When RD Burman recorded timeless classic Tumse Milke for Parinda out of his own pocket

Music director R.D.Burman continued to be remembered as one of the most trailblazing music composers of Hindi Cinema. The music director delivered several timeless hit soundtracks like Jawani Diwani, Sholay, Satte pe Satta, Saagar among many more. However, there was a phase in R.D.Burman’s music career in the late 1980s when Burman was rejected by many leading filmmakers, including some who had worked earlier with him on many occasions. At such a time, a budding young filmmaker called Vidhu Vinod Chopra signed R.D.Burman for his film Parinda, against everyone’s advice.

When Burman called Chopra for ‘one of his personal’ song recordings

Vidhu Vinod Chopra had faced many financial struggles during making this film. The struggles had begun right at the outset when the film’s official producers NFDC had initially promised to give only a certain amount for production. However, even as R.D.Burman had begun working on the songs for the film, Vidhu Vinod Chopra was struggling to get the casting in place. 

A few days later, when R.D.Burman and Vidhu Vinod Chopra had finalised the tune for Tumse Milke, one of their film’s key songs, Chopra learnt that the cast he had initially signed dropped out of the film.

A dejected Vidhu Chopra told R.D.Burman that the film is called off, and asked him not to work on any more compositions. However, later that evening, Vidhu Vinod Chopra received a call from R.D.Burman, who requested the director to attend one of his personal song recordings. Chopra, who was upset at this point, politely declined the invitation. R.D.Burman in a jovial reply said, “Arre come on, friend.. I am recording this song called ‘Tumse Milke’.. It will be fun.”

Parinda was India's official entry for Oscars that year

That’s when Vidhu Vinod Chopra realised that R.D.Burman had decided to go ahead and record the Tumse Milke song for Chopra’s film Parinda with his own money, paying for the recording out of his own pocket. Chopra told Burman, “Don’t be foolish, the film is scrapped. It will all go to waste.” But R.D.Burman insisted, and that’s how an iconic song like Tumse Milke came into being. It was a kind gesture towards a passionate filmmaker, and a testament to the generosity that R.D.Burman contained as an artist. 

Parinda, which released in 1989, continues to be remembered as one of the most path-breaking movies of its times, and R.D.Burman's music for the film, including the background score, formed a major component of its greatness. Parinda even went on to be India's Official Oscar entry that year.