Though R.D.Burman was at its peak in the ‘70s but he was wounded as the music critics labeled him a plagiarist. Also, they mocked his ability to compose original music!!! Comparing him to his legendary father S.D. Burman, the critics ridiculed Pancham as he composed copied tunes of the West while his father S.D. Burman was a real genius as he composed original Hindustani classical tunes. The height of humiliation came from the Bhartiya Sangeet Academy organizes!
The Humiliation From Bhartiya Sangeet Academy
Each year, the Bhartiya Sangeet Academy organizers held a musical show to encourage new musicians and felicitate emerging musical talents. India’s cream-of-the-crop classical musicians usually attended the function. The organizers also invited a top-notch Hindi Film music director and honored him.
Once it so happened that the Bhartiya Sangeet Academy decided to invite R.D.Burman as Chief Guest. They even printed the invitation card. Surprisingly when the chairman of the academy came to know he was red hot in anger and in a fist of fury, he tore the invitation card into pieces and dumped into a dustbin. The reason why the chairman fumed was that the Hindustani Classical music fraternity and the Bhartiya Shastri Sangeet group had no regard for R.D.Burman. They condemned him and considered his music as a bundle of songs lifted from foreign music albums!!!
R.D. Burman’s Side Of The Story
Incidentally, when R.D.Burman came to know about this ugly incident from some anonymous well-wishers, he was totally broken and decided to give such a music that would shame the Bhartiya Sangeet Academy and he proved his word!
When Vidhu Vinod Chopra signed him for 1942 A Love Story (1994) Pancham was a broken man. First, the utter disgrace by Bhartiya Sangeet Academy. Secondly, he had a huge list of flop music from 1990 to 1993!! His last hit musical film was Parinda (1980) directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra . Hence when Vidhu Vinod Chopra expressed faith in Pancham , by repeating him in his next film, Pancham decided to give his best. In order to showdown the Bhartiya Sangeet Academy, Pancham worked on the tunes of the film based on Hindustani Classical ragas. For instance, the song Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To…. was based on the Carnatic Raga called Kedaram. The other hit song Kuch Na Kaho, Kuch Bhi Na Kaho – (Raag Yaman – Kalyan) and Kyon Naye Lag Rahe Hain (Raga Khamaj). Every song is an epitome of romance.
The album redefined Pancham‘s music as a genius. The music of the film forced even the Bhartiya Sangeet Academy to acknowledge R.D.Burman‘s intelligence. They even sent an apology and invited Pancham as a special guest of honor in their next annual function but it’s reported that an annoyed R.D.Burman refused to attend the function.
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