#GoldenFrames: R. D. Burman, the timeless music maestro

An Indian high-ranked music director, R. D. Burman, is commonly known as the "Music Scientist" and the "King of Bollywood Music." He is considered one of the greatest music composers in the Indian film industry. Burman composed musical scores for 331 movies from the 1960s to the 1990s. Burman did major work with his wife, Asha Bhosle, and Kishore Kumar. Some of the most memorable numbers in his career were created for his sister-in-law, melody queen Lata Mangeshkar. Burman's songs continue to be popular in India and overseas.

In This Pic : R. D. Burman

Pic Courtesy : BCCL

R. D. Burman was born to the Hindi film composer and singer, Sachin Dev Burman, and his lyricist wife Meera Dev Burman (née Dasgupta), in Kolkata.

In This Pic : ​R. D. Burman

Pic Courtesy : BCCL

R. D. Burman was nicknamed Pancham as his crying fit sounded in the fifth note (Pa), G scale, of music notation; in Hindustani Classical Music. Pancham is also the name of the fifth scale degree. Another theory says that the Burman was nicknamed Pancham because he could cry in five different notes. Yet another version says that when the veteran Indian actor Ashok Kumar saw a newborn Rahul uttering the syllable Pa repeatedly, he nicknamed the boy Pancham.

In This Pic : ​R. D. Burman

Pic Courtesy : BCCL

R. D. Burman received his early education in West Bengal. When he was seventeen, R. D. Burman composed his first song, "Aye meri topi palat ke aa", which his father used in the movie 'Funtoosh' (1956), and "Sar jo tera chakraaye" was included in the soundtrack of Guru Dutt's 'Pyaasa' (1957).

In This Pic : R. D. Burman

R. D. Burman was trained by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan (sarod) and Samta Prasad (tabla). He also considered Salil Chowdhury his guru. He served as an assistant to his father and often played harmonica in his orchestras.

In This Pic : ​R. D. Burman, asha bhosle