R.D. Burman joined his father, S.D. Burman, in 1955. He was just 18 years old and began as an assistant music director with Guru Dutt‘s classic film Kaagaz Ke Phool and continued assisting his father till 1975, when his father expired. The high highpoint of R.D. Burman was that though he had become an independent music director in 1961 with the film Chote Nawab and earned stardom after the huge success of Teesri Manzil, he kept assisting his father in his films. Pancham assisted in several hit films like Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), Baat Ek Raat Ki (1962), Bandini (1963), Meri Surat Teri Ankhen (1963), Guide (1965), Jewel Thief (1967), Aradhana (1969), and Talash (1969).
A Father-Son Collaboration
Learning from a Legend
What is interesting is that in many films that have music by S.D. Burman, one can find the hidden contribution of his son, R.D. Burman. For instance, everybody knows that Dev Anand and S.D. Burman were a hit pair. However, when Dev Anand started his most ambitious film, Guide, suddenly S.D. Burman fell sick. He was so sick that doctors advised him to have bed rest for many months. Hence S.D. Burman humbly persuaded Dev Anand to opt for another music director. But Dev Anand was adamant. Watching their attachment, R.D. Burman created the song Gaata Rahe Mera Dil… to help Dev Anand start the film’s shooting. Incidentally, the song turned out to be a chartbuster of the year.
RD Burman’s Apprenticeship under SD Burman
Similarly, the pathbreaking sensual number Roop Tera Mastana… from the film Aradhana (1969) that made Rajesh Khanna a superstar is actually a composition of R.D. Burman. In an interview, Amit Kumar exposed the truth. Recalling his younger days, Amit Kumar said that he had accompanied his papa (Kishore Kumar) for the sitting of the song at S.D. Burman’s residence. However, on reaching home, he saw that filmmaker Shakti Samanta was not convinced by a folk tune composed by S.D. Burman. Samanta wanted a sensual and romantic tune, while S.D. Burman’s tune did not suit the scene where the hero and heroine are trapped in a house on a rainy night at a hill station.
While Samanta and S.D. Burman were involved in a heated argument, R.D. BBurman coolly created a tune and cajoled Kishore Kumar to sing. When Kishore sang the song, Shakti Samanta jumped into excitement and was bowled over by the genius of R.D. Burman. Later, Shakti Samanta signed R.D. Burman for all his further films like Kati Patang, Amar Prem, Mehbooba, Ajnabee, Balika BBadhu, etc.
In the mid-70s, R.D.. Burman was at his peak, with hit films like Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Aap Ki Kasam (1974), Sholay (1975), and Aandhi (1975) becoming big hits. He was so busy that the film producer made a beeline to sign him. Suddenly his father, S.D. Burman, went into a coma and soon died. After his death, despite busy schedules, Papa completed the incomplete music of S.D. Burman in the Amitabh-Jaya hit film Mili (1975). R.D. Burman recorded 3 songs for MMili, and interestingly, he lived up to his father’s music standards!!
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