Sachin Dev Burman, respectfully called “Sachin Katta,” is considered as one of the most dynamic composers who is equally popular to both Bangla and Hindi speaking people. S D Burman composed music for 100 Hindi and Bangla films. His Son Rahul Dev Burman was also a music director.
Also as a singer, his thin but powerful and accented voice made a distinct position for him among the music lovers. He is a darling to the people of Bangladesh for his renditions on timeless songs like Ami Takdhum Takdhum Bajai Bangladesher Dhol, Ke Jash Re, Mono Dilo Na Bodhu, Borne Gondhe, Shono Go Dokhin Hawa and many more.
The legend was born on October 1, 1906 as one of the nine children of Prince Komilla of Tripura. His father Nabadwipchandra Dev Burman, was a sitarist and dhrupad singer as well as Sachin’s first teacher too. Later his training continued with Ustad Badal Khan and Bhishmadev Chattopadhyay, and this classical training gave him a firm rooting for the music that he was to compose later in life.
He had explored the forests of Assam and Tripura from where he gained his formidable knowledge and rich repertoire of the folk of that region and Bengal.
He started his musical career in Bengal as a singer of folk and light classical music and also composed music for the radio, which bore prominent traces of East Bengali and north-eastern folk music which had inspired him early in life.
His first Film debut singing was for Tinkari Chakraborthy’s “Sanjher Pidim” (1935).
His film compositions are influenced by his huge repertory of folk-tunes from the Bengali Bhatiali, Sari and Dhamail traditions of the North East. Sachin started work as a music director in Kolkata in 1939. Five years later, he moved to Bombay. His first major breakthrough came the with the Filmistan’s “Do Bhai” (1947) “Aath Din” (1948) and “Sabnam” (1949).
His singing was limited after he ventured in to composing music full time. His accented voice was used for tunes that required a folk-like rendition. Sachin was very choosy in selecting films for scoring music. He never took too many assignments at a time. Likewise, he was very choosy in selecting the singers. It is said that he used to call the singers via telephone early in the morning, study their voice indirectly while making conversation and then select.
SD Burman’s compositions have been mainly sung to a large extent by the likes of Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Geeta Dutt, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, Hemant Kumar, Asha Bhosle, Shamshad Begum, Mukesh and Talat Mahmood.
His career never flagged till 1974 when he quit signing films from ill “health. He is remembered even today, through his great compositions. This great composer attained his heavenly bliss on October 31, 1975.
