R D Burman-Asha Bhosle’s Dum Maro Dum which is now trending after Apple phones used the song in their new ad, was very dear to Dev Anand, the visionary who initiated the iconic number.
In a conversation with me Dev Saab had said, “I wanted a young vibrant sound for Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Which is why I took Burman Dada(Sachin Dev Burman)’s permission to sign his son. When Pancham came to me with Dum maro dum I wasn’t too sure of how it would be welcomed. It was a completely new sound. But we took a risk and it paid off.”
But I am not sure Dev Saab would have approved of what Apple has done to Dum Maro Dum. In 2011 Rohan Sippy got composer Pritam to do a completely revamped version of Dum Maro Dum for a film of that title with new lyrics.
I had never seen Dev Saab so angry. “This is sheer desecration. They didn’t have the decency to ask me before using Dum Maro Dum as they wished. What about R D Burman, Asha Bhosle, Anand Bakshi and me? What about the people who actually created Dum Maro Dum?”
Dev Anand’s question stands unanswered.
