After working together to create masterful melodies in Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool, Guru Dutt and Sachin Dev Burman were all set to re-collaborate for Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi. The film was to feature Guru Dutt in the lead with Mala Sinha and Tanuja as his two heroines.
Sachin Dev started working on the music. The first song, the title song, was ready, when Sachinda had a massive heart attack. He pleaded with Guru Dutt and Dev Anand for time to recover. The ever-gracious Dev put his Guide on hold for as long as it took Burman Dada to recover.
But Guru Dutt was in a hurry. Perhaps he knew time was running out on him. He refused Burman Dada’s request to wait. Instead, to Burman Dada’s shock Guru Dutt replaced S.D Burman with hitmaker O . P. Nayyar in Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi. This really hurt Burman Dada. He requested to let his son Rahul Dev do the music of Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi. But Guru Dutt wouldn’t hear of it.
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“Yeh baat Burman Dada ko bahot buri lagi, aur lagni bhi chahiye. But look at the irony. Guru Dutt passed away after shooting some portions of the film, and had to be replaced by Dharmendra, ” recounts a musician who was witness to this hurtful snub to Burman Dada.
Eventually, S D Burman’s tune for the song Koi na tera saathi ho dagar kahin bhi jaati ho meant for Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi was used in Vijay Anand’s Jewel Thief in Kishore Kumar’s voice as Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechara, filmed on Dev Anand who stood by Burman Dada while Guru Dutt abandoned him.
In the light of the above incidents, O P Nayyar’s title song in Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi sounds ominously prophetic: Badal jaye agar maali chaman hota nahin khali/baharen phir bhi aati hain baharen phir bhi aayengi.
Incidentally, one of the songs in Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi was the comedic Suno Suno Miss Chatterjee filmed on Guru Dutt’s best friend Johnny Walker and Daisy Irani. It was used recently in Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.