What I loved most is that the film took a particular song/film/era and went to a wide range of people to explore it. A star talked about their reactions when they performed or first heard the song. His musicians talked about how a lazy guitar strumming became the leitmotif. A producer talked about how the song fit the brief. A lyricist talked about finding the right word or how a long drive led to the final song. A close friend recounted his emotions at the life stage when the song was composed. And then, a fan talked about how the song changed his life.
And the fan base not only comprised of the homesick NRI listening to a CD on his car stereo. It also had people like Vishal Bharadwaj, Shantanu Moitra and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.
I always feel a good documentary works like a fictional film... there is a rise, there is a peak and there is a fall before our protagonist wins in the end.
Pancham Unmixed brings out this story of RD's life where he started off as the half-panted pipsqueak son of SD Burman to a top composer before his music and health both took their toll and brought him down with a thud. RD Burman didn't go out quietly into the night and signed off with a bang. Maybe a bit too early because he wasn't proclaimed a genius in his lifetime. Probably all the new instruments and strange sounds confused that generation.
As a famous song goes, "Duniya mein logon ko, dhokha kabhi ho jaata hai..."
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