What They Say

“…Pancham! music room meiN kaee baar tumheiN kahte suna tha, “tape khatm ho rahee hai bhai, naya tape lagao.” Kaash har baar aisa ho sakta. Pata nahiN kaun hai jo us taraf baiTha uNgaliyoN par umra lapeTata rahta hai. Achaanak hee tape khatm ho gayee aur tum chupchaap uTh ke chal diye. Lekin tumhaaree aawaaz abhee tak sunaaee de rahee hai Pancham.. gooNj rahee hai…”

Gulzar

“Aisa all-rounder na hua hai na kabhi hoga. that includes his father and myself and all the other music directors… main ye bahut cheekh ke bataana chaahta hoon mere saare shrotaaon ko ki aisa sangeetkaar hoga nahin. phir uske saath jo hai na hamaara yug khatam ho jaata hai.

ab dekho jitni sahajta ke saath meN wo ek sanjeeda gaane ko taiyaar karta tha usee sahajta se usne ahaa-aa-ahaa-ahaa-aa wo saaNs ka jo hai na golmaal karta tha. ..ab usko Khud ko suno. uske Khud ke gaane bahut kam haiN magar jaisa usne gaaya hai sabko baitha ke rakh diya hai.”
– Anil Biswas
(on AIR series – Rasikeshu, 2002)

“Pancham se ek parichay woh tha jise maiN tees saal jiya hooN. Aur bharpoor jiya hooN. pooree sargam ke saath….. SaNgeet ke to sirf saat hee sur haiN, magar Pancham kee shakHshiyat meiN bepanaah sur thay. Aur saare ke saare hamne ek saath jiye. Ab ye ek aur parichay hai uskee chup ka. Jo tabhee beetega, jab maiN beet jaaooNga…….”
– Gulzar

“RD was by far the stand-out talent among the younger line of composers, at all times innovative like me, at all times experimenting like me. In fact, I would go a step further and rank him alongside all the top composers of my generation, such was his range and variety.”
– Salil Chowdhury

“Chalte chalte woh musaafir dekho kahaaN chala gaya. 1955 ya 1956 kee baat hai. Mahalaxmi Studio meiN mujhse autograph lene aaya tha. Maine suna tha Pancham baD.a sharaartee laD.ka hai. Isliye maine baD.e pyaar se likha – Badmaashee chhoD.o. Uske baad 1961 meiN mila, apne pahle gaane kee recording ke liye. WaheeN usee studio meiN. gaane kee pahlee line sunte hee mujhe ye ehsaas hua ki Pancham aage chalkar bahut bada saNgeetkaar banega. mere is khayaal ko Pancham ke saNgeet ne saabit kar diya. Uske saNgeet kee khaasiyat thee – Hindustaani shaastriya saNgeet, lok saNgeet aur paschimi saNgeet ka adbhut saNgam ………. Pata nahiN kahaaN chala gaya. Kaash ab bhee woh meree aawaaz sun sake.”
– Lata Mangeshkar

“Insaan ko apnee umra ka ehsaas tab hota hai, jab zindagee meiN uske bahut se pahlu dheere-dheere band ho jaate haiN ya kHatm ho jaate haiN. Aur Pancham meree zindagee meiN ek aisa hee pahlu hai. Pancham ke saath kya rishta tha, maiN nahiN jaanti ya maiN use koi naam nahiN dena chaahatee…….. ek gaana ham logoN ne kiya tha (baahoN meiN chale aao from Anamika) jo mere liye bahut hee moving experience raha. Aaj jab maiN us gaane ko suntee hooN , uska meaning mujhe bahut hee alag lagta hai.”
– Jaya Bachchan

“Maine RD Burman ko uske bachpan meiN dekha, us waqt jab maiN SD Burman, uske father, ke saath kaam kiya karta tha. Phir kuchh dinoN baad maaloom hua ki ye music director ho gaye haiN. Ye westernize zyaada karte thay music ko. to burman saahab ko isse shikkayat hotee thee. Ek din hamse kahne lage, ‘bhai tum iske chaacha ho, tum zara isko kaho’, to hamne kaha. to usne kaha, ‘dekhiye uncle, baaba bahut baD.e music director haiN, unse maine bahut kuchh seekha hai aur seekhooNga. Lekin maiN unkee raah pe nahiN chalooNga. MaiN apna raasta kuchh alag nikaalooNga.’ ……. RD Burman ek era tha, ek school tha himself, jo usne shuru kiya. Aur shuru karke, mere khayaal meiN, jis level par usne use rakha tha us level ko leke apne saath gaya. Woh level, mere khayal meiN, dubaara aana aasaan nahiN hai.”
– Majrooh Sultanpuri

“Ek bahut hee shareef, bahut hee nek, achhadil banda, achha insaan. Itnee chhotee umra meiN usne jo kiya music ke liye, wo bahut kuchh tha. Ek parivartan melody meiN usee kee wajah se huee. Uska kaaran. yehai ki uskee jaankaaree… aaj kee technology se acchee tarah waaqif tha. Usne ek naya style iijaad kiya. Melody ko dhyaan meiN rakhte huye Pancham ne Hindustaanee folk music meiN modern western technique, western instruments ka bahut khoobsuratee se upyog kiya aur goya yehee wajah hai ki waqt ke saath saath uska music bhee hamesha kaayam raha. Abhee uske paas bahut kuchh tha, bahut music tha. Woh kahta tha ki mere paas kuchh 2-3 hazaar dhuneiN haiN jo maine taiyaar rakhee haiN. Woh kahaaN gayeeN. Woh sab dhuneiN uske saath hee chalee gayeeN.”
– Shammi Kapoor

“There’s no doubt in my mind that R.D. Burman was the best. I played for him in many films. Infact it was RD who first introduced the electronic organ in India for the composition O mere sona re sona in Teesri Manzil for which I had the privilege of playing the organ.”
– Kersi Lord

“I have worked with many music directors but RD was just extraordinary.”
– Anand Bakhshi

“He was a very enthusiastic person. I remember when we were struggling to get the background music in Betaab for Sunny Deol’s introduction. RD called me at 2 o’clock in the morning and suggested something that became a memorable signature tune.”
– Rahul Rawail

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