Child is the Father of Man

There's a stark difference between the words 'prodigy' and 'genius.' Prodigies can very quickly learn what other people have already figured out; geniuses discover that which no one has ever previously discovered. Prodigies learn; geniuses do. One such prodigal genius of Indian film Industry, RD Burman , was born to the Bollywood composer/singer Sachin Dev Burman and his lyricist wife Meera Dev Burman (née Dasgupta), in Calcutta.
His father was no less a personality either. In fact greater in the eyes of Aficionados, Connoisseurs and Purists.

Sachin Dev Burman was born in the Royal Family of Tripura in 1906, more than four decades before the independence of India. As his farther was an accomplished Drupad (Classical Indian Vocal Form)singer and Sitar Player, SD Burman's musical training was early and extensive.

Simultaneously, He was used to being referred and revered as living legend by the subjects of his state, despite not being the Crown Prince. Passion for Music dawned upon him as he reached adolescence . Soon afterwards, he was garnering success both in Calcutta, which was the centre for art and culture in India at that time, and Bombay, which was (and is) the hub of Hindi cinema.

He married his student, Meera Das Gupta ,in 1938 in Calcutta .According to some, having married a non-royal girl, created a furor within the royal family, and subsequently he severed ties with his family, and forfeited his inheritance.

Presence of Royal blood in the veins and some early success in Calcutta made him overbearing in his demeanor. In every wake of life, for him, it was his way or no way. SD Burman displayed all the eccentricities of a maverick, but when it came to music, he meant business.

Many more parted ways from him due to his stubborn attitude. One of the Greatest Lyricist and his contemporary Sahir Ludhianvi, for instance,

refused to work in his company as he was ruthlessly inexorable with his opinion of greater significance of Music than Lyrics in the beauty as well as success of a song. As a result, they never worked together although it proved monetarily damaging to both. Sachin Dev or Burman Da ,as he was called popularly, developed the similar strained relationship with Singing Legend Lata Mangeshkar as well. Despite all this all in the film industry respected him immensely for his immense talent as a music composer, singer and musician. Albeit, He was difficult to deal with – both at work and at home.

After about fourteen months of marriage, he was blessed with a son . Rahul was a musical child right from his cradle days. He was nicknamed as ‘Pancham’(fifth) by one of the great contemporary Singers because he thought Rahul used to cry in five notes and mainly on the fifth ‘Raga’ of Indian Classical music scale. Boy was truly a Music prodigy. He learned many musical instruments like Tabla (A percussion instrument), mouth organ and harmonium by the time he reached nine . As a child, he was immensely impressed by his father and felt reverent for his fame and respect. As a child He always wanted to catch his attention and recognition. It entrenched in his young mind that his father can be pleased with musical abilities only. As a result he started playing instruments and earning them formally as well.

This was the time around Independence for India. Times were changing very fast particularly for the Economically and intellectually Stronger section of the society. While the Weaker majority lived in the villages preoccupied with basic needs, upper class was receiving the exposure and attention of the of the west through withdrawing British, who wanted their legacy to stay behind, long after they had departed land. Perhaps, through one of his schoolmate, Pancham got introduced to English music. Schooled through English medium, he understood meaning as well as the emotion behind their music. Soon, He started playing some of the pieces of English music by himself. It used to delight him. It occurred to him that his expertise in it will enthrall and impress his father.

His father designated a big part of their house as Studio. Burman Da would hold meetings to discuss the assignments and used them as a practice room for his orchestra team for creating and practicing compositions. Young Rahul used to eavesdrop and hear such discussions. It was not long before he started developing his own acumen for music and started making music compositions of his own in his mind, for the Lyrics that his father used to get as assignments. He had begun on a journey of creating music for songs, though secretly. While Burman Da used to compose them based on his masterful ascendancy over the Indian Classical Music, Rahul would foray into it with his freshly acquired indulgence with English Music.

One fine morning in the year 1956, when Indian Independence was just nine Years old and Rahul in mid teens, a big film director, Ketan Anand was to come to Burman Da to discuss the music composition for a song for which the situation, as well as Lyrics, was given to Burman Da a few days earlier. Rahul was also the audience to the earlier meeting. He had found the Lyrics of the assignment suitably contemporary – in contrast to several classical types popular those days. He too had, though secretly, prepared a musical score for the song with inspiration from a popular English Song. It was duly Indianized and indigenised with contemporary Indian musical instruments and rhythm. When Ketan Anand came for the meeting, Rahul was already waiting in the meeting room, bubbling with a teenager’s excitement. As soon as three of them settled after exchanging the pleasantries, Rahul blurted out, “Baba, I have made my own composition for this song. Please listen to it for once.” Even before they could react, Rahul positioned himself with the Harmonium and started singing in his composition. Though both the audience did not like it much, Ketan was still amused, Burman Da was not. Burman Da did not rebuff Rahul on the spot, though he was deeply hurt. He discussed his own composition with Ketan and they finalised it as well.

After Ketan left, visibly agitated Burman took Rahul to another room in the house. As soon as they had privacy, He growled,” What do you think you were trying to do?”

To say that Rahul was disappointed and hurt, was a huge understatement. He had bloodshot vile eyes. He shot back –

“ I presented my first composition to you. You did not even listen to it patiently before binning it and me off.”

“Who asked you to venture into it? Why can’t you focus on your studies?”, Burman Da threw the question like a deadly weapon.

“ I have been working hard on it for the whole of last week. I have not blinked in the past three days. All of it for making it a most appropriate composition for the Song.” He repeated himself,” And you brushed it aside, with a stroke of a finger without even acknowledging my music, like a piece of shit....

“What music? You call aping the west an Art? Uncultured and Uneducated lot on the streets indulge in such derogatory behaviour. And my own son? Who do you think you are?”

It was Rahul’s turn for self-realization that he was caught red-handed in his act. Riding on his juvenile impertinence, He never fancied his father would be offended by his impudence . His tone changed to submissive one when he replied,” I am your son, Rahul.”

“Then be one. I have earned my reputation and place by adulating and practicing Rabindro Sangeet (Rabindro Music Form) which is the highest form of music across the universe. Don’t try to malign it. “ His pitch was at the highest level. He continued,” People agree to meet you or listen to you because you are recognised as SD Burman’s son. Learn and live music for a while, build a name for yourself and then, we will talk.....”

Burman Da left Pancham in the room and walked away, indignantly. Pancham though dismayed by disavowal of his father, did not feel let down. He, though, could not fathom the notion of branding any music inferior just because of its origin, geographically. He decided to have formal music education first – Classical Indian music, as his father said. But, he was still determined to use his capabilities to augment his understanding of the “Inferior Western Music” which would, in his opinion, eventually, change the Indian Film music forever.

As early as nine years Pancham wrote music for couple of songs in his father's film. Although he got his first break as a music director when Mehmood, one of the noted Film Director, signed him for his film because Burman Da was too busy with other films. This film did not do too well but He earned accolades as his music had the breath of freshness. Later he assisted his father in number of movies and meanwhile raking his own projects. He loved experimenting always, with the tunes as well as in his choice for instruments. His spectrum of instruments spanned from Saxophone to bangles to Clay pot to bottles to spoons or even hair comb . He believed in music as form of Nature. Any piece of noise or sound originated `anywhere on the face of the earth, if used appropriately,  can be music. It is neither inferior nor superior.

He did not look back from there and went on directing music for movies one after another.

Though he deeply respected his father as a person and musician, he had a different music ideology and style. He thought that music and it's tempo should change with changing times ,quite unlike orthodox ways of his father. This difference in ideology caused ego clashes to surfaces while working together. Still they managed very well together and have a number of hit movies .

In the Year 1972, when Pancham was in his early thirties only, He was engaged to direct the music for a movie named “Amar Prem”. He created a musical score in which the essence of the lyrics harmonised eternally with that of music. SD Burman was already Sixty-Six by then. He was less and less active by now.

But now comparison between father and son started again after his success and the sufferer this time around was SD Burman. People praised RD to a higher pinnacle than his father. RD was not happy with such notions of comparison with his father. He felt sad for his father and silently walked away whenever he was praised in comparison to his father and his wounded ego?

RD moved on in his career very fast. He won lots of awards and accolades and was regarded as all time great music composer.

At the same time, Burman Da was also getting into the Hall of Fame as one of the all time greats in Indian Film Music. Even a commemorative postage stamp featuring him was launched by Indian post on his 77th birthday anniversary, Google had a doodle of Burman Da on its Indian home page.
Despite all these and many more awards and recognition the highest point of acknowledgement and honour came to him, in his own words ,when One Summer morning, Burman Da was taking a stroll in a Park near his residence. Couple of youngsters was also walking there.

And...

One of the Youngsters came forward to touch his feet. Other one asked him as to who this old man was. And He replied,” He is the father of “Pancham Da” great RD Burman. On hearing this introduction, out of Sheer respect he followed to touch the feet of SD Burman. Burman Da had tears of joy in his eyes.....