Agartala (Tripura) [India], October 1 (ANI): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha paid floral tribute to legendary music maestro Sachin Dev Burman at Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhawan in Agartala on Thursday, October 1, commemorating the musician’s enduring contribution to Indian music.
SD Burman, born on October 1, 1906, in Comilla, now in Bangladesh, belonged to the royal family of Tripura and went on to become one of the defining music directors and playback singers of Hindi and Bengali cinema.
Speaking to the media after the tribute programme, Saha recalled his personal admiration for the maestro and his connection with the site where the programme was held.
“I am very much influenced by his tune and his singing and the singer. I know where I am standing now; this was his house. He donated this to the government, and now Rabindra Bhavan has been built here,” he said.
The Chief Minister also highlighted Burman’s royal lineage and his grounding in folk traditions.
“So he is from this royal family, from a royal lineage, but he is down to earth. In a royal family, you know, you get everything. So he left all that, and his birthplace is in Comilla, Bangladesh. And from there, he took the boatman’s song, the tune from the place; all of it carrying in his heart,” he said.
Saha said Burman’s music continued to resonate with audiences across generations, recalling the maestro’s journey from Kolkata to Mumbai and the lasting popularity of his compositions.
“After going to Kolkata, he then went to Mumbai from Kolkata. So you can understand his songs and his tune; everyone in the whole world still sings them. Today is his birthday. I want to thank and send my best wishes to the people of Tripura, the people of the whole of India, and everyone. He was such a great singer and composer,” the CM said.
The Chief Minister described Burman as a self-made artiste whose approach to music continued to offer lessons for younger generations.
“He achieved his success entirely on his own, without anyone’s help. He was a self-made person. The way he blended classical and traditional music in India is still in everyone’s minds,” Saha said, highlighting the continuing relevance of Burman’s music for young listeners. “Young people will always say that music is something that stays in everyone’s hearts and minds. Even now, they can learn about how he progressed on his own and what they can learn from him,” the CM said.
Born into Tripura’s royal family, S.D. Burman trained in classical music and the sitar before learning from several noted maestros.
His musical identity was shaped by a blend of Bengali and Tripuri folk traditions and Hindustani classical music.
Over a career spanning more than 100 films, Burman composed music for acclaimed films including Devdas, Pyaasa, Guide, Bandini and Aradhana.
His collaborations with singers including Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi and Geeta Dutt produced several enduring songs of Hindi cinema.
S.D. Burman married musician Meera Dev Burman in 1938, and they were parents to Rahul Dev Burman, famously known as R.D. Burman, Pancham Da.
When S.D. Burman passed away on October 31, 1975, R.D. Burman famously promised to guard and carry forward the exalted musical heritage his father bequeathed to him, a promise that redefined the sound of Indian cinema for the generations that followed.
The tribute programme was attended by admirers and dignitaries who remembered S.D. Burman’s contribution to India’s cultural heritage and his enduring connection with Tripura. (ANI)
