Burman has been inspired by Rabindra-sangeet. Tere mere milan kii yeh rainaa( Abhimaan, 1973): By far, this is the most famous example where S.D.
Burman seems to have inserted a small segment of laho laho tuule laho (0:26-0:40) into the antara of this raga Patdeep-based classic from Sharmilee. Meghaa chhaye aadhii raat(Sharmilee, 1971): Out of all the compositions listed here, the inspiration from Tagore is the most difficult to hear in this song because it does not involve the mukhDaa. Sunil Dutt serenades Nutan over the telephone with “jalte hai.n jiske liye” in Sujata (1959) Burman have given credit to Tagore for this composition? While loosely basing a mukhDaa on a previous composition is somewhat acceptable, recycling a whole song written by another composer begs the question: should S.D. Burman literally did a copy-paste job here, as the melody of the entire Hindi song is identical to the Bengali original. In any case, this song is based on an extremely popular Tagore composition called “ sediin duujane duulechhiinuu bone.” S.D. In spite of their dual talents, singer-actresses were not able to survive the onslaught of the Mangeshkar monopoly in the 1950s, and the playback singing paradigm became the standard that is still maintained today in the industry. Bollywood as we know it today relies on actors and actresses lip-syncing songs sung by playback singers however, in its very early days, actresses like Suraiyya used to sing their own songs for films. Nain diivaane( Afsar, 1950): This Pilu-based composition is skilfully rendered by Suraiyya, a leading singer/actress who became a huge sensation in Bollywood during the 1940s. Playback singer Geeta Dutt (1930-1972) with her husband Guru Dutt (1925-1964) The mukhDaa of this song is inspired by a Bilaaval-based Tagore composition called “ radono bharaa e basonto.” Geeta does an excellent job of expressing the sorrow and pain of this song with her voice, and it is truly unfortunate that the lyrics here would become a reality for her during her tumultuous marriage to Guru Dutt in the next decade. Burman’s first hit scores in the Bollywood industry, this song is considered to be Geeta Dutt’s breakthrough as a playback singer in Hindi films. Meraa sundar sapnaa biit gayaa( Do Bhai, 1949): From one of S.D. Burman compositions that are derived from Rabindra-sangeet : ), but here I’d like to draw your attention to a collection of S.D. His filmi compositions tend to draw upon inspiration from Bengali folk traditions (e.g. Burman is one of the most succesful music directors in the history of the Bollywood industry, and his songs from films such as Bandini (1963), Guide (1965), Jewel Thief (1967), and Aradhana (1969) are still considered all-time classics today. The music director who is most well-known for this practice is none other than the illustrious S.D Burman. Although the purism and simplicity of Tagore’s style might suggest that Bollywood is an inappropriate forum to celebrate his art, several music directors from the Golden Age of Hindi cinema have been known to use Tagore songs as inspirations for their musical compositions. As a composer, artist, novelist, playwright, poet, and philosopher, Tagore has left a lasting legacy on Indian culture through his vast collection of works in a variety of mediums. Burman (1906-1975)ĭue to my upbringing in a Bengali household, I am intimately familiar with Rabindra-sangeet : the genre of songs written and composed by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.