Can anybody neglect S D Burman’s basic songs in Devdas, Sujata and Bandini?

Legendary music director Sachin Dev Burman created quite a few standard songs over three a long time from the Nineteen Fifties to the Nineteen Seventies. Remarkably, an inordinately excessive quantity have been showcased in movies that at the moment are licensed classics.

On S D Burman’s fiftieth demise anniversary on October 31, we discover how Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt, Dev Anand, Shakti Samanta and Hrishikesh Mukherji selected the composer to specific their landmark movies’ musical language.

The primary of a multi-part sequence:

S D BURMAN WITH BIMAL ROY

IMAGE: S D Burman, Suchitra Sen, Bimal Roy and Dilip Kumar in the course of the making of Bimal Roy’s Devdas. {Photograph}: Type courtesy Movie Historical past Pics/X

Devdas (1955)

IMAGE: Suchitra Sen and Dilip Kumar in Devdas.

S D Burman crafted chic soundtracks for as many as three Bimal Roy classics — Devdas, Sujata and Bandini.

After carving out his place as Dev Anand’s everlasting music director with Baazi and Taxi Driver, S D Burman sought contemporary worlds to overcome.

This was when Bimal Roy first selected to crew up with S D Burman (as an alternative of his common composer collaborator Salil Chowdhury) for Devdas — the definitive model starring Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala and Suchitra Sen. The outcome was a timeless rating.

The maestro anchors the Devdas soundtrack with three melodious mujras which elevate the style. Jise Tu Kabool Kar Le, Ab Aage Teri Marzi and O Janewale Ruk Ja are embellished with Lata Mangeshkar’s soul-piercing vocals, Sahir Ludhianvi’s deeply delicate lyrics, Bimal Roy’s imaginative shot compositions and Vyjayanthimala’s ada.

Talat Mahmood and Dilip Kumar’s final hurrah collectively is unironically represented by Mitwa Lagi Re Yeh Kaisi soaked in loss and melancholy. And seeped in people and Baul sangeet whereas aromatic with the loamy soils of Bengal are two stunning Manna De-Geeta Dutt duets: Aan Milo Shyam Sanwre and Sajan Ki Ho Gayi Gori.

S D Burman lavished such a humiliation of musical riches that the movie performs solely a snatch of Talat’s Kisko Khabar Thi and in addition of Woh Na Aayenge Palat Kar which has Mubarak Begum vocalising Chandramukhi’s final lament. However this proves, similar to the movie’s minimalistic rating does (the songs are devoid of grand orchestrations), that presenting simply the optimum quantity could make a huge impact.

Sujata (1959)

IMAGE: Sunil Dutt and Nutan in Sujata.

Although a heartfelt message movie about caste discrimination, Bimal Roy’s Sujata is something however dry and didactic thanks, in a big half, to S D Burman’s glittering music rating.

S D Burman strongly believed in roping in the correct voice for his compositions. He correctly recalled the by-then-sidelined Talat Mahmood to impart his satin-soft magic to Jalte Hain Jiske Liye, a slow-burning serenade which its lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri goes on to aptly describe as Geet Naazuk Hai Mera, Sheeshe Se Bhi.

Asha Bhosle was, at this stage, Burman’s main feminine singer and he or she provides zing to the ever-popular Tum Jeeyo Hazaron Saal and to heroine Nutan’s brilliantly portrayed joyous self-actualisation in Kali Ghata Chhaye Mora Jiya Tarsaye.

Asha additionally does some impressed buzzing in Geeta Dutt’s Bachpan Ke Din that eloquently captures Nutan’s suppressed feelings. And Geeta pours her coronary heart into the lullaby Nanhi Kali Sone Chali.

A noteworthy milestone on this rating is that it supplied a breakthrough for S D Burman — the singer. His distinctive voice made the boatman’s track Solar Mere Bandhu Re a trendsetter.

Curiously, the track’s antara is written from the feminine perspective (Hota Tu Peepal Foremost Hoti Amar Lata Teri) however the uncooked emotionalism in S D Burman’s voice saves it from sounding incongruous.

Bandini (1963)

IMAGE: Dharmendra and Nutan in Bandini.

An unlucky coronary heart assault within the early Sixties proved however a brief hiccup in S D Burman’s musical odyssey. It moved even dwelling banner Navketan to change to Jaidev for Hum Dono however Bimal Roy waited it out for Bandini.

In the meantime, son R D Burman determined that the six-year-old fallout between his father and Lata Mangeshkar had gone on lengthy sufficient. The 22 yr previous persuaded Ms Mangeshkar to sing 5 songs for his composing debut, Chhote Nawab (1961), and helped his father mend fences too.

Bandini marked Lata’s re-entry into S D Burman’s musical universe but it surely’s not that Asha received sidelined both.

Lata’s songs for main girl Nutan expressed the feelings of a woman tingling with romantic anticipation (Jogi Jabse Tu Aaya by Shailendra and Mora Gora Ang Lai Le typically cited as Gulzar’s first track). However Asha received the extra emotional songs, O Panchhi Pyare and Ab Ke Baras Bhej Bhaiya Ko Babul, albeit filmed on backdrop actors.

Bandini‘s rating shines brightest in it unforgettable background songs penned by Shailendra: O Janewale Ho Sake To Laut Ke Aana feelingly sung by Mukesh and the anthem of everlasting love Mere Saajan Hai Uspaar vocalised by S D Burman himself.

Subsequent week: Do not Miss! What Magic S D Burman Created With Guru Dutt, Dev Anand…

Pictures curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff