There is a song in the 1958 hit Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi – Mein Sitaaro Kaa Taranaa. This single song has elements of western opera, ghazal, East Bengal folk or baul music, and bhajan – an apt reflection of the sheer versatility of the music composer, Sachin Dev Burman.

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Known by many names throughout his life – from Sachin Karta in his hometown of Comilla (now in Bangladesh) as part of the Tripura royal family, to Sachin Dev Varman, to Sachin Dev Burman, and finally just SD – Burman's presence in the world of music from the 1930s to the 1970s caused many ripples. And it is these ripples that S.D. Burman: The Prince Musician traces with exceptional skill.

Book: S. D. Burman: The Prince MusicianAuthor: Anirudha Bhattacharjee & Balaji Vittal Publisher: TranquebarPages: 376 Price: Rs 480

Having won the national award for a book about the prodigal's son – R.D. Burman: The Man, The Music – authors Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Balaji Vittal go into a prequel with the father. The book is divided into sections devoted to different phases of Burman's life, identified by what he was known as during that particular time – Sachin Karta, Sachin Dev Varman, SD, etc. Since the maestro himself had written a detailed autobiography, Sangramer Nikhad, published in the Desh Magazine in 1970, at first, Bhattacharjee and Vittal's book may seem almost a repetition of some of those facts. However, by incorporating a few clever interviews, both from archives and recent ones conducted by the authors, the book produces a universal perspective that the musician himself would have been unable to provide.

That Burman made Kishore Kumar into the singer he is, is a known fact. Without the composer and his vision perhaps the talent in the young singer would have remained untapped and he would have only been given humorous, light songs, instead of becoming the voice of Dev Anand, starting out with the songs of Funtoosh and going on to iconic numbers like Gaata Rahe Mera Dil (Guide) and Phoolon Ke Rang Se (Prem Pujari). At the same time, the book also delves into how Burman, as an advocate for new talent, gave a break to singers like Manna De, Geeta Dutt and Hemanta Mukherjee, lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi and, of course, his own son.

Writing about a man of his stature and clout, one may have a tendency to eulogise, but the authors manage to maintain a neutral voice throughout the narrative. The fact that Burman was not adept at orchestra organisation when he first came to Mumbai has been repeatedly highlighted during the account of his early years in the city. Also, just as there are accounts of lyricist Hemendra Roy who "loved the play of music in his voice", there are also anecdotes about the landowner of his Gopal Banerjee Street House in Calcutta saying, "It is high-pitched and sounds like a crow cawing", and the verdict on his first HMV record – "...Nasal Voice...Faulty pronunciation... Not fit to be recorded..."

This gives the legendary music composer a human side – flawed and real. The authors have also delved into his endearing quirks. Burman was the only man to have two seats booked at the Cooperage stadium where he went to watch all the football matches, especially those of his beloved East Bengal club – one to sit on and one turned backwards where he would put up his feet. He loved to fish and played patience to forget the stress of an ailing wife, who suffered from dementia. Interviews of Sachin Ganguly, who spent a lot of time with Burman, Debashish Roy whose father Suresh Roy trained under 'Sachin Karta', and their like, give the authors these little nuggets from the musician's personal life.

For all the nuanced writing and detailed description, what the book lacks is a firm hand when it comes to editing. Occasional grammatical errors and long-winded sentences are bumps in an otherwise smooth narrative.

Readers are left with the composer's immense legacy. Not just his songs but also those of his son, who carried on his father's work. It makes one want to pick up the RD Burman book just to see how the story continues.