Rahul Dev Burman made enough music to last a million lifetimes. As it happens in the case of every prolific artist, some of his work received more love than others.

When one thinks of RD classics, soundtracks like Teesri Manzil, Kati Patang, Amar Prem, Padosan, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Yaadon Ki Baarat, Padosan, Aandhi, Hum Kisise Kum Nahin, Masoom, Satte Pe Satta, Love Story, Betaab, Ijaazat and 1942: A Love Story are first to pop up on any playlist.

These songs are beloved for a good reason, but there’s no shortage of sublime gems in the composer’s oeuvre of everlasting melodies. 

In a career spanning nearly four decades, Pancham, as he was affectionately known among family and friends, produced one lilting creation after another. Often though, a lot of film-makers took his brilliance for granted or lacked the imagination to realise its full potential.

Some of RD’s coolest tracks belong in obscure movies or seek a real connoisseur’s ear.

What renders him immortal though is the instant magic his listeners experience every single time.

Musicals like Jhankaar Beats and Dil Vil Pyaar Vyaar pay tribute to his lasting influences as do a horde of movie titles inspired by his chartbusters.

RD’s eternally epic legacy makes it hard to believe it’s 30 years since he passed away on January 4, 1994.

Sukanya Verma remembers the Boss in 30 of his under-rated, overlooked gems in Hindi film music.

Yeh Zindagi Kuch Bhi Sahi from Romance
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Singer: R D Burman

Kumar Gaurav’s debut Love Story, bolstered by RD’s memorable compositions, turned him into an overnight sensation only to be followed by a series of duds.

Somewhere the fate of those movies had an adverse effect on RD’s music as well.

Sung by the man himself, the philosophical musings and pensive momentum of Yeh Zindagi deserve a *lot* more love than came its way.

 

Ek Sawaal Hai from Bhoot Bungla
Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri
Singer: Kishore Kumar

Kishore Kumar’s trademark verve brings the house down in a song that’s as fun and frolic as it is meaningful in this RD showstopper for Mehmood’s Bhoot Bungla, which also featured Pancham in a small but significantly amusing role.

 

Maine Tujhe Kabhie Kuch Kaha from Yeh Vaada Raha
Lyrics: Gulshan Bawra
Singers: Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle

Yeh Vaada Raha‘s average box office didn’t come in the way of people’s fondness for its music. Of which, this cheerful and charming tune, celebrating a couple’s promise to cherish each other forever — before that fateful accident that turns Poonam Dhillon into Tina Munim — deserves to be etched in every music lover’s memory.

 

Pyar Hua Jab Se from Abhilasha
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Singers: Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar

Catchy from head to toe, there’s not a single dull moment to be found in the freshly-fallen-in-love exultations of the zingy Abhilasha ditty.

 

Koi Maane Ya Na Maane from Adhikar
Lyrics: Kumar Pant
Singers: Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle

Picturised on Deb Mukherjee, Director Ayan Mukerji’s dad, and Nazima, Koi Maane Ya Na Maane‘s lovey-dovey claims find a fresh voice in RD’s touch.

 

Kaali Palak Teri Gori from Do Chor
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Singers: Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar

Majrooh’s flirtatious verse and RD’s free flowing melody charisma does its magic off screen setting the stage for Dharmendra and Tanuja’s playful chemistry on it.

 

Kis Liye Maine Pyar Kiya from The Train
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Singer: Lata Mangeskar

RD’s ability to tap on a situation’s innate emotion and create soulful music around it is what makes it everlastingly comforting like Lata Mangeshkar’s dulcet Kis Liye Maine.

 

Bahut Door Mujhe Chale from Shareef Budmaash
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar

Lata Mangeshkar’s harmonious voice finding its perfect pitch in the foreshadowing doom of Bahut Door‘s sentiments gains emotional weightage in RD’s understated creativity.

 

Aye Sagar Ki Lehron from Samundar
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Singers: Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar

Rahul Rawail’s ambitious follow-up to Arjun, extensively filmed in the Maldives, under-performed resulting in RD’s gorgeous soundtrack never getting its due. One whiff of Aye Sagar Ki Lehron‘s ocean fresh romance and you’ll know what we mean.

 

Kya Hua Ek Baat Par from Teri Kasam
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Singer: Amit Kumar

RD and Amit Kumar’s collaborations in Kumar Gaurav’s movies are easily the brightest spots in the latter’s career. One can never have enough of Kya Hua Ek Baat‘s exquisite despair.

 

Chand Nagar Ki Shehzadi from Duniya
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Singer: Kishore Kumar

There’s much to discover and rediscover in RD’s treasure trove. Inside every single one of his forgotten or flop movie lies a hidden gem. The unbeatable combination of Rishi Kapoor, Kishoreda and Pancham does its bit for this overlooked beauty of Dharma Productions.

 

Chand Roz from Sitamgar
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Singer: Kishore Kumar

Lousy movie, lovely songs sums up the story of Sitamgar as well. While Mausam Pyar Ka has achieved a fan following over a period of time, the offbeat course of RD’s melancholic Chand Roz demands renewed focus.

 

Achi Nahi Sanam from Rakhi Aur Hathkadi
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Singers: Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar

The Asha Parekh starrer may have sank without a trace, but the pleasant duet by Team Kishore-Asha-RD is as infectious as it gets.

 

Panchi Gaaye Re from Drohi
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Singer: Asha Bhosle

Ram Gopal Varma’s Drohi didn’t quite deliver on Shiva‘s promise and RD’s signature style found itself sidelined by the storm of Nadeem Shravan’s chartbusting popularity. Panchi Gaaye Re‘s restrained gifts are far better appreciated in retrospect.

 

O Meri Jaan from Manzil Manzil
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Singer: Asha Bhosle

The Nasir Hussain-Majrooh-RD-Asha magic was on the wane when Manzil Manzil came out. Perhaps it’s no match to the triumph of Teesri Manzil, but there’s still much to savour about O Meri Jaan in these melody bereft times.

 

Jeene De Yeh Duniya from Lava
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Singers: Asha Bhosle, Manmohan Singh

RD whips up a cosy romance for Dimple Kapadia’s vendetta drama whose mellow charms age like fine wine is just one of the many criminally under-rated songs of Lava.

 

Jidhar Dekhoon from Mahaan
Lyrics: Anjaan
Singer: Amitabh Bachchan

Long before Bachchan sang sadly on the phone to his wife in Baghban, he moved us to tears with RD’s Jidhar Dekhoon in Mahaan. Relying on the pain in Big B’s voice and Anjaan’s lyrics for drama, RD was all for giving breathing space to his music.

 

Kaho Kaise Rasta from Bade Dilwale
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Singers: Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar

RD’s love for the guitar and flair for foot tapping beats finds its perfect rhythm in this banger of a song.

 

Aisa Sama Na Hota from Zameen Aasman
Lyrics: Anjaan
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar

Lata Mangeshkar’s flawless rendition of this spellbinding RD treat is the best thing about Sanjay Dutt and Anita Raj’s run-of-the-mill romance.

 

Khafa Hoon from Bemisaal
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Singer: Kishore Kumar

Everything about Khafa Hoon — its brooding expression of existentialist issues — is a mood we want to feel over and over again.

 

Sawan Ke Jhoole from Jurmana
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar

The sheer soul of this classically equipped dazzler comes alive in Lata Mangeshkar’s divine voice and RD’s composure.

 

Chand Koi Hoga from Inaam Dus Hazaar
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Singers: Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle

Sanjay Dutt’s North By Northwest rip-off is harmless masala that hugely benefits from RD’s zingy brand of compositions. Chand Koi Hoga‘s O Mera Sona Re energy is both hard to miss and resist.

 

Aa Mulaqaton La Mausam from Lovers
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Singers: Amit Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar

Everything about P Bharatiraja’s remake of the Tamil romance Alaigal Oivathillai starring Kumar Gaurav and Padmini Kolhapure screams dated. Except this mint-fresh love song.

 

Joshilay from Joshilay
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Singer: Kishore Kumar

We dare you not to reach out for the repeat button after just one dose of RD and Kishore Kumar’s swaggering combo in Joshilay‘s theme song.

Modelled along the lines of Sholay, the Western-aping revenge saga, starring Anil Kapoor and Sunny Deol, fell flat on its face but the josh remains high for its thumping title track.

 

Rama O Rama from Rama O Rama
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Singers: Amit Kumar, Jayshree Shivram

Trust RD to shell out a super addictive number for a movie few watched, fewer remember, Rama O Rama‘s permanent claim to fame.

 

Dekho Yeh Kaun Aaya from Saveray Wali Gaadi
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Singers: Suresh Wadkar, Asha Bhosle

The effortlessly tuneful quality to Dekho Yeh Kaun Aaya‘s serenade and serenity is stuff of love at first sound.

 

Hum Na Samjhe The from Gardish
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Singer: S P Balasubrahmanyam

The pinch in Javed Akhtar’s words, SP’s voice and RD’s downcast melody is as poignant today as it was then.

 

Kaisi Lag Rahi Hoon Main from Jhootha Sach
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar

When Majrooh’s chirpy lyricism meets RD’s carefree air, the upshot is as upbeat as it gets.

 

One Two Cha Cha Cha from Shalimar
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Singer: Usha Uthup

Slick, smooth, glossy, glamorous, the sexy, husky texture of Usha Uthup’s voice grooving against RD’s Western fanfare is a match made in 1970s heaven.

 

Kaho Kahan Chalein from Bulandi
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Singers: Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle

The ‘Take me wherever you please’ sentiment echoed in this effervescent Bulandi number is exactly the kind of hold RD’s music enjoys among its listeners.



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