It was the style, swagger, and sheer unpredictability of his sound that made him a legend.
If you’ve ever found yourself unconsciously tapping your feet to a Bollywood classic, maybe R. D. Burman had something to do with it. From the mid-1960s to the early 1990s, Burman composed music for over 300 films across languages. And throughout his career, he refused to let music be boring. As the late Gautam Rajadhyaksha said in the documentary Pancham Unmixed, “There isn’t a new amalgam, a new genesis of a new kind of music, like Pancham created way back in the mid-60s.” He was, in essence, Bollywood’s first true music experimentalist.
On what would’ve been his birthday, let’s step into Burman's world, and understand how he changed the grammar of Bollywood music.
Back in the day, Hindi film music had a certain predictability. Harmonium here, tabla there, a flute if the hero was feeling romantic. R. D. Burman (nicknamed Pancham because even as a child he cried on the fifth note of the scale) was wired differently. He grew up on a mix of Bengali folk and classical tunes, thanks to his father, the legendary S. D. Burman. But he also had a deep admiration for Western jazz, rock, funk, and Latin beats. Instead of choosing one over the other, he blended them all.
1970s :: R.D.Burman In Practice Session With Mohammed Rafi and Look What Dev Anand Is Doing pic.twitter.com/4X3b3ztsU7
— indianhistorypics (@IndiaHistorypic) August 12, 2019
(Credit: indianhistorypics)
And that's evident in almost all his hits, including “Piya Tu Ab To Aaja”, “Dum Maaro Dum”, and “Yeh Shaam Mastani”.
Long before “fusion music” became a buzzword, Pancham was already doing it, and how. He mixed classical Indian tunes with jazz improvisations. He combined Middle Eastern instruments with disco beats. He pulled off a rock song (“Aaja Aaja Main Hoon Pyar Tera”) at a time when most filmmakers were still stuck in sitar solos. And the best part was he didn’t do it for shock value. He did it because it sounded right. He always had an instinct for what would get under your skin, in the best way.
For example, "Dum Maaro Dum" exploded like a firework with its electric guitar riffs and trance-like rhythm. "Mehbooba Mehbooba" had Middle Eastern motifs, electronic rock, and Indian rhythm.
One of Pancham’s greatest talents was seeing music where no one else did. If a song needed a certain texture or effect, he didn’t go looking for a fancy instrument. He just got creative. To get that iconic opening sound in “Mehbooba Mehbooba”, he blew into bottles of different sizes. For “Chura Liya Hai Tumne”, he recorded the sound of clinking cups and saucers. For “Meri Samne Wali Khidki Mein”, he made a whooshing sound by rubbing a comb on a surface. And yes, he once asked a singer to gargle for a track in 'Satte Pe Satta'.
Remembering RD BURMAN on his birthday. #Pancham pic.twitter.com/N6MFUPhSxM
— Film History Pics (@FilmHistoryPic) June 27, 2020
(Credit: Film History Pics)
He never really cared about being conventional. He cared about making the audience feel something different. And he did it with an infectious sense of fun.
While most of Bollywood was still relying on traditional instruments, Burman had already moved on to synthesizers, electric guitars, and multi-track recording. However, instead of trying to sound like the West, he was pulling the West into his world and making it dance to his beat. He gave us electric romance (“O Haseena Zulfonwali”), soulful jazz (“Tere Bina Zindagi Se”), and even disco-tinged heartbreak (“Kya Hua Tera Wada”). Whatever the genre, he made it feel new. And more importantly, he made it feel ours.
(Credit: Shemaroo Filmi Gaane)
Sometimes the films didn’t work. But the songs always found a way to live on. You didn’t need to remember the storyline or the actors. You just needed that one hook and the job's done.
That’s why today, DJs remix his hits. Filmmakers still pay tribute. And fans, young and old, hum his tunes like they’re part of their bloodstream.
Burman changed how we listened to Hindi film music. He was so ahead of his time that in some ways, we’re still catching up.
