First things first. So my fascination for the name Burman goes back to Lisbon where my father was posted as ambassador. So he knew most of the theatre owners who were friends. So whenever any Indian film would be released, the weekend prior to that we would have special screenings. That’s how I saw films like Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Abhimaan, Sholay, Deewaar. Funnily enough it didn’t matter who the hero and heroine was. I would just see the credits so if it had Burman I would just be hooked. Believe it or faint, that’s how I saw the film Abhimaan. I was a child so I couldn’t tell the difference between the initials SD and RD, just the name Burman was enough.
I started learning piano when I was around five. And I was obsessed with these two musicians, RD Burman and Asha Bhosle. As luck would have it I saw them perform at a show in London when I was around 10 at the Royal Albert hall. I was hooked. Just before Ashaji came on stage, the lights went off and she appeared from backstage to the guitar strains of Chura liya and her voice which she belted out with gusto. I was in a trance. I started crying. I had to meet her. We had some common friends who set up a meeting for us. All ten of us, along with my mother, went to her apartment on Kensington Road. And I saw her in the drawing room. After the usual pleasantries, I played her my compositions on the portable tape I was carrying. She quickly exclaimed Stop! And called out to Panchamda and he came and heard it. He was skeptical and asked me if I had indeed played it. Because if I had it was very good. As if to ascertain that he brought out a Casio tone from his room and asked me to play and I played. Ashaji predicted that I would become a good composer. We’d meet on and off whenever I’d come on a holiday to Bombay.
Years went by and I decided that I wanted to be a composer. Around 1991 I composed four songs for Sargam with her in mind. I made her hear them and she said she would sing them. We booked a studio in Worli and she came to dub. The first song we recorded was Dholki bajao. Which became a big hit. No wedding in Pakistan is complete without these songs. All the songs of Sargam were a rage including those sung by Ashaji – Pyar hai, Pyar bina jeena, Barse badal and of course, Dholki bajao.
Once I got a call from Ashaji that Saawan Kumar Tak wanted her to redo the song Dholki bajao for Salma Pe Dil Aaya Gaya (1997). And she had refused because it was my original. I told her if she didn’t, some other singer would, so it’s better that she only sang it as at least the spirit of the song would stay.
I had made a name for myself as a musician who plays classical music on the piano. We even did an album with Zakir Hussain on the tabla and me on the piano called the one and only. It was very well received.
It was at this point I decided to do the Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao album with her. She heard me out and was game. She was travelling for her world tour and said she would after her shows in July make a stop over in London. She came to London and in fifteen days we wrapped up the album with some eight songs. But I’m getting ahead of the story.
Before she came to the studio the technicians at the studio asked who was coming and I said it was a legend coming. They asked her name. I knew the firangs are very informal and would call her by her first name. So I purposely wrote “Ashaji Bhosle” for them. So when she walked into the studio they all greeted her with hello Ashaji. She was quite thrilled that they were talking with so much adab and respect. She immediately marched to the studio kitchen and made kadak Indian chai for everyone.
So on day one when we were driving to the studio to record the title track she was very pensive and didn’t speak to me much on the way. I thought something was off and I quietly called her daughter Varsha and asked if something was wrong. She chirped and replied oh that’s my mom being mom. But I probed further and Ashaji replied she was not confident and what if she couldn’t do justice. I was just amazed at her humility and how an artiste of her calibre was still nervous even after decades.
Once she came on to the mike she was an absolute monster and devoured the music and just gave it her all. In between I was playing on the piano an acoustic version of Kabhi to nazar milao and she jammed with me spontaneously. On the spot we decided to keep an acoustic version too.
I told her I wanted to release the album in London and she scoffed at the idea, she said I should release the album in Bombay and it would be well received. She even offered me her next assignment- an album with Gulzar saab and me as composer. She made me come down to India and I was thrilled. She put me up at Panchamda’s Merryland apartment. We had two three sittings but nothing really came of that album.
Around that time I got in touch with Magnasound and they released Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao which became a monster hit.
What can I say about this artiste? She makes what others would think trivial sound sophisticated with her gravitas. She embellishes the traditional with her spunky vocals. While her children or nephews and nieces may veto an idea, she will say hell why not let’s try this. She’s so adventurous and has constantly reinvented herself and music. Look what she did to Pancham da’s music in the ’70s. Look how she revolutionised the music scene with Rahman.
I did some film work with her also. The song Lucky lips in Lucky: No Time For Love (2005), another one, Aise jalta hai jiya in 1920 (2008). Another song of hers that I had compared for Yeh Raastein Hai Pyaar Ke (2001) was picturised on Madhuri Dixit called Aaja aaja o piya.
I think one of our last collabs was an independent single called Aao na.
She was a true sport and wore her legendary status so lightly. She was like an excited kid in the candy store. And there was no hierarchy; she spoke with equal love and affection to everyone.
She would yell at me for not keeping in touch and chide me. The distances were too far. I lived in Lokhandwala and she was at Peddar Road.
She would give me relationship advice. After my two divorces also she would say see artistes are not meant to marry. A personal and professional life can’t go hand in hand. After my second divorce she’s like look I told us so! But she was all heart. The last time I spoke to her a couple of weeks before her death she wasn’t her spunky self. Usually she’s so full of life and vivacious. I could sense she was tired. We promised to meet soon. But that wasn’t to be.
I think her nudge to me in London to come to India and make a name for myself was the starting point and look! 26 years later I’m still here with an Indian citizenship.
I miss her would be an understatement. She gave colour to my music. It’s like she filled my canvass with life and stories.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: filmfare.com
