of the singers in the family she contentedly kept in the background. Also despite her efficiency as a singer, her voice had a quality which couldn't be moulded to suit just anyone -like her two sisters' voices could.Only occasionally she allowed herself a digression from her private hobbies of painting and housekeeping to sing chartbusters like 'Sultana Sultana' from Tarana, the raunchy 'Mungda' from Inkaar and the songs of Jai Santoshi Maa.

Among film singers she liked listening to KL Saigal and Noorjehan. After coming to Mumbai with Lata Mangeshkar she often listen to her singing. She also learnt music from renowned musicians like Ustad Amanat Ali Khan and Ustad Aman Ali Khan. Along with Lata she also attended concerts by Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Usha Mangeshkar was very much attracted to classical music. Not many people know that Usha Mangeshkar also studied classical dance before she took to professional singing. But Usha never practiced dance seriously as she had taken it up only because other girls of her age were learning how to dance.

she has been influenced deeply by Lata's style but her style of singing is drastically different from the nightingale of India's.In 1953 she sang the very popular 'bhabhi aayeee'[subah ka tara] for C Ramchandra the leading composer of that era. The song picturized on Baby Rajshree was such a hit that Usha was made to sing more and more children's numbers-her training in music along with a voice which suited youngsters made her a kind of children's song specialist. Again for C Ramchandra in Azaad she sang Aplam chaplam which remains popular to this day.

Meanwhile she was getting more and more work in Marathi films which she accepted with alacrity and rose to become the most sought after singer in Marathi films a la' Lata Mangeshkar in Hindi films. Ushatai had now found her niche-though she continued singing the stray number in Hindi films like the evergreen number for Inkaar 'Mungda…' which makes audiences dance till today. But her highlight has been the devotional film 'Jai santoshi Maa' Made by C Arjun who was passing through financial difficulties-the film was made in a tiny budget. Perhaps it was the subject, which invited such huge audiences, perhaps the time was right but in the film the legendary Kavi Pradeep wrote the Bhajans and as a bigger singer was not affordable by the producer, he chose Usha Mangeshkar to sing them. As luck would have it the film became the biggest hit of the time and the music broke every record. It is played till today at every religious occasion in the country.

One of the reasons why she didnt do much of serious numbers is that she had never seriously considered singing as a career and she was more interested in studies and painting. Usha Mangeshkar was also extremely close to her mother and she liked being with her most of the time. And since Usha also loved traveling a lot and so she would accompany her mother every time she was traveling. Whatever songs came to her she took them up. Another thing that used to be quite a common occurrence was she would normally get called to sing a song because Lata Mangeshkar would be very busy. And composers who were close to the Mangeshkar family would prefer Usha Mangeshkar to sing for them rather than going to an outsider. That is how she got to sing most of her numbers.

And Usha Mangeshkar who had remained in the background till then was suddenly the cynosure of all eyes. Two years ago Kavi Pradeep passed away and to honour his memory an award has been instituted in his name-the Kavi Pradeep Shikhar Samman. And the award was presented to Usha at Ujjain .

Usha Mangeshkar is extremely fond of her brother Hridayanath Mangeshkar and she always accompanied him during all his concerts. Even today Usha gets invited for a lot of concerts all over Maharashtra and she is often requested to sing Lavni songs. But she insists on singing bhajans and bhau-geet, which she really loves.

Best Of Usha Mangeshkar:

Song/ Movie

Mungda Mungda/ Inkaar
Sultana Sultana/ Taraana

Wow... This thread is a tressure... 👏 👏 👏

Thanks Bob Ji , Vinnie and Barnali for wonderful articles

Originally posted by: uknaik99

Wow... This thread is a tressure... 👏 👏 👏

Thanks Bob Ji , Vinnie and Barnali for wonderful articles

thanx kavita

Bondhu rangila re -- a tribute to S D Burman


An ardent admirer remembers the tunes and qualities that made this composer so endearing and so hard to forget


Come October 31 and it's time for music lovers to remember Kumar Sachin Dev Burman. It was on this day in 1975 that the great music composer left us.

To me Dada Burman's most enduring image is of a wizened potliwala baba with twinkling eyes who would delve deep into his bag and pick out an enchanted, animated tune and place it on your palm. A tune that would wriggle itself to your ear and start playing, mesmerizing you into a trance every time it did that. Or then there is the image of an ascetic with a ektaraa in hand chanting 'Rongila, Rongila Rongila Re, amare chardiye re bondhu koi gela re'. (Oh my dear colorful friend where have you gone away leaving me behind) or that of a boatman piercing your very soul with his call of 'Mere Sajan hai us paar'.

So on his 27th death anniversary here is a tribute to our dearest Bondhu Rongila.

Amare chadriye re bondhu koi gela re?

A LITTLE ABOUT HIM

Kumar Sachin Dev Burman was born in 1906 in Comilla (East Bengal) into the royal family of Tripura. His father Nabdweep Chandra Dev Burman was an accomplished sitar player as well as a dhrupad singer. He was also his first guru.

In his youth Dada Burman came to the musical capital of the East -- Calcutta. Here he further enhanced his musical education learning under maestros like Ustad Badal Khan. He was also a disciple and follower of the legendary K C Dey (Manna Dey's uncle). He started his career composing and singing for the radio. He made his mark as a light classical and folk singer before taking up composing for Bengali films.

In 1946 he moved to Bombay, taking up Ashok Kumar's offer to compose for Bombay Talkies. His first film was Shikari. He struggled for a brief period, and decided to quit and head back for Calcutta, but was persuaded to stay back. He finally struck gold with the perennial 'Upar gagan Vishal' (Mashaal) and 'Mera sundar sapna beet gaya' (Do Bhai). With Baazi and 'Tadbeer se bigdi hi tadbeer bana le' sung by Geeta Roy, Sachin Dev Burman had finally arrived.

He was married to Meera Devi who was a Bengali poet and singer. She wrote the lyrics for a large number of his Bengali songs and assisted him in his music making. Dada and Meera Burman had only one child, the legendary Rahul Dev Burman.

MUSICAL INFLUENCES…

S D Burman's music was an eclectic mix of various musical forms. His primary and most favourite influence remained Bengali folk music. His early years were spent amidst the rolling hills and the lush mountain valleys of the North-East. The rich musical tradition of this region left an indelible mark on the young Sachin. Years later he wrote that his art drew heavy inspiration from the outdoors of Tripura, where he spent his childhood.

He always strove to capture the freshness of wild, untamed nature in his compositions. This trait is not only apparent in compositions like the dew fresh Kishore-Lata duet 'Gori Gori gaon ki gori re' from his tribute-to-the-North East film Yeh Gulsita Hamara but also implicitly in songs like 'Piya bina, piya bina' from Abhimaan and 'Megha chhaye aadhi raat' from Sharmilee which have a strong North Eastern influence in the melodic structure.

He had a special liking for Baul and Bhatiyali folk forms of Bengal. He himself was an accomplished Bhatiyali (the song of the boatman) singer and came into prominence in the Hindi music scene with his memorable rendition of a Bhatiyali adaptation -- 'Dheere se jaana bagiyan mein re bhanwra'. His rendition is said to have mesmerized Jaidev so much that he sought him out to become his assistant!

In addition to folk music, Rabindra Sangeet and light classical forms like the thumri formed his building blocks. Burmanda also had a very unique sense of rhythm. Melody and rhythm blended in perfect harmony to make his compositions extremely captivating.

GRACEFUL AND SIMPLE, YET INIMITABLE

The outstanding point of Sachin Dev Burman's music is that it was never overtly complex and never pretentious. His tunes were always simple, graceful, hummable yet heartfelt. He would always say that film music should appeal to the common man. Film to him was not a medium to show off classical knowledge. And he never did. However, when he did occasionally go the classical route he came up with breathtaking beauties like 'Jhan Jhan jhan jhan payal baaje' or 'Poocho na kaise maine rain bitayi'.

Legend says that Sachinda got this lesson in simplicity early in his career. During the early years when his music was not quite hitting the jackpot, Dada once caught his servant playing Naushad's Rattan song in his music room. Rather than get annoyed, he curiously asked the boy what appealed to him in that music. While he obviously did not get a cohesive answer out of the boy, Sachinda got the point. Film music cannot afford to be too esoteric.

After that he kept complexity completely out of his music and made sure it was always hummable. He would often summon his servant or driver to take their final opinion on his tunes, trusting their judgement more than that of the musically literate people around him.

To me, however, the most beautiful part about Dada's music is that, despite being aimed at the masses, it never lost its appeal for the connoisseur. This is no mean feat by itself. Even in crowd-pleasing songs like 'Jeevan ke safar mein rahi' Burman Dada betrayed his class. There are few composers who could achieve that balance.

WHAT STOOD OUT

A look into Sachinda's almost 40-year career (including his stint in Calcutta) shows us that Sachinda's biggest quality was to change with time. From the classical inspired '30s and '40s where he held his own amongst stalwarts like Saigal, to the pop and jazz inspired '70s, Dada was always in with the times. Variety and versatility were his keywords. He would consciously strive to be different. Each tune was crafted with care, love and enthusiasm. He would forever experiment. One of his earliest experiments was taking a song written as a ghazal and tuning it into a club song. Yes, we are talking about 'Tadbeer se bigdi hui'. With such stupendous success with his first experiment, Dada Burman had tasted blood. After that he never gave up on this trait. He would vary tempo, orchestration, vocals etc. to give each song a unique feel.

Another outstanding feature of Burman's music is its strong vocals. Being a vocalist himself, he had a special knack of handling singers. He worked with a wide variety of singers and brought out the best in each of their voices. Whether it was Suman Kalyanpur or Sudha Malhotra or Mubarak Begum he has given memorable songs to all. Singers like Geeta Roy, Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosale, Manna Dey and Hemant Kumar came into prominence singing his tunes. To Kishore, Asha and Geeta he was akin to being a godfather.

Years later, singers have loads of stories about him. Asha Bhonsle recalls how he taught her to get the right emotion for a song. For the Jewel Thief beauty 'Raat akeli hai' she reminisces that Burman Dada had asked her in his characteristic style, "Have you ever played the trick where you pretend to whisper in someone's ear but scream instead? I want you to do just that to get the right effect in this song!". Dada gave a new dimension to Asha's voice when he decided to groom her after his split with Lata. What resulted were breathtaking beauties like 'Kali ghata chhaye' and 'Koi aaya dhadkan kehti hai'. Never did Asha sound as exotic, fresh and alluring as she did under Dada's baton.

Years before he had given the same direction to Geeta Dutt's vocals. Geeta Dutt used to sing sad songs and bhajans in her initial years. It was Sachin Dev Burman who brought out the jazzy and sensual side to her vocals with 'Taqdeer se bigdi'. The effect was so potent that Geeta thereafter cornered this slot completely.

Kishore Kumar was another singer who honed his singing skills under Burmanda. One often sees inherent Burman traits in Kishore's singing. Kishore and Burman had one of the most prolific partnerships in the history of film music which created gems like Aradhana, Sharmilee, Tere Mere Sapne, and Munimji. Theirs was the precursor to the celebrated Kishore-RD Burman pairing which changed the face of Hindi film music in the '70s.

Before composing a song Dada had to know all the details about the character and situation. He had an uncanny knack of picking up just the right tune for a situation. He then crafted the tune so well that it created images of its own in the mind's eye. This characteristic made him with a natural choice of great filmmakers like Guru Dutt, Bimal Roy and Vijay Anand.

He struck a very special rapport with Dev Anand and could never refuse him. Navketan also rarely looked beyond Burman. Legend says that Dev Saab delayed Guide for 6 months so that an ailing Dada could score the music. He doggedly refused to take another music director in his place. Burman Dada also came up with an immortal score for the film. The brilliance of Guide is incomplete without its music. Whether it's Dada's own 'Wahan kaun hai tera' or Lata's dulcet 'Piya tose naina laage re' or Rafi's 'Tere mere sapne ab ek rang hain' or the Kishore-Lata piece-de-resistance 'Gaata rah mera dil'. Guide is a score where each song is crafted and coated with a magic potion.

Another very notable characteristic Sachinda had was the ability to think laterally. He could take the same set of notes and create completely different songs. As was his nature he was the happiest composing effervescent songs. He had a special way with duets. He brought about a special chemistry between the singers as is apparent in duets like 'Chod do aanchal' or 'Aankhon mein kya ji'.

He teamed with Majrooh Sultanpuri to create some memorable duets. Majrooh Saab recalls how Dada Burman initially was opposed to duets because he felt they had no market. However, after some convincing he went with "Muzru's" (that's what he called him) idea and the result was the extremely coquettish 'Chod do aanchal zamaana kya kahega' . And yes, by the way, the 'ah' in the beginning was added by Burmanda himself!

The vocals were always the centerpiece of his creations. Till the end he stuck to his belief that orchestration is secondary and should remain in the background. His constant advice to his talented orchestra loving son was also the same: 'Pancham, kabhi gaane ko mat bhoolo'. He liked to use sweeter instruments like the flute, santoor, sitar as well as folk instruments like the ektaara and madal to give his music a fresh feel. Despite his minimalist approach the preludes and interludes in Dada's music always had a special quality. Who can forget the mouth organ in 'Hai Apna dil to awaara' (played by a young Rahul Dev Burman) or the delicate yet compelling orchestration of the Bandini beauty 'Mora gora ang laile'.

Burman himself as a vocalist was unsurpassable. It would take an entire article to discuss his singing skills. His unique blend, of the Bhatiyali and the classical style of singing, is in a class by itself. No one singer has left such an indelible impression as Burman Dada has with his handful of songs in Hindi. Singing was always his first love. Though he limited his own singing in Hindi films, in Bengal, Dada Burman was a singer first and till the end. His non-film songs in Bangla reveal yet another fascinating facet of this genius. He would sing with his very being. Each rendition of his is special. If Dada Burman touched a tune with his magical vocals very few singers could surpass his renditions.

THE PERSON

Sachin Dev Burman had a unique personality. Temperamental, mercurial, adamant and obstinate on one side, childlike, impish, simple and genuine on the other. He had small eccentricities that endeared him to the people around him.

Lata Mangeshkar who had a much-publicized six-year row with him, today remembers him with much affection. She recalls how he would always be anxious about his song. His greatest fear was that she wouldn't turn up for a recording. She also recalls with amusement how he would always sing out a song to teach it to the singers. When he did that everyone would be at a loss because singing like him was beyond their abilities. Lata says, she for one would always have to go back to him to ask him how to sing her pieces.

He was a hard taskmaster and demanded nothing short of perfection from the people who worked with him. One had to work extra hard to please him. But Lata says when he was pleased his appreciation was straight from the heart. He would come up, pat her on the back and shower her with blessings. And his utmost gesture of appreciation used to be to offer her one of his precious paans as inaam!

He had a great zest for life that he kept up despite constant health problems in his later life. Though he was traditional in appearance Dada Burman was always very modern at heart, a fact that is not only apparent from how modern his compositions were but also from the name he chose for his bungalow -- 'The Jet'!

He was a great sports enthusiast and is reported for have offered to compose music to go with a hockey match! He was an ace tennis player in his youth and fishing remained one of his favourite pastimes right till the end. Football of course was an abiding passion. Legend says that the only time a deep-in-coma Dada Burman (before his death) stirred was when R D Burman shook him excitedly to convey to him that his favourite East Bengal had thrashed Mohan Bagan 5-0 in a football match. Dada is supposed to have shaken his head in acknowledgement and even given a little smile!

Ameen Sayani once said about SD Burman, "Wo bachpan ki maasoomiyat mein jawaani ka nasha ghol ke tarzen banaya karte the" (His tunes were a heady mix of the innocence of a child coupled with the intoxication of youth).

Almost 100 years after he was born his music still brings happiness to the world.

So anytime you come across a little enchanted tune that wriggles up to your ear and seduces you into a magical trance, remember with a smile, the twinkly old man who created it.

Amare chadiye re bondhu koi gela re.

Thank you everybody for such wonderful articles. You guys rock. 👏

Thanks Again.

Thank you so much Dada for these articles and others too.. Will post some tomro