R D Burman ["Did you know" | M A Khan | Screen | September 04, 2004]

R.D. Burman is synonymous with Western music. this tag of being a king of Western music gave popularity to R.D. Burman but it never satisfied the legendary music director’s inner soul because he was always sidelined as a "Chalta hai" king of music director, which always pinched him. Hence this worked as a slow poison for R.D. Burman and to wash out the Western label he began concentrating on Shastriya Sangeet. It was Gulzar, his close friend who knew the hidden talent in Burman and in his movie Parichay allowed R.D. Burman to compose music Beeti na beetayee raina...(Parichay), Aane wala pal jaane wala hai... (Golmaal), Mera kuch samaan...(Izaazat) and above all Aandhi. Each song was a pearl in itself like Is mod se jaatein hain...

Having finally won a place amongst the legendary music directors, R.D. Burman now felt that he would be treated respectfully but that was not to be, as the so called Gurus in music still ignored him. How? Here’s an unbelievable instance:

It is reported that the Bhartiya Sangeet Academy annually organizes a musical show to promote new musicians. The Creme-de-la-creme musicians of India, which also includes a panel of top-notch music directors, grace the function. Once it so happened when when the invitation cards were being prepared to be sent to the invitees, one invitee card included the name of R. D. Burman. When the chairman of the Academy happened to see that card, he immediately tore up the invitation. When R.D. Burman came to know about the incident, he was heart broken and decided to give the kind of music that would modify the Bhartiya Sangeet Academy. And he did it with 1992 A Love Story the melodious music of which forced the Bhartiya Sangeet Academy to include his name in the invitee’s list and as an apology, the Academy invited him as a special guest of honour for their function, an honour on any music director in the past, But a bitter R.D. Burman refused to attend the function.