Creator of iconic Sholay theme, RD Burman's teammate, Bhanu Gupta passes away

Musician Bhanu Gupta passed away in Mumbai on Sunday (28 January) at the age of 87. An accomplished guitar and harmonica player, Gupta was a key member of the team of musicians that worked with RD Burman on some of his most famous works. Among his career highlights were playing Amitabh Bachchan's harmonica theme in the iconic blockbuster, Sholay (1975). 

Born in Rangoon on 12 December 1930, Gupta first learnt to play the harmonica when he received it as a gift at the age of 15. By the time he turned 18, he was already playing at nightclubs in then Calcutta.

In 1959, he quit his job in Calcutta to arrive in Mumbai in search of a job. His first break arrived in Paigham (1959). This led to a number of opportunities with several music directors from Madan Mohan, C Ramchandra to SD Burman, and later, RD Burman. 

Joining RD Burman's team in 1963, Gupta continued to be a close knit member till the composer passed away in 1994. 

Apart from the harmonica, Gupta was also a competent guitar player. The filmography of the musician reads iconic movies such as Kashmir Ki Kali (1964), Dosti (1964), Sholay (1975), Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973) among others.