New Delhi.In the world of Indian Film Music, if any musician is said to be the most experimental and creative, then it is Rahul Dev Burman, whom the world fondly knows as Pancham Da. People did not call RD Burman a mad genius for nothing. There was such unique imagination in his music that it is not easy to replicate even today. Whenever Pancham Da used to record any song, he did not depend only on traditional instruments but also used to extract such sounds from everyday things which gave new life to the song.

An interesting example of his creative thinking can be seen in the superhit song Mere Samne Wali Khidki Mein from the 1968 film Padosan. As popular as this song was at that time, it remains in the hearts of people even today. Often people hum this song but very few people know that a special sound in this song was not extracted from any musical instrument but from an ordinary comb.

Actually, in the film, Sunil Dutt plays the role of a mischievous neighbor who tries to woo the girl living in the opposite window in his own style. The atmosphere of the song is also light-hearted and full of mischief. When the preparations for the recording of this song were going on, Pancham Da felt that there should be something in the song which could further enhance its fun and mischief. Big musicians were present in the studio at that time. The violin, guitar and many other instruments were ready but Pancham da wanted something different.

It is said that after thinking for a long time, Pancham Da suddenly put his hand in his pocket and took out an ordinary plastic comb. After this he started rubbing that comb on a rough surface. As soon as a sound like ‘karr-karr’ came out from it, a smile appeared on Pancham Da’s face. He felt that this was the sound that could make the mischievous mood of the song more interesting.

The people present in the studio were initially surprised to see that a famous musician was trying to make a sound with a comb during recording. Especially the singer of the song Kishore Kumar found this scene quite funny. It is said that he even made fun of Pancham Da and grabbed his head. But when the recording was completed and the song was ready and came out, everyone was convinced of his talent.

The slight cricket-like sound heard at the beginning of the song and in the background was actually produced by the same comb. This little sound adds a different kind of fun and bubbliness to the song. This is the reason why even today listeners get a different pleasure while listening to this song, even if they are unaware of the story behind that sound.

The specialty of RD Burman was that he did not limit music to just tune and rhythm but also made everyday things a part of music. Sometimes the splash of water, sometimes the tinkling sound of a glass bottle and sometimes the sounds of spoons and glasses were heard in his songs. His experimentalism makes him different from other musicians.

Today, when people listen to this song carefully and try to identify the sound emanating from the comb, they realize how unique Pancham Da’s creativity was. This is why even after decades, RD Burman’s music sounds as fresh and interesting as it was in his time.