Remembering R D Burman on his birthday

Some 14-15 years back, on a sunday morning I was sitting in a barbershop for a haircut. Suddenly a cassette player, which was On but silent due to power outage, starts to play a beautiful guitar tune that leads to a melodious duet. The song was so melodious and refreshing that it hold me completely for a while. That song was 'Chura Liya hai tumne jo..' from 'Yadon ki Barat' and was composed by R.D. Burman aka Pancham. Later on, as I got to know more and more about his compositions, he became my favorite. It was his music to which I connect and understand the most.
He was the only child of legendary S.D. Burman. He started to assist him at very early age. It is said that many tunes that credited to his father was actually composed by R.D. Like "Roop tera mastana" from 'Aradhna'. His first hit movie was Vijay Anand's 'Teesri Manzil'. It brought him the fame and success. All the songs of this movie are like gems, like 'o haseena', 'o mere sona re', 'tumne mujhe dekha', 'diwana mujh sa nahi'. Besides being a great composer he was also a very good mouth organ player. He played the instrument in some of his father's songs and also for some other music directors. Listen 'Hai apna dil to awara','Koi jab rah na paye' from 'Dosti' and 'Ye dosti' from Sholay. He was also unparallel in giving background music (remember 'Sholay'). He was such a talent that was ahead of his times.
He was nominated 16 times for filmfare but got only 3. Sadly this man had passed through a low phase in the last years of his life. Some big projects, which he was supposed to have first, were given to others. He was hurt and dejected by some of his friends and industry-wallas.
His work got more admiration after his demise. (Proof that he was ahead of his time)

Someone has written about him on a website:

"He was generationless music composer. Audience belonging to any age and era can enjoy his music. On one hand he created the music which could represent the those days generation and on other hand he carried whole generation to the height of music. He defeated everyone in terms of versatility. He was Kishor Kumar in that sense. RD’s predecessors took care of purity and many remained devoted to Indian classical music and instruments only. RD did not feel any hitch in using his knowledge of western classical and Jazz.”

There are many favorites but some are:
Tu tu hai wohi (Yeh wada raha)
Kya yahi pyar hai (Rocky)
Panna ki tamanna hai (Heera-Panna)
Paas aao na (Sagar)
Mehbooba-mehbooba (Sholay)
Tumne mujhe dekha (Teesri Manzil)
Tere bina jiya jaye na (Ghar)
Kuch na kaho (1942 - a love story)
Roz-roz ankhon tale (Jeeva)
Kahin karti hogi wo mera intezar (Phir kab milogi)

Par kaun jaye ae zauk, Ye dilli ki galiyan chhorh kar

I belong to a small town of uttar pradesh called 'Mohammadi'. When I first came to Delhi I found it a city of so much crowd, insensitive people, the dangerous blue line buses, choley baturey and daal makhni. I was frightened by the city. Slowly, I got used to all this hustle and bustle of the capital of India. After spending almost four years here, somehow, I feel connected to this city.
I am less interested in today’s cosmopolitan and mall cultured Delhi. But the thought give me nostalgia that I am living in a city that has great eminence in history. The city that has seen rise and fall of so many great empires. The city of Mughals. The city of Ghalib. The city of forts and shrines.

I also like Lutyen’s Delhi, the area that contains Rashtrapathi Bhawan, India Gate, Parliament House etc. (most of the buildings are designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens). I love the greenery on roadside of south and central Delhi.

One day while surfing internet i came across a blog which was all about delhi. Its author, Mayank Austen Sufi, loves to roam around the lanes of delhi. I love to see delhi through his blog ‘The Delhiwalla’.

Here is a sher from Zauk:

Hamne maana dakkan mein hain , bahut se kadr-e-sukhan,
par kaun jaye ae zauk, ye dilli ki galiyan chhorh kar

p.s : here, people are insensitive but helpful.

Abigail Breslin....Little miss sunshine

Some people are born actors. One such actress is 12 yeras old Abigail Breslin. An American child actress, she is the fourth youngest actor who has been nominitaed for an Academy Award (for supporting actress). When i saw her performance in movie 'Little Miss Sunshine', i was amazed. And i was thinking how could a little girl act like that. She has that amazing combination of innocence and maturity in her acting and on her face. I think she is better and more capable actor than many big and popular names. I have watched just 3 or 4 of her movies like 'Definitely.. May be, 'Little Miss Sunshine', 'No Reservations' etc. ....willing to watch all her released and upcoming movies.