First off....this is not a review on Filmfare magazine. I am voicing my opinions on Filmfare Awards, which, according to me, are one of the worst awards of India. I was always a criticizer of these awards, as I did not see my fave RD get much awards even when he deserved them. People like Dharamendra have openly voiced their disappointment at these awards.
The FF people have proved again and again that the awards are rigged, and it takes a really record breaking work to FORCE the FF folks to recognise good talent. Rajesh Roshan got his first FF award in 1975(JULIE)...and his second, after a gap of 25 years(KNPH). And the music of KNPH literally FORCED the FF to give him the award. Still the FF people showed their standard by giving a ’’special’’ award(wonder what that is!) to Anu Malik. ANU MALIK??? What for?
This year, it was expected that LAGAAN will take all the awards, and yet I felt that Sunny deserved the best actor award for GADAR(though I am myself an Aamir Khan fan). Anyway, that is my personal opinion...I may be wrong. But let us move to my favourite R.D.Burman.
Its but natural for anyone to think that I am cribbing abt this as I am a fan of RD. But I have concrete proof for this, and I did like to see anyone cancel out my reasoning with sensible debate. Secondly, it becomes all the more important for one to delve into the Filmfare-RDB connection after the launch of ’’R.D.Burman Award for upcoming talent’’. Ironically, this man received a lot of importance AFTER his death....but let us see how much Filmfare respected him in his lifetime.
Get this....RDB got only THREE filmfare awards in his whole career spanning 35 years and 331 films. And one of them was posthumous(1942-ALS-FF 1994)). The other two were for SANAM TERI KASAM(1982) and MASOOM(1983). Now let us see some of the great films(music wise) of RDB and find out who stole the show at the FF awards when these films were released. Whether the music that was awarded deserved the award is something I will leave to the better judgement of my readers.
1966....RDB’s Teesri Manzil....FF goes to ’’Suraj’’ by Shankar Jaikishen.
1970....RDB’s Kati Patang......FF goes to ’’Pehchan’’ by Shankar Jaikishen.
1971....RDB’s Amar Prem, Carvaan, Hare Rama Hare Krishna....FF goes to ’’Mera Naam Joker’’ by Shankar Jaikishen.
1972....RDB’s Mere Jeevan Saathi, Jawani Diwani, Apna Desh, Garam Masala....FF goes to ’’Beimaan’’ by Shankar Jaikishan.
1974....RDB’s Aap ki kasam, Ajnabi, Manoranjan.....FF goes to ’’Kora Kagaz’’ by Kalyanji Anandji.
1977....RDB’s Hum Kisise Kam Nahin(11 song film...all HITS), Kinara, Kitaab....FF goes to ’’Amar Akbar Anthony’’ by Laxmikant Pyarelal.
Countless other films by RDB like Saagar, Ijaazat, Khel khel mein, Parichay, Yaadon ki Baraat never saw the citations they deserved. Ijaazat which brought in nothing less than the National Award for both Gulzaarsaab and Asha Bhonsle for the song ’’Mera Kuch Samaan’’ never got even a glance at the person who deserved the real credit.
That much for the Filmfare Awards!!!