Biography
Rahul Dev Burman (27 June 1939 – 4 January 1994) was an Indian musician, regarded as one of India's most important film music composers. From the 1960s to the 1990s, he composed musical scores for more than 300 films , many of which became big hits.
His father was a famous film music composer, in the Mumbai-based Hindi film industry. When he was seventeen Boorman composed his first song, Aye meri topi palat ke aa, which was used by his father in the film Funtoosh (1956). He began his career as his father's assistant and often played harmonica in his orchestras. But he quickly emerged as an excellent composer and enjoyed great success writing film music and songs for the most famous singers of his time.
He had a marriage in 1966 to a fan that lasted 5 years and a second marriage in 1980 to a well-known singer for whom he wrote music, and with whom they collaborated recording many songs and performing live.
In the late 1980s, he was overshadowed by other composers, and mainly of disco music. Many filmmakers stopped hiring him as his compositions no longer seemed to resonate with audiences.
Towards the end of his life, Burman experienced difficult situations, with financial difficulties as well as health problems He suffered a heart attack in 1988 and underwent open heart surgery a year later in London.
His posthumous score 1942: A Love Story (1994) was a major hit and won him his third and final Filmfare Award posthumously. He died on January 4, 1994.