Prasiddh Sangeet Nirdeshak aur gayak Sachin Dev Burman comilla se bumbai kis tarah pahunche. Sangeet ki seediyan unhone kis prakar chadhin aur apni maulikta ke sutra kahan se khoje. Padhiye unhi ke shabdon mein. Is lekh ko prastut kar rahe hain unke parichit lekhak aur patrakar Shri Salil Ghosh.

(Circa 26 December, 1971 – Dharamyug)

Father Nabadwip Chandra Dev Burman

Mere Pehle Guru
Pita Shri Nabdwip Chandra Dev Burman
Tripura Maharaj Ishan Chandra Mankiya Bahadur ke ek laute putr Nawadwip Chandra Dev Burman Bahadur mere pita the. Meri mata ka naam Nirupama Devi tha. 1 October, 1906 ko comilla mein mera janam hua. panch bhaiyaon aur chaar behenon mein main sabse chota tha, is liye apne pita ka sabse pyara tha.

Mein Tripura ka rajkumar tha, par hosh aaya to raj gharane ki paramparaon ke bandhano mein mera jee ghutne laga. Mein swantantra rehna chahata tha; jan sadharan se milna julna chahata tha. Mere Pita khud bhi swatantrata premi the, is liye mujhe kisi ne roka toka nahin.

Hum sab bhai Tripura ki rajdhani Agartala ke boarding house mein rehte the. Par hum raj kumar the isliye hamare shikshak hamse bade bhaybheet rehte the. Anushaasan jaisi toh koi cheez wahan thi hi nahin. Mere pitaji ne is paristhithi ko samjha aur mujhe apni dekh rekh mein Comilla bula liya. 1922 mein maine inter pass kiya. BA ke liye mein Calcutta jaana chahata tha par mujhe pitaji ki ichcha ka adar karke ek varsh tak Comilla mein hi reh jaana pada.

Mere saare parivar par Saraswati ka vard hast tha. Mere pita badhiya dhrupad gayak the, ve sitar bajaate the, chitrakala aur murtikala ke itne shaukeen the ki durga pooja aur kali pooja ke liye saraswati ki pratimaayen apne hi haathon se banate the. Maine unhe pita se adhik ek kalakaar ke roop mein pooja hai. Sangeet ka pehla path mujhe unhi se mila tha. Mere bade bhai Lt Kumar Kiran Deb burman kalaon ke bade premi the. Pitaji ki aagyan mankar ve sena mein bharti ho gaye the. Doosre mahayudh mein ve Tripura regiment ke commander the. Chuttiyon mein ve ghar aate toh mujhse sangeet par khoob baat cheet karte. 1943 mein unka dehant ho gaya, jiska mujhe sabse zyada dukh hua.

Pooja aur holi ke avsaron par hamare yahan prakhiyat gayak-vadak nimantrit kiye jaate the. Ve kai dino tak Tripura aur Agartala mein rehte, Unke saath rehne ke karan, meri marg sangeet ki samajh paripakv ho gayi thi.
Mere pitaji ko baghwani ka bhi bada shauk tha. Comilla mein hamare phalon ke bagh the, tarkariyon ki kyariyan thin, baanson ke jungal the aur machliyon ke talab the. Pitaji mali ke kandhe se kandha mila kar utsah se kaam karte aur baarikh se baarikh baton tak ka dhyaan rakhte. Mein talab mein se machliyan pakda karta tha. Hamre naukar Anwar ne mujhe machliyan pakdne ki ath se iti tak ki shiksha di thi. Machliyan pakdte samaye ya bagiche mein ghoomte hue hum masti se gaate.

Hamara boodha naukar Madhav ravivar tatha anya chuttiyon ke din bhojan ke baad hamen Ramayan ke anek prasang gaa kar sunaaya karta tha. Uska gaana itna prabhav purna hota ki hridaya ko choo leta. Hamare baa.De mein anek fakir, vaishnav, bhikhari, bairagi aate aur apne tarikon se gaate. Unke gaane sun kar mein mantra mughdha sa ho jaata. Inhi ke kaaran mujh mein lok geeton ke prati ruchi jaagi aur ve mujhe par chha gaye.
Madhav aur Anwar mere log sangeet ke guru the. Uhne swar, taal, laya, gamak kisi ke bhi gyaan ki zaroorat nahi thi. Unhe na saaz chahiye tha na sangeet. Ve seedhe saral raagon mein gaate, unke geeton ne mujh par jaado kar diya tha. Kayi baar to Anwar gaane baithta to mere padhne ka samaye ho jaata tha. Par phir padhne ki kise chinta rehti. Agle din guruji ki daant padti. Usse bachne ke liye, maine apne padhne ka samaye badal diya aur uske gaane ke samaye se poorv hi apni padhai samapt karne laga.

Panchvi kaksha mein tha jab maine pooja ke avsar par ek geet gaya tha. Phir kya ha, sehpathiyon ne mujhe apna hero bana liya. Khaane ki chutti mein hum sangeet ke shaukeen bachche pathshaala ke paas barghat ke neeche jama ho jaate. Mein Anwar aur Madhav se seekhe hue geet gaata. Anwar ke gaano mein devtaon aur maha purushon ke jeevan ki hridyasparshi kathaen hoti thi. Radha Krishan ke milan ki utkat aur anandmayi bhavnayen jinka zikr mein shabdon mein nahin kar sakta. Chutti hoti to hum talab ke kinare baithte, jungal mein ghoomte aur khoob gaate. Aandhi-toofan, garmi-barsaat kisi ka bhi hum par koi asar nahin hota. Ab waise din nahin lautenge. Bade sheheron mein to ab unki kalpana bhi nahin ki jaa sakti.

School ke dinon ki ek ghatna yaad aa rahi hai. Comila se 10 mile door Kamal Sagar mein ek kali ka mandir tha. Pooja ke dino mein wahan ek mela lagta tha. Hamari mitr mandali ek baar us mele mein jaa pahunchi. Hum khoob ghoome, itna ki samaye ka dhyaan hi nahin raha. Mela khaali hone laga to hosh ayaa aur kisi tarah daud kar aakhiri gaadi pakdi. Ticket lene ka samaye hi nahin bacha tha. Khair Comilla station par utere to ticket checker ne aa ghera. Bahut haath pair joode par wah sunne to taiyaar hi nahin hua. Ulte station master se keh kar hamen ek kamre mein band karwa diya. Mein to rone laga. Ek to ghar se anumati nahin li thi aur doosre itni deri hi ho gayi thi. Upar se ab ek nayi museebat. Rota nahin toh karta bhi kya. Par Mohit ne dimag ladaaya aur use ek tarkeeb sujh aayi. Kuch dino pehle pooja ke avsar par station master ki maa uske ghar aayi thi, koi geet sunkar bhavnavarsh weh ro padi thi. Mohit ne mujhse bhatiyali ya baul gaane ko kaha. Maine jaise-taise rona roka aur gaane laga. Parinam sachmuch achcha nikla, thodi hi der mein kamre ke darwaaze par aahat hui aur darwaaza khol kar station master ki maa andar aayi. Usne apne bete se keh kar humen chhudwa hi nahin diya khaane ki mithaayi bhi di.

Machili pakdna aur tennis khelna mere shauk the. Tennis ka to mein ek baar champion bhi ban chuka tha. BA karne ke baad, mein MA ke liye Calcutta mein tha. Tab wahan YMCA mein main Cricket khelne jaaya karta tha. Anglo-Indian khiladi pehle to mujhse chhitakte rehte, mein bhartiye jo tha. Par phir maine wahan ke marker se dosti kar li aur 8 aana ghanta de kar roz dopahar ko practice karne laga. Tab to mera khel aisa nikhara ki sabhi khiladi mere saath khelne ko utsuk rehne lage. Machili pakadne ka shauk mere saath Mumbai tak aaya. Mukul Bose aur Guru Dutt mere shauk mein mere saathi rahe the.

Mere pita mere sangeet ke pagalpan ko jaante the. Par unki ichcha thi ki pehle mein padhai poori kar loon. Phir sangeet mein lag jaaun. Matric kar lene ke baad, ve sachmuch mere sangeet seekhne mein aade nahin aaye. Yahan tak ki MA ke liye Calcutta jaa kar, jab maine padhai chod di to bhi unhone bura nahin mana.

Unhone mujhe England jaa kar riyasat ka kaam kaaj seekhne ka bhi pratsav rakhkha tha. Badhiya naukri bhi taiyyar thi par maine sweekar nahin kiya. Pitaji ne bhi zor nahin diya.

SD Burman with Parents

Mere Mata Pita
Nanhe Sachin Dev Burman Mata-Pita ke Saath

Early days

Inter pass kar lene ke baad. Jab ek varsh tak mein pitaji ke pass raha tab maine aas paas ka sara kshetra ghoom dala. Mein mallahon aur koliyon ke beech ghoomta aur unse lok geeton ki jankari ekatra karta jaata. Mein vaishnav aur fakeeron ke beech baithta, unse gaane sunta, unke saath hukka peeta, Unhe pata bhi nahin chal paaya ki mein ek raj kumar hoon. Saare nadi-naale jungal-talab mere pehchan ke ho gaye. Un dino, maine itne saare geet ikatha kar dale ki mein aaj tak unka upyog karta aa raha hoon, par bhandar kam hi nahin hota. Chalis, pachas varsh poorev ke wo geet aaj bhi mere gale se ussi sehejta se nikalte hain. Yeh mere pitaji ki prerna aur protsahan ka hi phal hai ki mein sangeet ke kshetra mein jama hua hoon.

Calcutta pahunch kar meri padhai ruk gayi aur mein sangeet sadhna mein lag gaya. Comilla mein jin sangeetkaron ka naam mein sun chukka tha, unhe maine khojna shuru kiya. Mere sabse pehle shikshak the prasidh gayak Krishnachandra Dey. Unhone mujhse khoob mehnat karwayi. Sheeghra hi mein unka priye shishya ban gaya. Un dino mera Tennis ka khel zoron par tha. Mein khel kar khoob thak jaata. Itna ki mere gale par iska asar hone laga. Keshto babu ka dhyaan mere gale baithne par gaya. Unhone karan jaanne ke liye mujhse prashna par prashna kiye aur aakhir karan jaan hi liya. Phir to unhone seedha prashna kiya. Sangeet ya Tennis? Tennis ka to khair sawaal hi nahin tha. Sangeet ki vijay hui, keshto babu ne phir mere saath khoob mehnat ki. Koi jaldbaazi nahin. Mujhe sabhi karyakramon mein saath rakhte. Unse sangeet shiksha lena mujhe bhaari nahin laga. Keshto Babu se seekhne se saath, maine 90 varshiye ustaad Badal Khan se bhi shiksha lena shuru kar diya. Ve Calcutta ke lagbhag sabhi prasidh gayakon ke ustaad the. Krishnachandra Dey, Girjashankar Chakravartry, Bhishmadev Chattopadhya unke shishyon mein se the. Shamlal Babu un dino ke mane hue harmonium wadak aur thumri gayak the itne lokpriye ki unke karyakramon ka pata lagte hi Calcutta aur aaspass ke saare gayak-vadak apna kaam chod kar unhe sunne aa pahunchte, unse maine thumri ke bol seekhe. Calcutta ke suprasidh gayak, Girija Kishore Chakravarty aur lucknow ke sangeet pradhyapak Durjari Prasad Mukhopadhya se unhone hi mera parichay karwaaya.

Durjari Babu ne na jaane kitne gayakon to sikhaaya hoga, parantu mujhse milte to bade man se mera gaana sunte. Unhone mera parichay sangeet ke vidhwan Atul Prasad se karwaya. Mera gaana sun kar Atul Prasad ne bhi bada santosh vyakt kiya. Tabhi mera parichay Film ke adhikari Sudhirendra Sanyal se hua. Baad mein ve New Theatres mein chale gaye. Jab mein swantantra roop se sangeet nirdeshan karne laga to unhone mere liye geet likhe. Mere geet ve bade chaav se suna karte the.

Calcutta mein jab Indian Broadcasting Company ki sthapana hui to company ke adhikari Nripen Mazumdar the. Yahan Raichandra Boral ne mujhe pandra minute ka program diya. Nripen Babu ne mere iss kaam ki badi taarif ki. Mujhe das rupaye mile. Jeevan ki iss pehli kamai to haath mein lete hue mujhe kitni khushi hui yeh mein vyakt nahin kar sakta. Kaalantar mein yeh company radio mein badal gayi.

San 1930 mein pitaji ka swargwas ho gaya. Mein sachmuch anaath ho gaya. Mein rajsi mahaul mein rehna chahata, badhiya naukri karna chahata to ab mere liye koi kami nahin thi, par mera marg bhinn tha. Tripura Palace chhod diya aur kiraaye ka chhote sa makaan le kar rehne laga. Parivar ke logon ko yeh achcha nahin laga par maine parwaha nahin ki. Mujhe kisi ki sahayata ki zaroorat nahin thi.

Maine kuch tutione kar lin. Hemen Roy ke geeton ko swarbadh karke sangeet karyakramon mein bhaag lene laga. Bache hue samaye mein khoob riyaaz karta. Bade Bade kalakaaron ki mehfil mein niyamit roop se jaane laga. Hindustan Recording Company ne mera sabse pehla Hemen Roy ke geet ‘Dakle Kokil’ and Shailen Roy ke geet ‘Aie pathe aaj esho priye’ ko swar diya. 1947 tak unhone mere kai record nikale. Uske baad His Master’s Voice (HMV) mere geet nikalne lagi.

1930-1936 tak maine marg-sangeet aur lok sangeet ke mishran se kai swatantra rachnai kin. Jaankaron ne mere is prayog ki khoob taarif ki, Nai logon ka dhyaan bhi mere is prayog ki taraf aakarshit hua. Sangeet premiyon ne meri peeth thoki. Aise hi ek premi the Natore ke maharaja. 1934 mein ek sangeet sammelan mein unhone mera gaana suna. Phir to apne parichiton ke yahan unhone mere taarifon ke pul baandh diye. Unke yahan bade bade kalakaaron ki mehfilen jama karti thin. Mujhe bula kar ve un kalakaron ke saamne mujhe gawaaya karte the.

(Part 1 ends)

Note: The second part of this article appeared in another issue of the magazine and is not traceable as yet.

The Comilla Branch of the Tripura Royal Family

Back Row (L to R)
SDB’s Brother (unidentified), SDB’s elder brother Lt Col Kumar Kiran Dev Burman, Father, Nadadwip Chandra Dev Burman, SDB’s brother-in-law, unidentified

Middle Row (L to R)
SDB Sister(unidentified), SDB’s Sister-in-law Aparna Devi, SD Burman (small child next to her), Mother Nirupama Devi, Uidenitfied, SDB’s sister, SDB’s sister

Sitting in Front
All unidentified.
………

Article Courtesy National Film Archives, Pune
Thanks to Pavan Jha, Arunabha Roy, Bheemsinh Rahangdale

Special Thanks to Mrs Basanti Dutta whose grandmother (seen sitting second from Right) was SD Burman’s sister. We are grateful to her for sharing these rare and priceless pictures from the family album.