Published as the revised and updated second edition, Incomparable Sachin Dev Burman (Blue Pencil; Rs. 599; 470 pages) the authoritative biography of music director SD Burman, written by HQ Chowdhury unveils the enthralling life story of the genius in a language that makes you develop a deep bond with him and live his journey with him. Biographies there are aplenty, and on SD Burman there are 3 more in English. But this book sets a benchmark in its genre in its richness of detail and research by Chowdhury (who is a scientist based in Dhaka), tracing SD Burman’s royal lineage and birth, his childhood passion for absorbing the immense diversity of folk music of his native East Bengal, his friendship with the best of the poets of the time, his training under the legendary music maestros of the era and his rise to massive fame as a, hold on, not composer, but a young singer in Calcutta in the 1930s! And then comes the Bombay part, which many music lovers know about but not in the indepth detail with generous anecdotes that this book offers. In a language that easily speaks to the reader without frills, Chowdhury takes you through the struggles, successes, whims and eccentricities of ‘Dada’ and ‘Karta’ as SDB was fondly called, with an unbiased approach, though he himself is quite obviously a huge fan. First published in 2011 from Dhaka Bangladesh, this second edition is a huge treat for music lovers who revel in the music that has withstood the test of time.

April 2019