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Naushad - the man who composed immortality (OBITUARY) 

By Subhash K. Jha, Indo-Asian News Service 

Mumbai, May 5 (IANS) Tum na jaane kis jahan mein kho gaye...! Naushad Ali is no more. The man who gave the Indian film industry the whole concept of playback singing as a passionate expression of popular angst died here Friday. He was 87.

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Naushad was one of the last lingering legacies of an era when Hindi cinema gained momentum as a vehicle of cultural continuity.

Born in Lucknow in 1919, Naushad was the first and perhaps only music composer of Hindi cinema whose name appeared before the actors of the films. Many film personalities believe Naushad was the star of the films for which he chose to compose music. 

He chose his assignments very carefully. And once he selected a project, Naushad was the undisputed king. Any interference from the producer or any other member of the unit was not just unacceptable but unimaginable.

There is this story of how a producer tried to tell Naushad saab how to do his job. The temperamental composer heard him out and then said, "Why don't you do the music yourself since you know so much about composing?" 

And he walked out. Naushad's knowledge of classical and popular Indian music made him the most eligible candidate for composing immortality. He introduced western-style orchestras in the songs of the epic films of the era. 

K. Asif's "Mughal-E-Azam", Mehboob Khan's "Mother India" and "Andaz", Vijay Bhatt's "Baiju Bawra", Nitin Bose's "Ganga Jumna" and H.S Rawail's "Mere Mehboob" were some of Naushad's most celebrated music scores of the 1950s and 1960s.

Naushad's music was a complete motion-picture experience designed and carved out of the choicest raw material obtainable to musicians. He constantly experimented with his sound and voices. If Mohammad Rafi was his favourite male singer, with Lata Mangeshkar he created some of her most popular melodies initially. 

There's a legendary story of how Naushad made Lata run into the bathroom of the recording studio to sing a portion of the mythic melody "Pyar kiya to darna kya" in "Mughal-E-Azam".

"That's right," said Lata. 

Remembering the incident, she said: "In those days there were no recording devices to create an echoic effect. So Naushad saab devised this method of creating an echo in the song. With Naushad saab I did some of my most important work in the earlier phase of my career." 

"I love "Uthaye ja unke situm" ("Andaz"), "Jaane wale se mulaqat" and "Na milta gham ("Amar"), "Mohe panghat pe nandlal", "Beqas pe karam" and of course "Pyar kiya to darna kya" in "Mughal-E-Azam". Then I like Naushad saab's "Dhundo dhundo re sajna" in "Ganga Jumna". They don't make composers and songs like that any more." 

 
Pakistan film industry mourns Naushad's death
By Shafqat Ali, Indo-Asian News Service

Islamabad, May 5 (IANS) The Pakistani film industry Friday mourned the death of Indian music director Naushad Ali, describing him as a "legend" whose music guaranteed hits.

"He was a great music composer and had a great influence on the success of movies," Pakistani actress Reema told IANS on phone.

She said the entire Pakistani film industry had great respect for Naushad and was mourning his death. 

Film star Resham said: "He was truly a legend. His music meant a hit movie." 

Actors Shaan and Babar Ali said they were praying for Naushad's soul. 

Naushad, who died in Mumbai Friday at the age of 87, moved to Mumbai in the late 1930s to try his luck as a musician, but had to struggle hard to get his first break in "Prem Nagar" (1940). 

In his 66-year-old career, Naushad gave several hits, like "Mother India", "Mughal-E-Azam", "Pakeezah" and "Baiju Bawra".

Naushad was also one of the first to introduce song mixing and separate recordings of voice and music in playback singing.

The maestro scored music for 67 films. His last work was for Akbar Khan's "Taj Mahal - An Eternal Love Story", which premiered in Pakistan last month.
 

When Naushad had to agree to fast-forward his music
By Mahendra Ved, Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, May 6 (IANS) In Naushad's career spanning 60 years, film "Saathi" came roughly halfway, but it was a landmark that the legendary musician did not relish recalling.

Reminded of how two "Saathi" songs had become hits at a news conference in New Delhi in 1981, where he was presented the year's Dadasaheb Phalke Award, a slightly embarrassed Naushad said: "Mat yaad dilaiye woh baaten...(Do not remind me of those things)".

He conceded that he had given in to the wishes of "Saathi"'s makers, but insisted that he had not compromised.

Now that he is no more, it can be said, without meaning any disrespect to the man who has been aptly described as the "Mughal-e-Azam" of Indian film music.

By the late 1960s, many film makers found Naushad's compositions "slow" and difficult to market. They would ask him to use fast-paced tunes, but he was reluctant.

But he did come up with fast-paced, albeit classical-based compositions like "Kya Rangin Mehfil Hai Dil Daaram" and "O jaan-e-Alam", picturised as a party song on Waheeda Rahman in "Dil Diya Dard Liya".

The song got pushed behind by the soulful numbers like "Guzre hain aaj ishq ke" filmed on a lovelorn, hurt Dilip Kumar.

The makers of "Saathi" too urged Naushad to compose fast-paced numbers. Naushad was not too keen, but he agreed to two of his numbers being re-recorded.

The task was given to Lord brothers, Kavas and Kersi, who had made a name for themselves in Bollywood. Thus were born "Yeh Kaun Aaya Roshan Ho Gayi Mehfil", song picturised on Simi Garewal and a somewhat slower "Main To Pyar Se Piya Maang Sazaoongi" that Vyjayantimala sings to Rajendra Kumar.

The songs were hits and made "Saathi" memorable. But, it is said Naushad did not want to experiment further. He chose to stick to complete Ghulam Mohammed's work in "Pakeezah" and move on to compositions that were closer to his heart.

That he composed for only 67 films in a career of six decades, perhaps, indicates his struggle to stay 'pure' in the face of changing public tastes and commercialisation in Bollywood.

But that his last film, "Taj Mahal - An Eternal Love Story", was released this year - when he was 86, making him one the world's oldest practising composers -- and is currently a hit in Pakistan, also shows that there is a select audience for Naushad's type of music and would miss him.