Google's doodle honours R.D. Burman on 77th birth anniversary

Search engine Google on Monday celebrated legendary music composer R.D. Burman’s 77th birth anniversary with a doodle on its India homepage. “Bringing in influences from all over the world, from disco, to funk, to cabaret, R.D. Burman revolutionised Bollywood,” it said.

Popularly known as Panchamda, R.D.Burman revolutionised the Hindi music industry by infusing it with western style. He is popular for his peppy songs such as ‘Dum Maaro Dum’, ‘Piya Tu’, ‘Aaja Aaja Main Hoon Pyaar’ and ‘O Haseena Zulfonwaali’. He has also left behind a legacy of melodious songs such as ‘Waadiyan Mera Daaman’, ‘Chura Liya’, ‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha’, ‘Tumne Mujhe Dekha’ and ‘Musafir Hoon Yaaro’.

The magic lives on

R.D. Burman reached iconic status by the early Seventies when he formed a formidable combination with Kishore Kumar.

Initially, purists scoffed at his Western orientation, but he produced an array of spellbinding melodies and semi-classicals in ‘Amar Prem,’ ‘Aandhi,’ ‘Parichay,’ ‘Kinara,’ ‘Khushboo,’ ‘Mehbooba’ and many other films to prove his versatility and sheer genius.

R.D. used new instruments and constantly experimented with composing and orchestration styles. His peppy tunes such as ‘Piya Tu,’ ‘Dum Maro Dum,’ ‘O Mere Sona Re,’ ‘Aa Aa Aa ja’ and ‘Duniya Mein’ were a class apart.

And his melodies had a haunting quality. These have remained fresh in public memory for over three decades.

Down melody lane

‘Beeti na’ and ‘Musafir’ in ‘Parichay’

‘Chingaree,’ ‘Kuch To Log,’ ‘Raina Beeti’ and ‘Ye Kya Hua’ in ‘Amar Prem’

‘Tere Bina Zindgi’ and ‘Is Mod’ in ‘Aandhi’

‘Naam Gum Jayega’ in ‘Kinara’

‘O Mere’ in ‘Mere Jeevan Saathi’

‘Ye Jo Mohabbat,’ and ‘Ye Shaam’ in ‘Kati Patang’

‘Meri Bheegi Bheegi in ‘Anamika’

‘Tere Bina’ in ‘Ghar’

‘O Majhi Re’ in ‘Khushboo’

‘Phoolon Ka Taron Ka,’ ‘Kanchi Re’ and ‘Dekho O Diwano’ in ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’

‘Diye Jalte’ in ‘Namak Haram’

‘Chura Liya’ and ‘Yaadon Ki’ in ‘Yaadon Ki Baraat’

‘Yaad Aa Rahi’ in ‘Love Story’

‘Sagar Kinare’ in ‘Sagar’

‘Kya Hua Tera’ in ‘Hum Kisi se Kam Nahin’