Flashback : ‘A great honour , yet a creative challenge to compose songs picturised on Dilip Kumar-saab’, R D Burman had then disclosed

Super-actor par excellence ‘late’ Dilip Kumar-saab ( real name-- Mohammed Yusuf Khan ) an intense supreme screen-performer, who was and will always remain an inspiration-icon to both established and aspiring actors - Chaitanya Padukone

The versatile celeb-actor will live thru his inspiring iconic-film-scenes and in dozens of chartbuster songs.

A gifted, natural method-actor who was a master at voice-modulation ( there were ‘no acting academies’ during Dilip-saab’s era ) he set brilliant benchmarks in each of his contrasting screen-performances.

As a film-journalist-columnist, I had the privilege to meet the iconic Dilip-saab personally multiple times either at film parties ( ‘Lekin’ movie music-launch where he was the chief guest), on the sets of his movies ‘Mazdoor’ (1983 ), and ‘Duniya’ (1984) or at his Pali Hill bungalow and even at pre-release private parties of his movie ‘Izzatdaar’(1990), hosted by producer Sudhakar Bokade.

Since I shared a personal bonding with genius composer-singer R D Burman ( Pancham-Da) I recalled this anecdote.

It may be recalled, that RDB was the music-director for movies like producer Yash Johar’s ‘Duniya’ ( 1984) and producer B R Chopra’s Mazdoor ( 1983) both of which had Dilip Kumar-saab in pivotal lead roles.

Now in both the movies Dilip-saab (who was then in his early sixties) there were song-situations where the senior actor had to sing and also sway and dance as well.

In fact in the movie ‘Duniya’ there is this song ‘Jhoomti Raat Jawaan’ where he is shown dancing with agile (‘late’) Rishi Kapoor ( he played his son) towards the end-of-that-song.

Two months after the release of ‘Duniya’, in November 1984, the maverick composer-singer Pancham-da had reacted to me, “It was a great honor yet a pressure-creative challenge for me to compose this song ‘Jhoomti Raat Jawaan’ .

That’s because towards the end of the song legend Dilip-saab, whom I hold in high esteem, would be shown matching dance-steps with Rishi Kapoor who is known for his terrific dancing.

But then I knew that Dilip-saab also had a graceful yet perfect rhythm sense and in-born flair for dancing.

As was evident in his several famous dance-centric songs like ‘Nain Lad Jaihe Toh ’ ( Ganga Jamuna).

So after getting a detailed briefing from the director and producer of ‘Duniya’,my team and I decided to give ‘Jhoomti Raat Jawaan’ a foot-tapping western racy rhythm and Dilip-saab pulled it off so well, ” a delighted R D Burman had said to me, which I diligently dug out from my interview-notes After the movie released and there was appreciation from the audiences and from Dilip-saab himself, RDB was immensely happy.

(In the ‘Duniya’ group image-photo , please note RDB’s reverence, as he preferred sitting near Dilip-saab’s feet ).

Incidentally, RDB’s father maestro composer-singer Sachin-Da Dev Burman had dared to deviate from the norm and made Kishore Kumar ( first-and-only-time) render ‘playback’ for Dilip Kumar in this (1974) movie ‘Sagina’ for all the songs.

The rhythmic melody track ‘Saala Main Toh Sahab Ban Gaya’ sung by Kishore-da exuding exuberant energy, is among the evergreen favourites with most Dilip-saab’s fans.

(The writer of this article-story Chaitanya Padukone is an eminent senior film-journalist columnist-author of memoirs book ‘R D BurMania’)