I really want to do this for a long time never came around to do it thanks to you for opening up the door for me and I will try to do my best for RDB Love him .
Edited by Qwest - 18 years ago
The real Rahul
Rajiv Vijayakar
Posted online: Friday, January 16, 2004 at 0000 hours IST
January 4 was the 10th death anniversary of R.D. Burman. Here's taking a look at his classical-based compositions...
Ten years will have elapsed, come January 4, since Rahul Dev Burman cast away the shell of his mortal body and turned into an immortal soul. Today, sadly, his memory is restricted largely to the remixes that a whole generation of not-so creative men and women are churning out of his work, with alarming regularity and mediocrity. These remix specialists claim to pay obeisance to an icon of rhythm, and give a contemporary sound to his magical numbers. But can someone, whose music was as advanced as tomorrow is made any more modern at all today?
There is also a coterie of individuals that have made Pancham as some kind of god. But the trouble is, this is done not with genuine, knowledge-driven reverence, but with casual or distorted conformism. R.D. Burman, a man who was always dished out step-motherly treatment in life by a capricious kismat, has become a fashion statement after death, a brand akin of musical Versace or Swarowski, his songs as cool as the latest Reebok, or as hot as the latest McDonald fast food.
On the occasion of his 10th death anniversary, we wish to enlighten the present generation about RD's other works than just those songs which are hot remixes today. Genuine RD lovers are distressed to find that a giant composer is relegated to becoming a current sensation merely because his music had a vision far ahead of his time, and a canvas that extended far beyond Indian shores. Today, the need of the hour therefore is to introduce the real Rahul to this club, in the hope that they can explore the vistas of Panchamland.
R.D. Burman's basic identity as the son of one of Hindi cinema's greatest-ever ethnic composers, S.D. Burman, his training under him (and the resultant mammoth exposure to Rabindra Sangeet and East Indian folk) and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, all gave RD a solid Indian core that the composer never abandoned or allowed to be downplayed. For Pancham, Western (or any other non-Indian) music was a packaging, an embellishment, and at the most a significant segment of the personality of a song, and in final analysis the means to an end-product so individualistic that none of his subsequent wannabe clones can hope to imitate, let alone match. It was as if these Burman beauties were various thoroughbred Indians, one only dressed in a Western outfit, a second wearing a salwar-kameez with a cut similar to a Western suit, a third having lived abroad and adopted some of another culture's most refined or positive qualities that merged seamlessly with the Indian roots and values. And proof of this lay in the fact that everyone, from hardcore classicists to the rural masses loved his songs. To the genuine Pancham premee, RD was thus more about 'Jaaoon to kahaan jaaoon...' (Asha Bhosle) rather than 'Baahon mein chale aa...' (Lata Mangeshkar) in the Anamika context, superb though the latter number was. In Bhoot Bangla, we tangoed to a 'Aao twist karen...' (Manna Dey) but needed a 'Jaago sonewaalon...' (as RD's first-ever excursion with fave singer Kishore Kumar) to linger on as proof of RD's great potential as early as his second film.
These Pancham-ignoramuses, as we RD-lovers would like to term the fans who swear only by his remix-friendly songs, would be interested to know that RD first made people sit up and take notice of him, not with the zingy numbers of Teesri Manzil (1966), The Train (1970) or Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1972), but with the raag-soaked 'Ghar aaja ghir aaye badraa saanwariya...' from his 1961 debut film Chhote Nawab. And for RD, going as expertly shastriya as anyone else turned out to be a frequent exercise in films as diverse as Padosan ('Ek chatur naar...'/ Kishore-Manna-Mehmood), Buddha Mil Gaya ('Aayo kahaan se Ghanashyam...'/ Manna Dey), Amar Prem ('Raina beeti jaaye...'/ Lata), Parichay (Lata-Bhupendra's 'Beete na beetaayi raina...' and Bhupendra's 'Mitwaa bole meethe bain...'), Kinara (Lata-Bhupendra's 'Naam gum jaayega...') and all those semi-classical lovelies like 'Is mod pe jaate hain...' (Lata-Kishore/ Aandhi), 'Rimjhim ghire saawan...' (Kishore/ Lata separately in Manzil), 'Bhor bhaye panchhi...' (Lata/ Aanchal), 'Sajti hai yun hi mehfil...' (Asha/ Kudrat), 'Yeh faasle yeh dooriyan...' (Lata/ Zameen Aasmaan) and 'Saagar kinare...' (Lata-Kishore/ Saagar).
Perhaps RD-bhakts would also like to revisit some of Pancham's solid, but 'unfashionable' early beauties. Here are some 'Paar lagaa de mere sapnon ki naiyyaa...' and 'Sharaabi sharaabi mera naam ho gaya...' (both by Lata in Chandan Ka Palna), 'Kya jaanoo sajan hoti hain kya gham ki shaam...' (Lata-Usha/ Baharon Ke Sapne), 'Jawaani ne maare...' (Rafi from the same film), 'Waadiyaan mera daaman...' (Lata/ Rafi separately from Abhilasha), 'Nisultana re...' (Rafi-Lata), 'Chekhush nazarein...' (Rafi), 'Na jaa o mere humdum...' (Lata) and 'Tum bin jaaoon kahaan...' (Rafi/Kishore separately) - all from the music-fest called Pyar Ka Mausam, 'Bhai battur...' (Lata) and 'Kehna hai...' (Kishore), those two non-hyped lovelies from Padosan and the twin Lata-Rafi highs, 'Lehkraake aaya hai...' and 'Kabhi kabhi aisa bhi to...' from Waris.
Never a Mukesh fan (the style did not fit too well into the RD leitmotif), Pancham nevertheless went on some terrific Mukesh outings like 'Jis gali mein tera ghar na ho...' (Kati Patang/ Mukesh), 'Kahin karti hogi...' (Lata-Mukesh/ Phir Kab Milogi), 'Suraj se jo kiran ka naata...' (Lata-Mukesh/ Hungama), 'Suhani chandni raatein...' (Mukti), and finally 'Ek din bik jaayega...' (Dharam-Karam).
Pancham's compositions dominated over his unique arrangements and sound, rather than vice-versa. The freshness, the all-pervading innovation, and even the fusion lay primarily in the tune (the core) rather than in the sound (the packaging).
Let us also examine, to get to first base with the real RD, the music director's rarer experiments with other home-spun names like Suman Kalyanpur ('Suno ji tum, tum bade woh ho...'/ Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi with Kishore), Parveen Sultana ('Hamein tumse pyar kitna...' / Kudrat), Shivaji Chhatopadhyaya ('Yeh safar bahut hai kathin...'/ 1942 - A Love Story), S.P. Balasubramaniam ('Hum na samjhe the...' /Gardish), Suresh Wadkar ('Tumse milke...'/ Parinda and 'Saawan nahin bhadon nahin...'/ Kudrat, both with Asha Bhosle), Narendra Chanchal (the title song from Benaam), and Anwar ('Duniya badal rahi hai...'/ Hum Hain Lajawab) and Shabbir Kumar (Betaab) in their respective duets with Lata in these films.
Obviously, Pancham's vocal avenues in the Indian milleu (Pandit Vasantrao Deshpande, Faiyyaz, Peenaz Masani, Anup Jalota, Ghulam Ali, Mahendra Kapoor and Shamshad Begum could be added to this list, though the results were not as fruitful) much more frequently than his indulgences with Westernised voices like Annette, Ursula and Usha Uthup.
And how can we forget that if Rafi represented another youth icon called Shammi Kapoor vis-a-vis Shanker-Jaikishan and others, Pancham himself largely used Rafi differently, Teesri Manzil being one of the exceptions that proved the rule. Having ghost-composed Rafi classics like 'Sar jo tera chakraaye...' (Pyaasa) and 'Tu kahaan yeh bataa...' (Tere Ghar Ke Saamne) for dad, RD mainly loked at Rafi with a melodious angle, thus paving the way for the singer's relatively minor presence at the peak of his career as a youthful composer. Thus for R.D. Burman, Rafi meant the folk treasures of Caravan and Mela, the soothing Western all-timer 'Chura liya hai tumne...' (with Asha/ Yaadon Ki Baaraat), the waltz that was 'Aa raat jaati hai...' (with Asha/ Benaam), those incomparable qawwalis, 'Hai agar dushmun...' (Hum Kisise Kum Nahin) and 'Pal do pal ka saath hamara...' (The Burning Train), and those different RD numbers like 'Naag devta...' (Shalimar), 'Pyar hai ek nishaan qadmon ka...' (Mukti), 'Jab ek kazaa se gujro to...' (Devta), 'Maine poocha chand se...' (Abdullah) and 'Dukh sukh ki har ek mala...' (Kudrat).
Finally, what made RD stand out as a path-breaking maestro was that he did not need a frenetic number to demonstrate his wondrous beats. In an amazing synergy of compositional solidity and superlative orchestral genius, Pancham could effortlessly and incredibly work in rhythm into a slow number. Not for him the heavy pulsating beats, the high vocal pitches or the techno gimmickry. For Pancham could sway both our souls and soles with numbers as soft, or as tranquil as Kishore's 'O hansini...' (Zehreela Insaan), Lata's 'Dilbar dil se pyaare...' (Caravan), 'Do ghoont mujhe bhi...' (Jheel Ke Us Paar) and 'Jab tum chale jaaoge...' (Bullet), Asha-Kishore's 'Aao jaan-e-jahaan...' (Gomti Ke Kinare), 'Ek main aur ek tu...' (Khel Khel Mein), 'Aaya hoon main tujhko...' (Manoranjan) and the title-track of Yeh Waada Raha, Asha-Amit's 'Tu rootha to main...' (Jawaani) and that rare Asha-RD beauty, 'Aasmaan se ek sitara...', from the non-starter Raahi Badal Gaye.
And so, all we genuine RD-aficionados would like to say is that Rahul Dev Burman is mainly about content not form alone. We need to understand his genius before taking his name only because it is the 'in' thing to do. Being Pancham is not about being in or out. RD - the real, the original, the 'un'remixed RD - is forever.
Edited by Qwest - 18 years ago
Cinegoers seem to be intrigued as they watch the special effects of the twisted neck of the slain watchman in Bhoot (which is now being dubbed in Telugu).
But not many are aware that way back in 1965 there was a movie titled Bhoot Bangla (with Tanuja in the lead) in which the late composer Rahul Dev Burman (Panchamda) played a bumbling comedian who gets trapped in a haunted house.
R D Burman |
In Memoriam: Asha on R D Burman
by Raju Bharatan
Yesterday was R D Burman's second death anniversary. Also yester- day, Asha Bhosle was in tune with R D Burman, while day before yesterday, she harmonised with O P Nayyar, and today, she is in sync with A R Rahman. Tell me, has there been a singer who has gone along with a trendsetter of the 50's, the 70's and now, the 90's?
What Asha, therefore, had to say of Pancham when he was living acquires an even deeper meaning --- now that R D Burman is no more.
''Do you know'', revealed Asha to me once, ''that Pancham would literally dance while recording a Khel Khel Main due like 'Sapna mera toot gaya'. Even as Pancham danced, I got the flow of rhythm, the mood of the song and could add that bit more to the number as I watched this born composer foot tappingly express himself to the singer.
In this sense, Kishore and Pancham were made for each other.
''I remember Pancham rehearsing Kishore and me for S D Burman's Nau Do Gyrah duet, 'Aankhon mein kya ji'. What I didn't know then was that the tune idea of 'Aankhon mein ...' was RD's, not SD's! Likewise, I recall --- once again without knowing the original tune to be the son's --- Pancham coming to rehearse with me for Dada Burman's Teen Deviyan duet, 'Arre yaar meri tum bhi ho gazab'.
When R D Burman finally became a music director himself, even after coming up with a truly inspiring tune like 'Aa jaa aa jaa, main hoom pyar tera' for Teesri Manzil, Pancham had this habit of querying: 'Do you think this song is good?'
''With my long experience of singing, I could feel it in my bones that 'Aa jaa aa jaa' was going to make waves. But Pancham those days (mid '60s) lacked the gumption to assert his viewpoint.
''In fact, I had to take 'Aa jaa aa jaa' to Lata didi for Pancham to be convinced that it was a beat-based tune without parallel in the annals of our music. Didi sat up with a jerk as I hummed the Pancham refrain, 'Aa jaa, aa jaa, aa jaa, aa jaa, aa ja, aaa ...'. Didi told me I should not change a note, that I should give this part of the song to Pancham exactly as he wanted it ren- dered.
''I had asked Pancham for a day to make up my mind whether I wanted a change here --- I was then an established singer, he a rising composer. I mention this only to bring into focus Pancham's being needlessly conscious of his junior stature in the music world.
''I knew him to be set for big things from the moment I rendred 'Maar daalega dard-e-jigar koi iski dawa kijiye' from Pati Patni.
I had discovered that even a seasoned singer like me, to be effective here, had to keep a careful count of the beat.
''It is this unusual beat of his that finally enabled Pancham to carve out a niche for himself. Pancham had picked up from his father the art of engaging Kishore and me in no end of verbal teasing. There always were those naughty Pancham 'touches' in a duet by Kishore and me. How mentally nimble I had to be to ensure that Kishore did not steal the moment from me!
''But Pancham was always there to even out things. That's how we three --- Pancham, Kishore and I --- could come up with masti bhare duets like 'Jaane-e-jaan dhoondhta hi raha' and 'Agar saaz cheeda tarane banege' in Jawani Diwani' 'Bhali bhali si ek soorat' in Buddha Mil Gaya; 'Rekha o rekha jabse tumhen dekha' in Adhikar; and 'Hawa ke saath saath' in Seeta Aur Geeta. With Panc- ham, there to even out things between Kishore and me, there was no limit to my sense of innovation under this flexible baton.
''It took me long, very long, to grasp the fact that Pancham was a composer first, a husband after. For instance, it didn't matter if he slept on the floor, but his recording system, his stereo, had to be immaculately kept in the place. Pancham lived, ate and slept music.
''You couldn't find a gentler husband, once you left him with his music --- in peace to create something out of this world like 'Mera kuchch saaman tumhare paas pada hai' for Gulzar's Ijaazat. Look at the wildly irregular metre of this song lyric! Who, but Pancham could have so turned it as for it to fetch me the National Award as best Singer?''
Edited by Qwest - 18 years ago
~ P A N C H A M ~ |
In1994, soon after RD's demise, Gulzar & HMV came up with one of the best ever tribute albums. This album is all about Gulzar's memories of moments that he shared with Pancham. A nostalgic trip down memory lane. The album also contains some rare voice clippings of RD during recordings from Gulzar's personal collection. The songs are all, but obviously, Gulzar-RD. One great thing about the album is the commentary by Gulzar. It weaves its magical spell on you along with the songs and RD's clippings that it becomes difficult to leave the album unfinished once you start playing it, no matter how many times you have gone through it before. The best part is of course the rare song clippings in RD's own voice.
Below is a complete transcript of Gulzar's comments and mukhD.aas of the songs. RD's comments are ingray normal, Gulzar's in Fixed font and mine in (Italics).
Gulzar begins....
...Yaad hai baarishoN ke din thay woh, Pancham! Aur pahaaD.ee ke neeche waadee meiN dhuNdh se jhaaNk kar nikaltee huee rail kee paTariyaaN gujartee theeN. Aur dhuNdh meiN aise lag rahe thay ham, jaise do paudhe paas baiThe hoN. Ham bahut der paTariyoN par baiThe us musaafir ka zikra karte rahe, jisko aana tha pichhlee shab par uskee aamad ka waqt Talta raha... ham bahut der paTariyoN pe baiThe hue train ka intazaar karte rahe. Train aayee na uska waqt hua, aur tum yuN hee do qadam chalkar dhuNdh par paaoN rakhke gum ho gaye. maiN akela hooN dhuNdh meiN, Pancham!
ta ra ra ra ra ra.... (Pancham's humming creates a dramatic effect)
qatraa qatraa miltee hai, qatraa qatraa jeene do, zindagee hai, bahne do~~~~~
pyaasee hooN maiN pyaasee rahne do.
(Asha - Ijaazat)
wo pyaas nahiN thi jab tum music uNDail rahe thay, zindagee meiN. Aur ham sab oak baDh.a ke maaNg rahe thay tumse. Pyaas ab lagee hai jab qatra qatra tumhaaree aawaaz ka jama kar raha hooN.... Kya tumhe pata tha Pancham ki tum chup ho jaaoge aur maiN tumhaaree aawaaz DhooNDhta phiruNga.
din jaa rahe haiN, ki raatoN ke saaye
(Lata - Doosri Seeta)
(Pancham humming the song)
khaalee haath shaam aayee hai, khaalee haath jaayegee
aaj bhee na aaya koi, khaali lauT jaayegee
(Asha - Ijaazat)
...ye Gulzar ka gaana hai, isko mark karo!
ye sirf mera nahiN Pancham, ab ham sabka hai...
ye saaye haiN, ye duniyaa hai bharee bheeD. meiN khaali tanhaaiyoN ke
ye saaye haiN ye duniyaa hai
(Asha -Sitara)
(Pancham humming the song in his inimitable style)
roj roj aankhoN tale, ek hi sapna chale raat bhar kaajal jale~~~~~
aankhoN meiN jis tarah raat ka deeya jale
(Asha, Amit - Jeeva)
yaad hai mera pahla gaana tha tumhaare saath. raat ko ek baje aakar jagaaya tha tumne. kaha tha neeche chalo gaaD.i meiN. waheeN gaana sunaata hooN. aur phir subah tak tum saD.koN par gaaD.i chalaate rahe aur cassette par sunaate rahe....
musaafir hooN yaaroN, na ghar hai na Thikaana
mujhe chalte jaana hai~~~~, bas chalte jaana
(Kishore - Parichay)
(Pancham hums)
....jab bhee jee aayega tasveer ko le jaana / ghar meiN sajtee ho ye tasveer to le jaana / paR qatar deNge jo ab dekha tumheN uD.te hue
(This antara, incidentally, is missing from the recorded song)
aaj kal paaoN zameeN par nahiN paD.te mere
bolo dekha hai kabhee tumne mujhe uD.te hue
(Lata - Ghar)
Pancham! ek baD.a maasoom sa bachcha tha tumhaare saath. Jo tumhaare andar tumhaare mijaaz meiN jeeta tha. shareer bhee, paajee bhee, haNsta, khelta, Practical joke sunaata.... Use hamne udaas nahiN hone diya.
lakD.i ki kaathi.....
(Vanta Mishra, Gurpreet Kaur, Gauri Bapat - Masoom)
(Pancham humming the song)
saatoN baar bole bansi, ek hee baar bole na
tan kee laagee saaree bole, man kee lagee bole na
(Asha - Dil Padosi Hai)
..terrific gaana hai
Gulmohar gar tumhaara naam hota
mausam-e-gul ko haNsaana bhee tumhaara kaam hota
(Kishore, Lata - Devata)
..boss, fabulous!
Piya baawaree, piya baawaree
pee kahaaN peee kahaaN peehu peehu bole re
(Asha, Ashok Kumar - Khubsoorat)
.. maatha kHaraab hua hai kya..?
Pancham tumhaare saath seriously baiThkar gaana likhna baD.a mushkil hota tha. Itne sanjeeda kism ke gaane banaate hue bhee tumhaare pranks khatm nahiN hote thay. bahut serious ek gaana tha jis par tumne kaha tha mujhse, "tum kyoN band botal kee tarah serious baiThe ho."
Botal se ik baat chalee hai
kaag uD.aa ke raat chalee hai
(Asha, Rafi - Ghar)
kitne kam logoN ko ye baat samajh meiN aatee hai ki dhun bana lene se hee gaana nahiN ban jaata. tumhaare apne lafzoN meiN use nourish karna paD.ta hai... uskee parvarish karnee paD.tee hai... GhantoN aur pahroN nahiN balki kaee dinoN tak gaate rahna paD.ta hai... Tab jaakar uskee chamak nikaltee hai. tumhaaree peeTh peechhe kaha karta tha, aaj tumhaare saamne kah raha hooN - tum jitne baD.e creative fankaar thay, utne hee baD.e craftsman bhee thay.
seelee hawa chhoo gayee, seela badan chhil gaya
neelee nadee ke pare, geela sa chaaNd khil gaya
(Lata - Libaas)
..terrific thought hai, isko elaborate karo
bahut se gaane isee tarah kiye tumhaare saath. ek music phrase ko elaborate karte karte us par tum poora nagma taiyaar kar dete thay. Aur kisee ek situation par koee ek misara ya ek khayal tumheN achha lag jaaye to use paal poskar poora gaana bana lete thay... aur kabhee kabhee to pooree kahaanee ban jaatee thee.
ek hee kHwaab kaee baar dekha hai maiNne
tune saaD.i meiN uras lee haiN chaabiyaaN ghar kee
(Bhupender, Hema - Kinara)
Asha ji ko saaf safaai rakhne ka mania hai, junoon hai. Aur tumheN.... ab kya kahooN sab sun leNge... unke janm-din par aapne chaandi ke-se kaagaz meiN ek jhaaD.oo pesh kiya tha unheN. Aasha ji ko dekhte hee bol paD.te thay - lo ab ye kaam karaayeNgi mujhse. Aasha ji ka jawaab kya tha, yaad hai..
bechaara dil kya kare
saawan jale bhaado jale
do pal kee chaaoN nahiN
ik pal jiye ik pal mare
(Asha - Khushboo)
(Pancham humming..)
Khamosh sa afsaana, paanee se likha hota
na tumne kaha hota, na hamne suna hota
(Lata, Wadkar - Libaas)
Isko Note kiya?.. isko Gulzar ko transfer kar do..
kabhee kabhee sapna lagta hai
(Asha, Kishore - Ratnadeep)
gaana banaate hue tum zubaan se jyaada sound ka khayaal rakhte thay. lafzoN kee sound achhee ho to phauran unheN hothoN pe le liya karte thay. Maani? tum kaha karte thay log poochh leNge. jaise tumne is gaane meiN poochha tha mujhse, "ye nasheman kaun sa shahar hai yaar?"
is moD. se jaate haiN kuchh sust qadam raste, kuchh tej qadam raaheN
(Lata, Kishore - Aandhi)
(Pancham humming the song..)
ye gHalat hai ki waqt guzar jaata hai. waqt, time eternal hai, permanent hai. aur kabhee nahiN guzarta. Jo guzar jaata hai, wo ham aur tum haiN.
raah pe rahte haiN
yaadoN meiN basar karte haiN
khush raho ahal-e-watan
ham to safar karte haiN
(Kishore - Namkeen)
(Pancham humming the song in Bangla)
koi diya jale kahiN, aawaaz de koi~~~~~
dard ghaTata nahiN~~~~, raat kaTatee nahiN~~
koi diya jale kahiN
(Asha - Dil Padosi Hai)
kuchh nahiN Thaharta na Pancham! Kabhee bhee kahiN bhee. na tum Thahare, na maiN hee rukuNga. maiN kya bataauN ki jab aa raha tha to jaa raha tha.
aane waala pal, jaane waala hai
ho sake to ismeN zindagee bita do pal jo ye jaane waala hai
(Kishore - Golmaal)
yaad hai Pancham, jab bhee koi dhun bana kar bhejte thay to saath kah diya karte thay, "The ball is in your court." .....ye kaun sa ball mere court meiN chhoD. gaye ho tum, Pancham. Zindagee ka khel akele nahiN khela jaata. Hamaaree to team hai. Aa jao ya bula lo.
tujhse naaraaz nahiN zindagee, hairaan hooN main
tere maasoom sawaaloN se pareshaan hooN main
..pareshaan hooN maiN
(Anup Ghoshal - Masoom)
Born on June 27, 1939, "RD" was the only child of the famous singer-music director, Sachin Dev Burman. He was brought up in Calcutta. Popularly known as Pancham (the nickname given to him by Ashok Kumar when he found him only singing pa...pa..pa from the "sargam") he scored music for more than 350 films.
After coming to Bombay on completing his matriculation, RD learnt the sarod under Ustad Ali Akbar Khan And later Ashish Khan. He began to assist his father in music-direction. The first film he signed as an independent music director was "Bhoot Bangla" though his first release was "Chhote Nawab" for the same producer. His rise to fame was slow but steady. And in the early seventies, he had few competitors.
Dev Anand ("Hare Rama Hare Krishna," "Heera Panna"), Shakti Samanta ("Amar Prem," "Kati Patang"), Ramesh Sippy ("Sholay," "Seeta aur Geeta"), Ramesh Behl ("Jawaani Diwaani"), Vinod Chopra ("Parinda," "1942 - A Love Story"), Nazir Hussain ("Teesri Manzil," "Caravan," "Hum kisi se kam nahin," "Zamane ko dikhana hai") and Gulzar ("Parichay," "Ijaazat," "Kinara," "Khushboo," "Aandhi") were staunch RD loyalists.
RD bagged two filmfare awards for "Sanam Teri Kasam" in 1982 and "Masoom" in 1983. The MP govt. conferred on him with the Lata Mageshkar award for 1992-1993 for his "outstanding achievements and long-time devotion to music." The award carries a cash-prize of Rs. 1 lakh and a citation.
His last years were not too happy. When "Sagar" failed at the box office, he found himself being sidelined. The only two to stand by him were Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna. He was shattered when he lost "Ram Lakhan," which Shubash Ghai had promised him, to Laxmikant Pyarelal, the duo who had played in his orchestra.
Following a heart attack in 1988, he underwent a bypass surgery abroad the next year. While recuperating he is said to have composed over 2,000 tunes which he kept in his memory bank. He often said that his best tunes came to him in his dreams and that he had to be in happy frame of mind even while composing sad tunes. "When I am down, I end up making a mess of things," he is reported to have said.
The music-maestro also composed non-film music. His two most notable attempts in this field were the international album "Pantera" which he brought out in collaboration with the Latin American composer, Jose Flores, and "Dil Padosi hai" sung by Asha Bhonsle with lyrics by Gulzar.
Rahul Dev married Rita in 1960 but they were divorced in 1974. He then married Asha Bhonsle for whom he had composed many a memorable song in 1980. Indeed, the RD-Asha duo delighted audiences the world over with their "live" performances, with RD's showmanship and Asha's natural exuberance making them the perfect pair. It was only fitting that Asha was there at his bedside when RD breathed his last (on January 4, 1994).("Amar Prem," "Kati Patang"), Ramesh Sippy ("Sholay," "Seeta aur Geeta"), Ramesh Behl ("Jawaani Diwaani"), Vinod Chopra ("Parinda," "1942 - A Love Story"), Nazir Hussain ("Teesri Manzil," "Caravan," "Hum kisi se kam nahin," "Zamane ko dikhana hai") and Gulzar ("Parichay," "Ijaazat," "Kinara," "Khushboo," "Aandhi") were staunch RD loyalists.
RD bagged two filmfare awards for "Sanam Teri Kasam" in 1982 and "Masoom" in 1983. The MP govt. conferred on him with the Lata Mageshkar award for 1992-1993 for his "outstanding achievements and long-time devotion to music." The award carries a cash-prize of Rs. 1 lakh and a citation.
His last years were not too happy. When "Sagar" failed at the box office, he found himself being sidelined. The only two to stand by him were Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna. He was shattered when he lost "Ram Lakhan," which Shubash Ghai had promised him, to Laxmikant Pyarelal, the duo who had played in his orchestra.
Following a heart attack in 1988, he underwent a bypass surgery abroad the next year. While recuperating he is said to have composed over 2,000 tunes which he kept in his memory bank. He often said that his best tunes came to him in his dreams and that he had to be in happy frame of mind even while composing sad tunes. "When I am down, I end up making a mess of things," he is reported to have said.
The music-maestro also composed non-film music. His two most notable attempts in this field were the international album "Pantera" which he brought out in collaboration with the Latin American composer, Jose Flores, and "Dil Padosi hai" sung by Asha Bhonsle with lyrics by Gulzar.
Rahul Dev married Rita in 1960 but they were divorced in 1974. He then married Asha Bhonsle for whom he had composed many a memorable song in 1980. Indeed, the RD-Asha duo delighted audiences the world over with their "live" performances, with RD's showmanship and Asha's natural exuberance making them the perfect pair. It was only fitting that Asha was there at his bedside when RD breathed his last (on January 4, 1994).