R. D. Burman

R. D. Burman (full name: Rahul Dev Burman), affectionately known as Pancham, was one of the most influential and celebrated Indian music directors in Bollywood history.

He was born on 27 June 1939 in Calcutta (now Kolkata), Bengal Presidency, British India, to legendary composer Sachin Dev Burman and lyricist Meera Dev Burman. He was surrounded by music from childhood and composed his first song at just nine years old. The song, "Aye meri topi palat ke aa," was used by his father in the 1956 film Funtoosh.

He was nicknamed Pancham by actor Ashok Kumar. Though he worked as an assistant to his father on films like Pyaasa, Kaagaz ke Phool, Guide, and Aardhana during the 1950s and 1960s, his official film music debut arrived in 1961 with Chhote Nawab.

Full Name	R. D. Burman
Occupation	Music Director/Score Composer/Singer/Actor/Music Arranger/Music Producer/Musician
Date of Birth	27-June-1939 (54 years)
Birth Location	Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
Gender	Male
Language	Bengali, Hindi, Assamese
Death Time	04-January-1994
Death Location	Bombay, Maharashtra, India (present-day Mumbai)

His first major hit came with the 1966 blockbuster Teesri Manzil, which was actually his fifth film as a composer. Burman then ruled the Indian music industry with the success of Amar Prem, Caravan, Buddha Mil Gaya, and Hare Rama Hare Krishna in 1971, along with musicals like Padosan (1968) and Kati Patang (1970). He was particularly known for his legendary association with singers Asha Bhosle (whom he later married) and Kishore Kumar.

His career spanned three decades and an astonishing 331 films across Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Oriya, and Marathi languages. He was credited with bringing electronic rock and groove into Hindi film music, ushering in a new era. He was the first to introduce the Brazilian bossa nova rhythm in Hindi music. His signature style involved mixing disco-rock with Bengali folk music, creating everlasting scores.

His career was bookended by Teesri Manzil (1966) as his first hit and the lyrical 1942: A Love Story (1994) as his last work, spanning just 28 years. Between these were iconic albums such as Padosan, Kati Patang, Sholay, and Ijaazat, representing different moods and genres bound together by his incomparable genius. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director three times.

His compositions are considered timeless classics, and he literally ruled the industry during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. He was married to Asha Bhosle and Rita Patel.

R. D. Burman died on 4 January 1994 in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, India, at the age of 54.