S.D Burman

A very successful composer and father of composer R.D. Burman, S.D. Burman started out as a singer in Calcutta in the 1930s. Classically trained, he gained fame singing folk and light classical songs on the radio -- but he couldn't parlay his success into the film world. When he shifted to music direction his career took off, and he moved from Calcutta to Bombay in the late '30s. After breaking into the field with Do Bhai, Burman composed unforgettable soundtracks for films including 1950s classics Devdas and Taxi Driver. Burman's compositions were also responsible for forming several singers: 1951's Baazi reinvented Geeta Dutt as a singer of more contemporary (and slightly lascivious) songs, while his work with Asha Bhosle was similarly career-defining. Burman's talents were undiminished even late in life; soundtracks for films like Jewel Thief and Aradhana were huge hits and are classics of the genre.