Ustad Amjad Ali Khan launches SD Burman's biography

 

New Delhi: Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan called SD Burman an "unmatchable artiste" while unveiling a biography on the legendary music composer, which has been penned by veteran journalist-author Sathya Saran.

Titled on the composer's famous song 'Sun Mere Bandhu Re', the book tries to encapsulate the much-celebrated music journey of Burman and includes anecdotes from megastar Amitabh Bachchan and actress Waheeda Rahman among others about their working experience with him.

"He was one of the music greats of our country, his thinking and creativity was unique. The range of music he gave from 'Bandini' to 'Pyaasa' to 'Guide', he was amazing at everything. His melodies had a different appeal.

"One of the best things about him was that he brought folk music in film tunes," Khan said at the launch last night. Khan said that Burman's greatness stood unmatched and even his musician son RD Burman could not come to surpass him.

"A few days ago, people tried to make me say that RD Burman surpassed his father in music talent, but I could not say that because SD Burman was unmatchable and stood apart among the artistes that come before and even after him," he said.

Saran, a self-confessed fan of SD Burman's work, said she only started writing the biography after she felt she could understand Burman. 

"I wanted this book to be different than his previous biographies. I took some time and started reading about him to understand the kind of person he was. "Only when I felt I had gotten that inside me that I started penning this," said the writer, who has also interviewed music arrangers that worked with Burman on his films.