S.D. Burman's widow passes away in Mumbai

Oct 15, 2007, 13:53 GMT

Mumbai/Agartala, Oct 15 (IANS) Meera Dev Burman, renowned singer and widow of legendary music director Sachin Dev Burman, died in Mumbai Monday after a protracted illness. She was 84.

Confirming her death, Bollywood singer and Meera's daughter-in-law, Asha Bhosle, said: 'Pancham's (R.D. Burman's) mother passed away at 5 this morning (Monday). The funeral will be held at Dadar later in the day.'

'She was mentally unstable since the death of her husband, acclaimed music director S.D. Burman. Pancham took care of her till his death.'

'Her condition was deteriorating over the years due to advanced age and she had to be frequently hospitalised. I had brought her from Leelavati Hospital two days ago to her Santa Cruz home, ' Bhosle told reporters Monday.

Asha Bhosle shifted Meera to Sharan, an old-age home for the rehabilitation of paraplegics in Mumbai's Vashi area, about seven months ago.

Meera Roy was born in Comilla in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in March 1923 and later settled in South-end Park in Kolkata. She was a music student of Amita Sen, who was trained in Rabindranath Tagore's Shantiniketan.

Burman, born in the royal family of Tripura, fell in love with Meera when he met her at the All India Music Conference in Allahabad in 1937.

Meera become Burman's student and married him the same year. She played a pivotal role in the career of Burman, who died in 1975.

Burman one wrote about Meera Devi: 'to make my all-music life a success, the services and help rendered by Meera Devi through her collaboration, assistance, inspiration, encouragement and sacrifice are omnipresent.'

Their son R.D. Burman, who also was a hugely popular music director, passed away in 1994.

Meera then became recluse and was later moved from Bhosle's place to the old-age home recently.

Bhanumati, who nursed the ailing Meera for past several years, said: 'Though, Meeraji could not recognize people or speak, whenever we played popular songs by SD sahib, Meeraji seemed to respond, in a strange sort of a way. It was so striking for someone who would not respond to anything else. '

'Earlier, when her health was better, she would utter a few words, and summon us when she needed help,' Sudha said.

Tripura's Information and Cultural Minister Anil Sarkar had on Sep 15 visited the ailing Meera and presented her with a cheque of Rs.100,000 and also announced that the Tripura government would monitor her health.

© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service