Hyderabad, Aug. 28 -- Whenever the name Burman crops up in the midst of a discussion about music, most people always think of the famous father and son duo, S.D. Burman and R.D. Burman. But many are unaware that there was another Burman who was the link between the father and son. This third Burman played an important role in helping the two giants of the music world to reach their full potential.

But who was the third Burman? It was Meera Dev Burman, mother of RD and wife of SD. Before she got married, Meera Dasgupta (that was her maiden name), was an accomplished musician and lyricist. She studied at Rabindranath Tagore's Vishva Bharati University at Shanti Niketan, where her talents were highly praised.

After leaving the university, ...