Sachin Dev Burman
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Sachin Dev Burman (Bengali: শচীন দেব বর্মন)(October 1, 1906 - October 31, 1975) (aka Burman da, also credited as Kumar Sachindra Dev Barman or S. D. Burman) was one of the most famous Bollywood music composers and an all time great Bengalee singer and composer. His son Rahul Dev Burman also made it big in Bollywood as a music director.
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[edit] Early days
S D Burman was born in Comilla, Bengal (now in Bangladesh) in British India. He was born in the royal family of Tripura, and began his training in classical music under his father, sitarist and Dhrupad singer Nabadwipchandra Dev Burman. He later continued his training first under KC Dey,and then Bhismadev Chattopadhaya and Badal Khan. He also acknowledges Ustad Allauddin Khan as one of his gurus. His early work for radio was based on East Bengali and North-Eastern folk-music. In the early 1930s he made a reputation for himself as a singer of folk and light classical music. (Consequently his film compositions were often influenced by his huge repertory of folk-tunes from the Bengali, Bhatiali, Sari and Dhamail traditions of the North-East India).
[edit] Music career
S D Burman composed music for 100 movies inclusive of Bengalee films. Agneepath (1990) had an uncredited song composed by him - Nazar lagi raja tore bangle par from Kalapani (1958). He also sang about 20 film songs (inclusive of Bengali films) for which he composed music though he may not have been the music director of the films. He also sang for one of the songs of Amar Prem (1971), a film whose music was composed by his son, Rahul Dev Burman. S.D. Burman's compositions have been mainly sung to a large extent by the likes of Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammad Rafi, Geeta Dutt (wife of Guru Dutt and a playback singer herself), Manna Dey,Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhonsle and Shamsad Begum. Mukesh and Talat Mahmood have also sung songs composed by him. He has also sung a number of private songs and bhajans. Notable ones being "Dheere se jana bagiyan mein" and "Kaun nagariya javun re Bansiwale..".
[edit] 1930s
He made his film debut singing in Yahudi ki Ladki (1933) but the songs were scrapped and re-sung by Pahari Sanyal. His first film as a singer was finally Sanjher Pidim (1935). He became a music director initially in Calcutta with Rajgee (1937). He moved to Bombay in 1944.
[edit] 1940s
In Bombay, he began with Filmistan's Shikari (1946) but his first major breakthrough came the following year with the company's Do Bhai (1947). The song Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya sung by Geeta Dutt was her breakthrough song into the film industry.
Shabnam (1949) was his biggest hit with Filmistan with the multi-lingual song Yeh Duniya Roop ki Chor sung by Shamshad Begum becoming the rage of the day.
[edit] 1950s
Disillusioned with the materialism of Bombay, S D Burman left the Ashok Kumar starrer Mashaal (1950) incomplete and decided to board the first train back to Calcutta. Fortunately, he was dissuaded from doing so.
In 1950s, S D Burman teamed up with Dev Anand's Nav Ketan Productions to create musical hits like Taxi Driver (1954), Munimji (1955), Paying Guest (1957), Nau Do Gyarah (1957) and Kalapani (1958). The songs sung by Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar became popular. Burman da composed the music for Dev Anand's production company Navketan's first film Afsar (1950). With the success of their second film, Baazi (1951) he made it to the top and a long association with Navketan and Dev Anand was on its way. Baazi's jazzy musical score revealed a new facet of singer Geeta Dutt, who was mainly known for weepy, sad songs and bhajans. While every song in the film was a hit, one stood out for special appeal - Tadbir se Bigdi Hui Taqdeer, a ghazal that was occidentalized into a seductive song.
He also gave music for Guru Dutt classics - Pyaasa (1957) and Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959). The soundtrack of Devdas (1955) was also composed by him. House No. 44 (1955), Funtoosh (1956), Solva Saal (1958) and Sujata (1959) were other S D Burman hits. When Guru Dutt made comparatively light-weight films like Baazi and Jaal (1952), Burmanda reflected their mood with compositions like Suno Gajar Kya Gaye or De Bhi Chuke Hum and when Guru Dutt made his somber masterpieces - Pyaasa (1957) and Kaagaz ke Phool (1959), he was right on target with Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind and Waqt ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam.
In 1957, S D Burman fell out with Lata Mangeshkar and adopted her younger sister Asha Bhosle as his lead female singer. The team of S D Burman, Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle and lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri became popular for their duet songs. Thus, he was responsible along with O.P. Nayyar for shaping Asha Bhosle as a singer of repute.
In 1958, S D Burman gave music for Kishore Kumar's house production Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi.
[edit] 1960s
Ill health caused a slump in his career in the early 1960s but he gave many hit films in late 1960s. In 1961, S D Burman and Lata Mangeshkar came together during the recording of R D Burman's first song for the movie Chhote Nawab. They reconciled their differences and started working again in 1962.
The Dev Anand-S D Burman partenership continued to churn out musical hits like Bambai Ka Babu (1960), Tere Ghar Ke Samne (1963), Teen Devian (1965), Guide (1965) and Jewel Thief (1967).
Other S D Burman hits from this period were Bandini (1963) and Ziddi (1964).
Aradhana (1969) is considered a landmark score in the Bollywood history. The music of the movie shaped the careers of singer Kishore Kumar, lyricist Anand Bakshi, filmmaker Shakti Samanta and R D Burman (associate music director). It was responsible in Kishore Kumar's second coming and went on to make him the top male playback singer of Hindi Films.
[edit] 1970s
Dev Anand and S D Burman continued their musical partnership in Prem Pujari (1969).
Sharmilee (1971), Abhimaan (1973), and Chupke Chupke (1973), Zameer (1974), Mili (1975) film| are other classics from this period.
S D Burman went into coma while recording the song Badi sooni sooni (sung by Kishore Kumar) for the film Mili. He died on October 31, 1975 in Bombay (now Mumbai).
[edit] Singing style
As a singer, his thin but powerful voice was often used as bardic commentary e.g. Wahaan Kaun hai Tera from Guide or Safal Hogi Teri Aradhana from Aradhana. Abhimaan (1973) stands out for his outstanding musical score among his later films.
[edit] Awards and Recognitions
- Gold Medal, Bengal All India Music Conference,Kolkata 1934
- The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award - 1958.
- Asia Film Society Award, 1958
- National Award Singer, 1972
- Padmashree 1969
- Film Fare Awards, 1954 & 1973
- International Jury on Folk Music
