Sachin Dev Burman

Biography

Sachin Dev Burman (1906-1975) was an Indian composer and singer and one of the most influential figures in Hindi film music. Although he began in Bengali cinema, he became one of the most in-demand composers in Bollywood during the 1950s and 1960s.

Born at Tipperah Palace in Comilla, in what is now Bangladesh, he came from the royal family of Tripura. He studied in Comilla and started a master's degree in Calcutta, but never finished it, as music took priority. He trained under several classical musicians and began as a radio singer in Calcutta in the late 1920s, performing songs rooted in Bengali folk and semi-classical styles. His marriage to Meera Dasgupta in 1938 led to a lasting break with his royal family. He started composing for Bengali films, then settled in Bombay in 1946.

His first major success in Bombay came with Filmistan, through films such as Do Bhai and Shabnam. His long association with Navketan Films and Dev Anand produced further hits, including Baazi, whose jazzy score revealed a new side of Geeta Dutt. He also worked closely with Guru Dutt, whose more sombre films rely on memorable music. He gave early breaks or prominent roles to singers such as Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle, whom he worked with after falling out with Lata in 1957.

His legacy lies in the breadth of his output and in the musical tradition he passed on, including his son R. D. Burman, also a celebrated composer. In 1958 he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Sujata, and in 1969 he was given the Padma Shri. He died in 1975, but his songs remain central to anthologies and reissues of Indian film music.

Key films

• Devdas (1955): one of the most popular scores of its time, with a melancholic tone suited to the story.
• Pyaasa (1957): his collaboration with Guru Dutt; its soundtrack was chosen by Sight & Sound as one of the best film music scores.
• Sujata (1959): the film that earned him the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
• Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959): another Guru Dutt project, whose songs match its sombre mood.
• Guide (1965): a major success that brought him several awards in the Hindi section of the BFJA Awards.
• Aradhana (1969): a film that became one of his biggest commercial hits and earned a National Film Award for Mohammed Rafi.