DAY 1899
Jalsa, Mumbai June 27, 2013 Thu 11:25 PM
It is today the 27th of June and the day of the birth of a great music talent from the Industry, Rahul Dev Burman, lovingly known as ‘Pancham’. Pancham is the name given to a note in the music world, and because he used to sing in that high pitch, he was nicknamed Pancham.
Son of the legendary Sachin Dev Burman, another music maestro of the Industry, also in possession of a unique voice, Pancham brought in the color of modern sound and form in the Industry laden till then with a bent towards the more classic.
It was Mehmood bhai, who, recognising his talent gave him the first break to become an independent music director. And after that he just never rested, producing some of the most loved and lasting music in the history of the Indian Film Industry. I was fortunate to have him give me some of my favorite songs in memorable films. Apart from his inherent talent he was great company, always affable, filled with humour, and having a ready story on a comic situation that he may have encountered …
Spending time with him in his music room where each evening he would sit with his musicians and compose, was a delight. His last years were filled with sadness. He felt the Industry had discarded his talent and was not giving him the opportunity he wanted. His last known work was in the film 1942 A love Story, the film made by Vinod Chopra starring Anil Kapoor and Manisha Koirala. The songs were written by Javed Saheb, and it was considered to be one of the best music tracks of RD Burman. He passed away suddenly, leaving behind a history of wonderful memories and his music, which shall always remain eternal ..
The family is back and it is such a joy to be with the 'little one’, who has grown and moves and expresses and utters some inconsequential and some consequential oddities from her cute mouth. Her priceless expressions, bringing laughter and joy to us all …
I think there comes a time in the lives of us when we slowly become oblivious of our surroundings … of what transpires with us personally …of what we do and get ourselves involved in … of our work that we do, and whether it carries relevance. No … not indifference to it … that would be spelling doom for us all … but just the fact that it has been done and whether we need to dwell on it or move on to the next ..
To an outsider it may seem so, but it is not so in real, that we are unconcerned.. no we are not unconcerned .. its just that the mind or the ability and desire to await reaction, whether praise or criticism, seems to completely vanish …
And as I write I see many among you wondering what it is that could have triggered this now .. Its really nothing of worry at all, or even worthy of notice, and certainly not brought on by any that visit or connect with me here on this platform of the dedicated Ef ..NO !! it is none of that .. it is merely a certain need to express at times what goes on inside, within .. something that needs an expression … and what better place than to do it with those that love and understand you …
I personally think nature begins to prepare you for the age that now preoccupies one .. to remind us that eventually we shall be alone, single, away from all .. Company and associations slowly begin to fade away … you suddenly begin to find solace and joy in solitude .. your confines become scarce and small as do your surroundings … spaces begin to be of insignificance … a favoured chair, a meal, the company of the same selected, destinations which once enamoured us, now not of such relevance ..
I don’t know … perhaps I merely air some undesired views and thoughts .. perhaps it is just a phase ..
I do hope so …
My love
Amitabh Bachchan
