‘Pancham advised me as soon as, “It’s extremely troublesome to be taken critically when there are stalwarts like Shankar-Jaikishan, S D Burman, Madan Mohan and Naushad… How do I make my mark?”‘
Amit Kumar salutes R D Burman on his thirtieth loss of life anniversary on January 4.
IMAGE: R D Burman and Amit Kumar. {Photograph}: Type courtesy Amit Kumar/Instagram
In a throwback interview, singer Amit Kumar had spoken about his deep bond with Rahul Dev Burman.
“I used to be R D Burman’s blue-eyed boy,” he had advised Subhash Ok Jha.
“My skilled affiliation with Pancham began in 1975 with the music Bade Achche Lagte Hain in Balika Badhu. At the moment, I used to be a novice. I had sung a few songs earlier. I used to go to R D Burman and he would go to mine and cook dinner. He was a unbelievable cook dinner!
“We might compose music collectively. He had three mates within the movie business: Shakti Samanta, Ramesh Behl and me. We have been with him until the tip.”
Earlier than Amit, his father Kishore Kumar was RD’s pal.
“My father was very near Pancham. Due to their closeness, I grew to become mates with Pancham. I believe I sang the utmost songs for Pancham after Asha Bhosle, Lata Mangeshkar and my father.
“I believe Ashaji sang round 800 songs. My father sang 500-600. I sang about 150 songs for Pancham. That is greater than Mohammad Rafisaab. We have been related for 20 years until his loss of life. We beloved one another unconditionally.”
IMAGE: Amit Kumar with R D Burman, brother Sumit Kumar, Leena Chandavarkar. {Photograph}: Type courtesy Amit Kumar/Instagram
Amit shared a detailed kinship with the whole Burman household. “The Burman household was like household to me. Sachin Dev Burman mentored my father, and Pancham mentored me. When Sachinda was composing for Information in 1965, I used to be a bit brat leaping over the harmonium everywhere in the recording room. Burmandada loved me leaping round like a monkey.
Talking on how his journey as singer started, Amit had recalled, “I got here to Bombay from Calcutta in 1971. Aradhana had launched and my father’s second innings as a playback pasha had begun.
“Someday, my father was going for a recording with Manna Dey for Pancham. It was a music in a movie known as Khalifa. My father requested me to accompany him. I sat listening to my father and Mannada rehearse.
“Instantly Pancham turned to me and mentioned, ‘I heard that you just sing very nicely. Sing for me.’ I used to be nervous, however I sang my father’s music in Jhumroo because the stalwarts within the orchestra accompanied me.
“Whereas returning house after the recording, my father mentioned, ‘You misplaced a golden probability. Your singing was bakwas.’ I used to be damage. I advised my father, ‘I used to be nervous. To hell with singing, I am going again to Calcutta.’
“However within the night, Pancham known as and advised my father to ship me for a recording the subsequent morning. My father mentioned, ‘What’s going to he do in a recording?’ Pancham mentioned I needed to sing a music for a movie to be directed by Shakti Samanta and he wanted a uncooked voice.
“My father mentioned, ‘Primary kis khet ka mooli hoon? Why do you want my son when you’ve gotten me?’ Pancham defined he wanted a younger voice to sound like a 17 12 months outdated.”
IMAGE: Sachin and Rajni Sharma within the music Bade Achche Lagte Hain from Balika Badhu.
Amit selected to understand his father’s skilled envy as banter. “My father was truly very pleased for me. I sang the music Bade Achche Lagte Hain. I by no means knew it might change into so widespread. In actual fact, it did not change into an in a single day rage. It took three years to change into widespread. At this time, it is a family quantity.
“Bade Achche Lagte Hain gave me an id past being Kishore Kumar’s son, and I give full credit score to Pancham. He forbade me from copying my father. He mentioned nobody may sing like him. He mentioned, ‘Sing in your individual voice.’ I did.”
IMAGE: Vijeta Pandit and Kumar Gaurav in Love Story.
Then got here the songs of the Kumar Gaurav launch.
“Love Story made me very fashionable. Rajendra Kumar, who launched his son Kumar Gaurav, knew my father from the time Rajendra Kumar assisted H S Rawail in Sharaarat. My father sang in that movie. Rajendra Kumar wished Kishore Kumar’s son to sing for his son in Love Story.
“I’ll inform you a stunning reality: R D Burman hated the music of Love Story. He didn’t like Yaad Aa Rahi Hai, which grew to become my greatest hit. Whereas recording the quantity, Pancham known as me apart and mentioned, ‘Yeh gaana Yaad Aa Rahi Hai bahut bakwaas hai. It appears like a bhajan as a substitute of a love music.’
“The music was a superhit. I rang up Pancham, ‘Ab bolo, kya bolte ho.‘ Pancham was quiet. At the moment, he was going by way of a lean section.
“Love Story introduced him again within the reckoning. My favorite music in Love Story was Kaisa Tera Pyar Kaisa Gussa with Latabai (Mangeshkar). After Love Story, everybody hoped Kumar Gaurav and I’d change into a staff like Rajesh Khanna and my father. However that wasn’t meant to be.
“Pancham and I got here collectively to compose music for different Kumar Gaurav-starrers like Teri Kasam, Lovers and Romance which have been flops.”
Recalling the primary recording for Love Story, Amit Kumar recalled, “The primary music we recorded in Love Story was Yeh Ladki Zarasi Deewani Lagti Hai with Asha Bhosle and me.
“Raj Kapoorsaab and my father got here for the recording. Simply think about, I used to be singing within the recording sales space with Asha Bhosle whereas Raj Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar and Kishore Kumar have been chattering behind us. We have been getting distracted and the stalwarts have been requested to depart the recording room. The ambiance was jovial, easygoing and enjoyable.”
IMAGE: Amit Kumar with father Kishore Kumar and mom Ruma Guha Thakurta. {Photograph}: Type courtesy Amit Kumar/Instagram
Amit remembers his his first assembly with Panchamda: “My father made a movie known as Door Gagan Ki Chaon Mein the place he performed my father and I performed a mute boy. Within the movie, my father takes me to town for medical therapy. There was a shot the place we needed to climb down the steps, disheartened.
“My father wanted a mouth organ piece within the background. Pancham performed the mouth organ very nicely, so he known as Pancham as much as come and play the mouth organ. That was the primary time I noticed Panchanda. I believe it was 1963.
“By then, Pancham’s first movie as an impartial music director Chote Nawab had launched. However Pancham wasn’t well-known. We grew to become mates. At the moment, he was Sachin Dev Burman’s son and I used to be Kishore Kumar’s son.
“We met once more when he got here to our home with Mehmoodsaab to get my father to sing the observe Jago Sone Walon within the movie, Bhoot Bungla. Thereafter, we met incessantly.
“Once I heard the songs of Chote Nawab, I used to be clear bowled by Pancham’s versatility. On one finish, he composed Matwali Aankhon Wali, and on the opposite, he composed Ghar Aaja Ghir Aaye Badra. I knew this man was a genius.
“Then I heard Pancham’s songs in Bhoot Bungla. My father’s Jago Sone Walon was positive, however the Manna Dey music Pyar Karta Ja was even higher. However Pancham could not make a mark, despite stunning music in Teesra Kaun and Chandan Ka Palna, till Teesri Manzil,
“Pancham was looking for his id. He advised me as soon as, ‘It’s extremely troublesome to be taken critically when there are stalwarts like Shankar-Jaikishan, S D Burman, Madan Mohan and Naushad. How do I make my mark?’
IMAGE: Amit Kumar on stage with father Kishore Kumar. {Photograph}: Type courtesy Amit Kumar/Instagram
Defending RD’s Western tunes, Amit mentioned, “In Teesri Manzil, Pancham launched the bass guitar into Hindi movie music. Folks mentioned he plagiarised songs. Ha, chori kisne nahin kiya? All composers sought inspiration.
“When Pancham borrowed, he did it with fashion. He created his personal musical fashion, utterly faraway from conventional movie music. He revolutionised the sound of music.
“Jaikishanji had predicted about Pancham, ‘A boy has come. He will make chutti of all of us.’ Pancham was one thing else. He was forward of his occasions. My music Roz Roz Aankhon Taley with Asha Bhosle, which is so widespread right this moment, was a flop when it was composed in 1987. It has gained recognition within the final 10 years.
“At this time, now we have fabulous know-how to assist movie music. However hearken to the readability he delivered to the sound of the 1960 and Seventies!
“The title music within the movie Rama O Rama was my first recording after my father expired. My father died on October 13, 1987, and on January 1, 1988, I recorded Rama O Rama. Pancham died too younger. He by no means took care of his well being.
“Even right this moment, Pancham is a chart-topper. Final week, I used to be with the music firm Saregama. They advised me their revenues are generated from Kishore Kumar and R D Burman’s songs. I’m proud to say that after my father, I used to be Pancham’s favorite male voice.
“Nobody can surpass the impression of Panchamda He was an entire composer.”
