The veteran music director/composer of Indian Cinema, widely known as Panchamda have ruled the music world for approximately four decades. We are celebrating his birthday by remembering some of his exceptional works contributed to Indian Music. R. D. Burman born to S.D. Burman and lyricist mother Meera Dev Burman in Calcutta on 27th June 1939. The finest music composer was trained by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan (sarod) and Samta Prasad (tabla). He also termed Salil Chowdhury as his Guru. He also worked under his father before personally contributing to the music industry. He used to play Harmonium in his father’s orchestra.

Even after being a son of a well-known music composer and singer, Panchamda started his career started his career from an origin point. At the age of nine, composed his first song “Aye Meri topi palat ke aa” that was used in Funtoosh (1956). Reportedly the tune of song “Sar jo tera chakraaye” was also his creativity that he contributed in his childhood days. The music sensation worked as an assistant for a number of hit songs from movies like  Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), Tere Ghar Ke Samne (1963), Bandini (1963), Ziddi (1964), Guide (1965) and Teen Devian (1965).

Singer’s first project as a Music Director was Raaz that was never get completed and eventually Mehmood production’s Chhote Nawab (1961) resulted as his first project as Music Director. Teesri Manzil’s music direction gave him fame as all the songs from the movie were well received by the audience. After this Nasir Hussain signed Burman for around six more movies.

After music release of Rajesh Khanna starrer Kati Patang(1970), Burman got a straight increment in a curve of his success. In the same year, the veteran gave numerous hits to movies like Aradhana,  Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971), Amar Prem, Buddha Mil Gaya,  Caravan that became his first nomination to Filmfare Award. In following years he consistently increases his followers with movies like  Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Aap ki Kasam (1974), Sholay (1975) and Aandhi (1975).

In Burman’s last days his mix music style was shadowed by composers like Bappi Lahiri and Laxmikant-Pyarelal. A Malayalam movie named as Thenmavin Kombath was his last signed project but he died in between due to his ill health on 4th June 1994. Posthumously, he won his last and third Filmfare Award for movie 1942: A Love Story in 1995. He scored other two Filmfare for best music direction in Sanam Teri Kasam(1983) and Masoom(1984). Notably, the legend got nominated 18 times for this prestigious award. In his whole life, the composer shows his creativity in total 331 movies, in different languages like Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil and Oriya.

Burman still exists in Music of India as inspiration to other music composers. His kind of music is so popular that they still get re-arranged or re-mixed. We can never forget such revolutionize creativity that gave a new turn to Indian Music.