S D Burman- He believed in simple Tunes

 

Shikari(1946) was the first Hindi film of Dada Burman as a composer. The songs of the film were not very popular but they received good reviews from music critics. He wanted to create music that would be part of the common man's everyday life, his joy, and sorrow.

In his biography, he said "When I was composing the music of Shikari, everybody in the studio was praising its music but he was not satisfied because the common man present in the studio was not responding. Sometime after the release of his film, another film "Rattan" was released. The songs of that film became so popular that one day he was composing music for another film he heard his servant was singing the song of Rattan while preparing tea for him.

It made him think that day in day out he listens to my compositions but  I have never heard him humming my tunes. I made up in my mind that from now onwards I will make a simple tune for his songs so that a common man could sing and understand.

I was composing the songs for Do Bhai whose first line was 'Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gata'. Suddenly i heard my servant humming the same song. It made me realized that this song is going to click with the masses. My first Guru in the film music direction was that servant of mine.

He combined Indian classical music with folk music to create songs that had a lasting impact on the audience. He also started a trend of making a tune first and then ask lyricists to write on his tune.It provided space for a conversational style of music for songs like Haal Kaisa Hai Janab Ka (Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, 1958). He didn't believe in a heavy orchestra, he emphasized more on its melodic content. He believed in the perfect coordination of the words and tunes. ‘Natural poetry would naturally create a worth-humming tune, He abandoned intricate twists and turns in his songs, preferring simplicity that touched the heart of the listeners..

Sachin da had the honesty and integrity of character to acknowledge the sources of his music and the genuine inspiration that he received and how he internalized it into his song/s. For example, once at the age of nineteen, he stumbled upon a rare tune sung by a group of village-women in Chittagong (now in Bangladesh). He liked the tune immensely and it stayed with him to bloom into Sahir Ludhianavi’s ‘Thandi hawaein lahra ke aayeen‘ (Naujawan, 1951). Some discerning connoisseurs of western classical and popular music feel that this was inspired by C’est la vie from the movie Algiers (1938).

Dada was a hard taskmaster but he also expressed his joy if a singer, lyricist, or instrumentalist performed exceptionally well and would reward the person in some form or the other.

SD Burman continued to work through the end of the 1960s and well into the 1970s.  "Abhiman" (1973), "Chupke Chupke" (1975), and "Mili" (1975), are a few compositions from this period which stands out.  However midway through his work on "Mili", he goes into a coma.  He died on October 31, 1975.

Song of Do Bhai (1947)

Song of Shabnam (1949)

Song of Mashaal (1950)

Song of Baazi (1951)

Song of Sazaa (1951)

Song of Naujawan (1951)

Song of Bahar ()1951)

Song of Jaal 1952

Song of Taxi Driver1954

Song of Munimji 1955

Song of Pyaasa 1957

Song of Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, 1958

Song of Sujata 1959

Sunn Mere Bandhu Re- The Take Was Completed Before the Song was Recorded

 

This immortal song from Sujata(1959) was written by Majrooh Sultanpuri and composed and sung by the great S D Burman. Both born on 1st Oct. This song was a background song.

 The director of the film Bimal Roy gave a rough outline to Sachin Da for a song situation to be sung by a commoner. He wanted a song to sound as if it was straying off-tune, in spite of being in tune. Many singers were tried but ultimately Sachin Da himself finally recorded in his own voice. This was his second song in Hindi films sung after a gap of 12 years.

The situation was that the hero wanted to express his love for the heroine and also wanted to know her feelings. She being shy couldn't express her feeling in words, so to express her feelings Dada suggested a song in the Background.

Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote beautiful lyrics for this situation. The Hero and Heroine are in love They are on a riverfront and a boatman singing in the background expressing their love for each other. Their emotions are caressed by the gentle breeze. The unclear, dispersed light of late evening gives this 'Bhatiyali' song a perfect background. The excellent picturization. Their lips seem to be moving but the sound is mooted, the lyrics in the background expressing their feelings.

Surprisingly the scenes were shot well before the song was ready, in fact, the lyrics were written at the time the scene was being shot. Song recording was done after a few days. It was S D Burman singing solo after 12 years, 

Song of Sujata 1959

This song was used in many films after Sujata. In the 1963 film Bandini , the first two lines were hummed by SD Burman himself. In the 1973 film Abhiman, a few lines were used in the background in a scene

A Scene from Abhiman 1973

It was again used in the background by Gulzar in his film Achanak(1973), one line in a female voice of Lily Chakravarti along with Dada's voice

A Scene from Achanak 1973

In the 1974 film Dil Diwana the opening lines of this song were sung by Asha Bhosle in the song ' Mein Ladki Tu Ladka' composed by RD Burman

In the 1983 film Pukar, R D Burman gave his tribute to this tune in his own voice by changing the lyric as Sun Mere Lamboo Re in a song sung by Amitabh Bachchan 'Tu Maike Mat Jaiyo'

Song of Pukar 1983

Jaane Woh Kaise Log The Jinke Pyar Ko Pyar Mila

This immortal song of Pyaasa(1957) was written by Sahir Ludhianvi, sung by Hemant Kumar and composed by S D Burman. This song was inspired by the second stanza of our national anthem, according to a book on celebrated music composer S. D. Burman.
"In a conversation with lyricist Pulak Bandyopadhyay, Burman had mentioned that the second line of the national anthem—Punjab Sindh(u) Gujarat Maratha Dravid Utkal Banga—had inspired the line, 'Humne to Jab Khushiyaan Maangi'.
"The reference to the national anthem is so subtle that unless someone points it out, it is next to impossible to spot a similarity."
Pyaasa had 10 songs, two solo songs were sung by Geeta Dutt, and one duet of Geeta Dutt and Mohammad Rafi, all the other were solo of Rafi except this song. In fact, Guru Dutt wanted this song to be sung by Rafi but Burman Dada insisted on Hemant Kumar. Dada knew that this song suits Hemant Kumar, one of the highlights of this song was the aching frailty of Hemant's rendition.  A major argument took place between Guru Dutt, composer Burman Dada, writer Abrar Alvi, and Geeta Dutt. Finally, Dutt, who remained unconvinced, had to give in to the pressure.

This song was picturized on Guru Dutt. He is leaning against a bookshelf, wearing a white shawl, stretching his hands, a wry smile even though he was deserted. Singing in a small gathering organized by his employer Rehman, where he meets his ex-girlfriend Mala Sinha, who abandoned him for wealth by marrying none other than the man currently employing him. 
If you listen carefully you will find a piece of very light music is being played in the background. Burman Dada had arranged the song with delicate piano notes, surprisingly np piano is shown on the screen. 
Once  Burman dada was asked why this song had such little music. He replied that the poetry was the hero of the song and had to be showcased. And it’s true, the soft tune in the background pushes Sahir Ludhianvi’s words to the forefront. Unfortunately, this was the last song of Sahir composed by Dada Burman. They never worked together after this song and film.

Song of Pyaasa 1957

The Story Behind the Song'Tadbeer Se Bigdi Hui Taqdeer Bana Le'

This super hit song from the Navketan's Baazi(1951) was written by Sahir Ludhianvi was a Ghazal to be picturized as per the situation but Dada Burman felt that in this situation Ghazal will not suit so he effortlessly turned it into a club song and changed the situation. 
This song was sung by Geeta Roy(Dutt) You would be surprised to note that Guru Dutt who was the director of the film fell in love with Geeta Roy during the recording of this song.
The mahurat of Baazi took place in 1950, the mahurat shot was taken on the sequence of this song. Everybody present there appreciated the song and its picturization. When the film was released, it became a super-duper hit, this song became so popular that audiences came repeatedly to watch just this song. 
This was the first shot of the career as a director for Guru Dutt obviously wanted to use his skills as a choreographer, learned at no less an institution than Uday Shankar’ for the mahurat shot. It was a delicately balanced scene. A long shot on the gangster’s moll, who was to seduce the hero. Yet she was obviously half in love with the debonair, dashingly handsome young man, and even as she sang to him to lure him along, she wished to warn him of the dangers lurking around.
An NRI musician Sadanand Warrier says that it was surprising that Dada who had no affection and knowledge of western music could use chromatic notes in the interlude of the song. Even the 'Hey Hey Hey Hey' is essentially chromatic movement.
In an interview, Dada Burman said that he deliberately used the phrase 'Hey Hey Hey Hey' to capture the feelings of being truly liberated as portrayed by the young woman. This song became a rage, it is said the people liked this song so much that cine-goers used to see the movie only for this song, many would walk out after the song ends.
S D Burman once said in Filmfare that.once he was fishing in Calcutta and was not able to catch a single fish, he set patiently for the whole day but couldn't catch any. Thoroughly disappointedly he was calling it a bad day, suddenly a boy of 10 years jumped into the pond and started singing his this Baazi song not knowing the composer of the song sitting there. That made his day It was the biggest catch of his life.

Song of Baazi 1951