Today marked the birth anniversary of the legendry singer and director – RD Burman. A hardcore Bengali who devoted his career towards singing and producing songs. Ex husband of Asha Bhosle is known for transforming Hindi film music, faced a difficult period in his career when offers stopped coming his way.
For nearly five years, he remained out of work, overshadowed by rising composers like Bappi Lahiri and Laxmikant-Pyarelal. During this time, singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya experienced a change in his relationship with Burman. In a recent interview, Abhijeet revealed that the industry created misunderstandings between them.
“The Maestro of Music: R.D. Burman’s Timeless Legacy”#RDBurman #PanchamDa #MusicLegend #BollywoodMusic #GoldenEra #MelodyKing #MusicalGenius #RDHitshttps://t.co/6RGMl8UKaf pic.twitter.com/othn9BQxN2
— Bharatiya chitra sadhna ☆ info@chitrabharati.org (@chitrabhartiff) June 27, 2025
“People started to plant rumours and create misunderstandings between us. They said I helped his rivals imitate his style. I was new and helpless,” said Abhijeet.
A Glimpse into Pancham Da’s Isolation
Abhijeet shared that he tried visiting RD Burman during his inactive phase. Despite passing by his home regularly, he often found the composer unapproachable.
#RDBurman #PanchamDa@ashabhosle pic.twitter.com/n8P2OZzBzt
— Jackie Shroff (@bindasbhidu) June 27, 2025
“Once I went to see him, and his house help told me Pancham Da was not home. But I knew he was lying,” said Abhijeet. On another visit, he saw RD sitting in what used to be his vibrant music room now abandoned and dusty. The singer described the contrast vividly, “It seemed like nobody had visited the room in a long time, and neither had anybody cared to clean the space.”
During one of his visits, Abhijeet had a brief yet memorable interaction with RD Burman. “When he saw me, he told me, ‘Hey, you’re doing so well in your career, why are you here?’” Abhijeet replied, “Spending even fifteen minutes with you makes me feel nice.” RD Burman responded, “I am jobless right now,” possibly hinting he would call Abhijeet when work returned. Shortly after, Burman composed the critically acclaimed 1942: A Love Story, but he passed away before its release. The soundtrack later ranked 13th on Planet Bollywood’s list of 100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks.
Remembrance : R.D.Burman Born : 27.06.1939. Departed 04.01.1994 pic.twitter.com/r2xlnefgrU
— Kashyap Ray (@kashyray) June 27, 2025
Pancham, Gulzar, and Lata: The Music Behind Timeless Melodies
One of RD Burman’s most touching collaborations remains with Gulzar and Lata Mangeshkar. In Khushboo (1975), the lullaby Do Nainon Mein Aansoon Bhare Hain stood out. Gulzar recalled, “I asked Pancham to recreate a Bengali tune. He thought I was mad.”
When Lata sang the song beautifully, Gulzar found it too loud for a lullaby scene and asked her to record it again without orchestration. She did so, flawlessly. This wasn’t the only time Pancham hesitated. In Ghar, he protested against using the word ‘badmaashiyon’. Lata sang it with a smile, even adding a giggle defining the song’s mood perfectly.
Mamata Banerjee Pays Tribute:
On the birth anniversary of the legend RD Burman, Banerjee pays tribute. Posting on X, “Fondly remembering R. D. Barman on his birth anniversary. A genius in music, his melodies will live on for ever. The great music director’s legacy reminds us of the abiding and influential contributions of the Bengali-speaking people and the people from Bengal in Indian and international culture.”
Fondly remembering R. D. Barman on his birth anniversary.
A genius in music, his melodies will live on for ever.
The great music director’s legacy reminds us of the abiding and influential contributions of the Bengali-speaking people and the people from Bengal in Indian and…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 27, 2025
Swastika Sruti is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX Digital with 5 years of experience shaping stories that matter. She loves tracking politics- national and global trends, and never misses a chance to dig deeper into policies and developments. Passionate about what’s happening around us, she brings sharp insight and clarity to every piece she works on. When not curating news, she’s busy exploring what’s next in the world of public interest. You can reach her at [swastika.newsx@gmail.com]
