As they say, the value of a person is best known after he is gone. Pancham is an excellent example of this. During the 1980s and 1990s, when composers like Nadeem-Shravan and Anand Milind were making waves, R D was at a low phase. People ignored him.
Just then, he came back with 1942: A Love Story. Unfortunately, that was his last composition. But the music of this film was an answer to all those who ignored him.
What I liked most about Pancham was that he composed memorable tunes even for those films which did not do well or did not have scope for music. This is something that only he could have done.
I still remember North Avenue in Mumbai's suburban Santa Cruz, where he lived in a building called Windmere. This was on my way to work in 1991. Every day, I would see him in his balcony or taking walks around the building.