Overview

SD, or Sachin Dev Burman, the man who gave Hindi film music its grammar, is perhaps the most enigmatic figure in Indian cine history. As the young scion of the Tripura royal family, SD struck out into the world of cinema and popular music. The early years were difficult, professionally and personally. His unconventional choice of profession and marriage to a ""commoner' caused his family to ostracize him, and his formal training was not enough to stave off rejections. This well-researched biography is both a tribute to a great artist, and a deep inquiry into what made his music great. Going well beyond merely listing his greatest songs, it explores hitherto unknown stories about the creation of each gem: ""Mera sundar sapna beet gaya' (Do Bhai, 1948); ""Thandi hawaein' (Naujawan, 1951); ""Yeh raat yeh chandni' (Jaal, 1952); ""Babu samjho ishaare' (Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, 1958); ""Meet na mila re mann ka' (Abhiman, 1973), and more. The book is packed with insights into SD's life, work and his astute understanding of Hindi cinema. Despite the fact that he was an outsider who spoke little Hindi or Urdu, SD was the man who introduced Sahir Ludhianvi to the world, and the one who gave Kishore Kumar's musical brilliance its due. His readiness to adapt to modern sounds and techniques, his unwavering faith in Lata Mangeshkar's virtuosity, his closeness to Dev Anand that was seen as nepotism, charges of plagiarism-S.D. Burman: The Prince-Musician provides unmatched insight into both the genius of one of India's most significant composers and a crucial aspect of its glorious cinematic history. An essential addition to every film music aficionado's library.

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9780143458531

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An alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, Anirudha Bhattacharjee is an SAP consultant by profession, a musician by passion and a chronicler of music and cinema by avocation. R.D. Burman: The Man, The Music, his first book (co-written with Balaji Vittal), won the National Award for best book on cinema in 2012. Gaata Rahe Mera Dil (also co-written with Balaji Vittal) won the MAMI Award in its inaugural year, 2015. Balaji Vittal grew up in Kolkata and graduated from Jadavpur University. He has worked with Wipro, Standard Chartered Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland, and is an avid follower of Indian cinema.

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