Rahul Dev Burman, commonly known as R. D. Burman and nicknamed Pancham da or simply Pancham, was an influential Bollywood music composer. He was the only son of singer and Bollywood music composer Sachin Dev Burman and his wife Meera. He is credited with revolutionizing the filmi music in Hindi films, and his style and techniques continue to be followed by the composers of today.R.D.Burman did playback in eighteen movies he composed. He was famous for unique, grunting bass singingstyle. He also acted in the film Bhoot Bungla (1965)and Pyar Ka Mausam (1967).
Rahul Dev Burman was born in Calcutta. According to stories, he was nicknamed Pancham because, as a child, whenever he cried, it sounded in the fifth note (Pa) of the Indian musical scale. The word Pancham means five (or fifth) in Bengali and Sanskrit. Another version is that when the veteran Indian actor Ashok Kumar saw a newborn Rahul Dev Burman uttering the syllable Pa repeatedly, he nicknamed the boy Pancham. After coming to Mumbai, he learnt sarod from Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. He received his early education at Ballygunj Govt.High School, Kolkata.
When he was nine years old, he composed his first song, Ayemeri topi palat ke aa, which his father used in the film Funtoosh (1956).The tune of the song Sar jo tera chakraaye was composed by him as a child. His father loved the tune and included it in the soundtrack of Guru Dutt’s Pyaasa. In 2004, the soundtrack for Pyaasa was chosen as one of "The Best Music in Film" by Sight &Sound, the British Film Institute magazine
As a child, Pancham also played the mouth organ inthe famous song Hai apna dil to aawara (from film Solva Saal -1958, starring Dev Anand).Pancham began his music career as an assistant to his father.Out of his 331released movies 292 were in Hindi, 31 in Bangla, 3 in Telugu, 2 each in Tamil& Oriya and 1 in Marathi. RD also composed for 5 TV Serials in Hindi and Marathi. He also scored a large number of non-film songs in Bangla (also known as Pooja songs or modern songs), which are available in different albums.
After his death, in the late 1990s, the remix versions of RD Burman’s hits ruled the Indian music scene. Even today, most of the Indian remix songs are his tunes remixed.Gang (2000) was released long after R D Burman’s death. He was also credited for music of few more filmsafter his death. For example, Monsoon Wedding (credit for Churaliya hai) and Dil Vil Pyaar Vyaar (2002), which had R D Burman songs "recreated" by one of his assistants Babloo Chakravorty.Jhankaar Beats (2003 movie)starring Sanjay Suri, Rahul Bose, Juhi Chawla & Rinke Khanna was sort of a tribute to RDB, where in Suri & Bose play musicians who revere RDB& his music & whose music is influenced by Burman. There was a remixed version of Burmans popular Kishore Kumar number "Humein tumse pyaarkitna" which was integral to the film. Both the films, Dil Vil Pyaar Vyaar and Jhankaar Beats paid tribute to R.D. Burman, and his music. Jhankaar Beats"features one of his famous tunes from the movie, Kudrat while paying tribute to him.
In, 1995, Filmfare Awards, constituted a new award in the memory of R D Burman, Filmfare R.D.Burman Award for New Music Talent, given each year, to new music directors and singers in Hindi cinema.Before that A Indian Television proramme Superhit Muqabala’s SUMU Award for RD Burman also started. Though that Award was not continued in later years as producers of the programme had some problems. The Filmfare RD Burman Award for New Music Talent is awarded to upcoming music talents.
R.D Burman surely was a legendary music composer who will always be remembered by his millions of admirers for many of his eternal, immortal and soul stirring melodies.
Source:- Wikipedia.