CELEBRATING RD

News channels are scrambling to deify RD Burman on his 68th birth anniversary. Truly well deserved for a man whose work wasn't given its full due during his lifetime by a fickle Bollywood. As it is, the remix industry revolves around his beats, keeping RD alive for posterity.

But then SMS polls for RD's Top Ten can never come to grips with the entire sweep of his work. The foot-tapping and soulful numbers from known films get pride of place. Doubtless they are brilliant but then you'll find a hundred obscure RD soundtracks with brilliant scores, which remain unknown.

After a long time, decided to listen to a couple of RD CD's yesterday night. Here I must admit that though I had bought those CD's more than two years ago, I had never listened to them. In no time wafted in "Aisa Kyon Hota Hai" from a film called Ameer Aadmi Garib Aadmi, followed by Kishore Kumar singing "Ghungroo Ki Awaaz". RD never ceases to stun you with the range of his output.

Here's a list of ten obscure RD gems in no particular order

Ae zindagi kuch bhi sahi par ye mere kis kaam ki (Romance)- In His own voice. From a Kumar Gaurav starrer. It's nowhere near a cabaret number. Instead it's the maestro at his soulful best

O maajhi teri naiyya se (Aar Paar)- Again in His own voice. Yet another soulful solo number.

Kya Bhala Hai Kya Bura Hai (Libaas) - The only RD duet with Lata Mangeshkar. Sadly, the film was never even released. Remember seeing this song once in Superhit Muqabla on DD Metro. Libaas has a brilliant soundtrack with Khamosh Sa Afsaana Paani Se Likha Hota and Sili Hawa Choo Gayi

Aasman se ek sitara (Rahi Badal Gaye) - RD with Asha. Fast-paced, foot-tapping number

Tum Rootha to main ro doongi sanam (Jawaani) - Asha and Amit Kumar. Disco written all over it. Picturised on a forgotten chap called Karan Shah along with Neelam (her debut)

Ae Zindagi huyi kahan bhool, jiski hamein mili ye saza (Na Mumkin) - Kishore this time. All I know is Hrishikesh Mukherjee made this film. The other songs in this film too are pretty good.

Bindiya tarse kajra barse (Phir Wohi Raat) - Lata Mangeshkar. Mixes two tracks with finesse. This was RD's first stab at mixing twin tracks and not the popular Katra Katra in Ijaazat

Kabhi Palkon Pe Aansoo hai (Harjaee) - Kishore song etched with pathos. Harjaee had a great soundtrack with Tere Liye Palkon Pe by Lata also standing out.

Tumse Milke Zindagi Ko Yun Laga (Chor Police) - Lata. Amjad Khan's directorial venture

Hum Na Samjhe The (Gardish) - S P Balasubramanyam in the nineties.

Dev Anand's Anand Aur Anand, Sunny Deol starrers Samundar, Saveray Wale Gaadi, Sanjay Dutt's Jeeva (the sublime Asha-Amit Kumar song Roz Roz Aanhon Tale), Zameen Aasmaan....... the list goes on.

This is just a random list of 10 and am certain I have missed out songs I have liked at some point. But what's the common thread running through these films?

Most of them were made in the infamous 1980s (two in the early 1990s) and all were box-office duds. Net result - the songs were consigned to the dustbin of history, unhonoured and unsung. Flop after flop ensured that RD was struggling to get work by the end of the eighties, despite producing gem after gem.

To sum it up, "Full many a gem of purest ray serene, the dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear."

Returning to news channels, just can't relate to RD suddenly called Boss, just because of a film called Jhankaar Beats. Before the film I've never heard RD or Pancham labelled the Boss. Let's leave that title to Bruce Springsteen.