A look back to S.D. Burman
S.D. Burman was one of India’s most respected and loved musicians, his songs were extremely simple yet harmonious. In retrospect, most of his songs fit the situation so well that it is easy to remember not only the songs, but the scenes too. He also used a lot of folk music in his compositions and they were not just from the North or East, but from the South as well. Since folk music is easily acceptable, it made him a musician who was easy to appreciate. Follow Spotlife Asia for the latest Entertainment and Lifestyle news.
Here’s a look back at some of S.D. Burman’s most memorable tunes.
From the film Guide, ‘Din dhal jaye aur raat na jaye’, had been penned by Shailendra, and the music for the same had been composed by SD Burman. Calling this composition superlative is an understatement. Talking of SD Burman’s choice between Kishore Kumar and Rafi, he gave Kishore Kumar a duet in this movie with Lata Mangeshkar, ‘Gata rahe mera dil,’ but all the three solos were by Rafi – the other two being ‘Tere mere sapne ab ek rang hain’ and ‘Kya se kya ho gaya’. however ‘Din dhal jaye’ surpasses all of them in beauty because of the wonderful musical pieces in the interludes.
Pictured on the beautiful Waheeda Rehman and Guru Dutt, ‘Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam’ is a haunting melody that catapults the listener into a world of its own. Till this day, the tune of this song resonates with all and sundry. The wonderful lyrics, penned by Sahir Ludhiyanvi, is true to the T and this is perhaps one of the best songs that depicts the affliction that time can cause on relationships and the very disposition of people.
Kagaz Ke Phool is another masterpiece of Guru Dutt; many people reckon it greater than Pyaasa. However there is a resemblance between the themes of both the films – the pain, an uncompromising and unflinching artist (poet in one, filmmaker in the other) goes through in the egotistical and cynical world which values commercial success more than inherent excellence. This was a candidly autobiographical film, which was a commercial failure, but is rated as one of the greatest classics. This atmospheric song is sung by Mohammad Rafi. Wonderful poetry by Kaifi Azmi, and minimal orchestration by SD Burman – The song later diffuses into flashbacks of his glorious days when he was mobbed by admiring fans, scrambling for his autograph, swaying now to a fast chorus with completely different words.
‘Yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaaye to kya hai’ from the immortal film, Pyaasa, 1957, has been beautifully rendered by Mohammad Rafi and the stellar lyrics were penned by Sahir Ludhiyanvi. This song is bound to give goose flesh to the listener. The cynicism of Sahir’s lyrics is apparent, and SD Burman’s music only enriches them. The song starts off very slow and gradually it gathers energy, building up till the finale, when the dead-alive poet Vijay’s fury fumes over in a deafening denunciation of the world, its sham customs and mores with the voice and music reaching a sudden crescendo. The cinematography, the philosophy seethed lyrics, the plight of the world and the maestro Guru Dutt on screen makes this song an immortal gem.
