An audio-visual tribute based on original soundtracks with inputs from his own musicians.

 4 th jan 2008, Tilak Smarak Mandir, Pune.

 Guests: Bujji Lord, Kishor Desai, Ashok Patki.

4th Jan,08...RD Burman’s 14th death anniversary...As always, the thrilling prospect of experiencing some more of the celebrated maverick’s newly unearthed musical nuances, courtesy Panchammagic team, was too tempting to resist!  Off I drove to the city of Pune, to live through another discovery trip of RD’s heart-throbbing creations. After all, the theme ‘Pulsating Pancham… the hypnotic years’ promised a compulsory beat that no passionate heart could afford to miss!!!

Venue - The cherished Tilak Smarak Mandir. The clock showed 9.30 pm, Pancham lovers rushed to get seated...as the mood began to set in, with the exceptional competition track of ‘Hum Kisise Kum Nahin’ soaring in the back-ground. The heart-felt emotion and devotion pervaded right through, thanks to the sincere RD ‘stamp’ portrait as the stage backdrop...The loRD continued to bless, assuring our prayers with the same unmistakable candor and commitment that he lent to hundreds of his compositions!

Host Ankush Chinchankar started off by paying fitting tributes to 4 departed personalities closely associated with Pancham - Mother, composer and singer Meera Dev Burman, Cawas Lord, respected veteran percussionist and senior musician of the RD Burman team; Tony Vaz, the champion Bass Guitarist, who sensationalized RD’s compositions with his stylish and improvised Guitar playing and last, but not the least, RD’s first wife Rita Patel.

“Ishq mera bandagee hai” (‘Yeh Vaada Raha’, 1982) in two original forms – Pancham’s touching studio version and the recorded Kishoreda version – set the ball rolling for Pancham aficionados. The two distinct renditions easily underline RD’s extraordinary command over sense of rhythm, which the evening sought to explore. One more mesmerizing illustration of the same pedigree – “Jaan-e-jaanaa” (‘Samadhi’, 1972), with its double- Guitar effect and an eternally tempting avant-garde treatment!

Another song that changes pace with version - “O maajhi o maajhi” (‘Bandhe Haath’, 1973) in Hindi by Asha Bhosle and Bengali, by Indrani Sen .Also mark the exemplary music arrangement in “Albela re” (‘Raampur Ka Laxman’, 1972) and the predominant Brass section in “O deewano dil sambhalo” (‘The Great Gambler’, 1979) to sense Pancham’s inborn flair to elevate tunes through a deadly mix of sound and instruments!

Delving further in to Pancham’s grasp of pace and tempo, Ankush stressed how the composer effortlessly blended numerous styles to infuse color to the basic rhythm – note the sharp Maadal in “Dil pukare jeeva re” (‘Jeeva’, 1986), the definite Arabic feel in “Lehraake aaya hai” (‘Waris’, 1969), the jerk-less build-up from the slow-paced ‘mukhda’ to the fast-paced ‘antara’ in “Kaanp rahi mein” (‘Joshila’, 1973) and the unconventional progression in  “Maine dekha ek sapna” (‘Samadhi’, 1972). Truly, RD’s innate appetite to combine and create unusual stuff with consummate ease continues to leave us awestruck!!!

The ambiance immersed, viewers were now asking for more. More pulsating excitement followed - the ‘full-of-life’ 2-4 to 6-8 pattern change in “Haye re haye tera ghungta” (‘Dhongee', 1976), the affectionate “Koi maane ya na maane” (‘Adhikar’, 1971) and the Jazz influenced “Tum jaison ko toh” (‘Garam Masala’, 1972) and “Jogi o jogi” (‘Lakhon Mein Ek’, 1971).  And “Do ghoont mujhe bhi” (‘Jheel Ke Us Paar’, 1973), re-played twice on demand, effortlessly underscored RD’s timeless grip over public pulse and his compelling self-belief in having Lata Mangeshkar croon an ‘Asha Bhosle’ type of song!!!

The fading yet fascinating Drums of ‘Jeene de yeh duniya” (‘Lava’, 1985) and “Poocho nahin dil mera” (‘Qayamat’, 1983) welcomed the 1st guest, Shri Bujji Lord to the stage. Born to a musical family, Bujji Lord has been a gifted exponent of multiple rhythm instruments like the Castanet, the Jazz and Latin American Drums. He has, however, been more associated with mallet instruments like Vibraphone, Xylophone and Glockenspiel, learning them under his proficient father Cawas Lord and composer-cum- arranger brother Kersi Lord. One of the leading musicians of the RD Burman team, Bujji Lord has also traveled to many parts of the world as a featured artiste for various musical troupes.

Starting off by playing the Castanet pieces from “Kisise dosti kar lo” (‘Dil Diwana’, 1974) and “Matwali aankhonwali” (‘Chhote Nawaab’, 1961), Bujji Lord delighted viewers with his earnest playing skills – which was after a gap of 20 years – and intermittent sense of humour. Moving on to play the Xylophone, his demonstrations explained how the use of wooden bars gave a peculiar non-metallic sound in songs like “Golmaal hai bhai sab golmaal hai” (‘Golmaal’, 1979), “O re ghunhroo kaa bole” (‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’, 1971), “Dekho maine dekha” (‘Love Story’, 1981) and “Dukki pe dukki” (‘Satte Pe Satta’, 1981). Needless to say, the effect and punch that emerge in such songs visibly register the vast talent and ingenuity that Pancham and his renowned musical team were made of!

“He was a creative magician who always tried to innovate”, claimed Bujji Lord. The audience reached seventh heaven as he played a glimpse of the legendary Vibraphone preludes of “O haseena zulfonwali” (‘Teesri Manzil’, 1966). Responding favorably to shouts of ‘once more’, a repeat performance with the same élan had the audience go berserk. And “Is mod se jaate hain” (‘Aandhi’, 1975) and “Kahin naa jaa” (‘Bade Dilwala’, 1983), fabulously summarized the special chemistry between the loRD and the Lord!!!

“He was a composer with a variety of styles”, Bujji Lord fondly remembered of his long association with RD. More ecstasy  for the enthusiast gathering ensued -

Bujji Lord’s expert Drum playing skills were demonstrated through everlasting creations such as “Sun neeta” (‘Dil Diwana’, 1974), ‘I love you” (‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’, 1971). ‘Jaane-jaan” (‘Sanam Teri Kasam’, 1982), “Bachna ae haseeno” (‘Hum Kisise Kum Nahin’, 1977), “Aao na gale lagaao na” (‘Mere Jeevan Saathi’, 1972) and “Piya tu ab toh” (‘Caravan’, 1971). Supreme testimony to the knockout combination of Pancham’s conception and razor-sharp execution by his musicians!!!

The first half concluded with an invigorating brief visual, to announce the availability of ‘Ultimate Unremix’, a collection of Pancham’s popular, ‘not-so-easily available’ and less heard compositions on video. Presented by Shemaroo India Pvt. Ltd, the songs have been made available in the form of 6-Vcd and 4-Dvd packs.

The curtains re-opened to the presence of the 2nd guest for the evening Shri. Ashok Patki, prominent music director for Marathi films and Theater. Remembered for plays like ‘Bramhachari’ and ‘Moruchi Maavshi, Ashokji spent his early days accompanying singer-sister Meena Patki to her recording sessions. He later started playing as musician himself, beginning with percussion instruments like the Cobasche, Maracas and the Conga.

“I learnt to play with the beat”, Ashokji gently recollected of his early days. Learning music basics by watching veteran players like Maruti Rao Keer and Devichand Chauhan in RD’s famous team, Ashokji played percussion in vintage RD songs like “Ni sultana re” (‘Pyaar Ka Mausam’, 1969), and “Baahon mein chale aao” (‘Anamika’, 1973), and the somber Chimes in “Zindagi ke safar mein” (‘Aap Ki Kasam’, 1974).

“Panchamda’s ability to give different music patterns made it easy for producers to picturize songs”, observed Ashokji, highlighting RD’s exquisite musical range and acumen. The serene Santoor pieces in “Abke saawan mein jee dare” (‘Jaise Ko Taisa’, 1974), the singing highs and lows in “Jaane-jaan” (‘Jawani Diwani’, 1972) and the unique Tabla pick-up in “Ek main aur ek tu” (‘Khel Khel Mein’, 1975) indisputably exemplify the point made by Ashokji. Phenomenal stuff from a master composer!!!

More pristine magic followed - “Naa koi umang hai” (‘Kati Patang’, 1970) and “Phir wohi raat hai” (‘Ghar’, 1977). “If Panchamda had used the normal Tabla Thekas, this song would have sounded like a Ghazal. See how its uncommon handling has elevated the song to great heights”, remarked Ashokji on the former composition. A well-observed comment that listeners may have missed...

The Piano-notes of the poignant “Jahan pe savera ho” (‘Baseraa’, 1981) invited Shri. Kishor Desai, the evening’s 3rd guest to take centre-stage. An extremely talented and sought-after musician of yesteryears, Kishorji made his mark by playing the Mandolin at a very early age of 15. Besides also working as independent music director, he has been an acknowledged Sarod player and worked as assistant music director, arranger for composers like Roshan and C. Ramchandra. Kishor Desai has also played the Mandolin for RD Burman, some of his notable contributions being in “Meri pyaari bindu” (‘Padosan’, 1968), “Tum bin jaaoon kahan” (‘Pyaar Ka Mausam’, 1969) and “Bangle ke peeche” (‘Samadhi’, 1972).

“Pancham mera bahut achcha dost tha. Hum log hamesha saath uthte baithte they”, remarked Kishorji. As a result were genuine renditions for a very dear friend - “Raina beeti jaaye”, “Chingari koi bhadke” (‘Amar Prem’, 1971) and “Beeti na beetayi raina” (‘Parichay’, 1972) on the Sarod and

“Dekha na haye re” (‘Bombay To Goa’, 1972) on the Mandolin. One could actually sense the terrific camaraderie and friendship built on strong underlying bonding and respect for each other as musicians!!!

As the event drew to a close, images of a Mouth-Organ playing Pancham and the dance orchestration piece of ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ continued to linger...Yet another incredible evening of Pancham’s unfading wizardry had left its indelible mark on us. Though an improved tempo in the second half would have served better, there cannot be enough praise to commend the earnest efforts of Panchammagic and the entire team. Their persistent dedicated endeavor has ensured to keep the RD Burman appeal intact and shining...all the way to long-lasting glory!!!

The Panchammagic mission continues. Pancham lovers await the dawn of the next occasion...27th June, 2008...for another memorable journey of the Pancham swar, for another memorable journey for the Pancham swar and for another memorable journey by hearts which forever beat the Pancham swar!!!