Maestro Naushad Ali: Awaaz Dey KahaaN Hay

Awadh Dec 24, 1919--Mumbai May 05, 2006

The composer, who hailed from Lucknow, had cried when his film Baiju Bawra was premiered at Mumbai's Broadway theatre. When the late producer Vijay Bhat asked him why he was crying, Naushad told him he was sleeping on the footpath opposite the theatre when he had dreamt of seeing his music brought to life here. 'It took me 16 long years to cross that footpath,' he had said.

Early this morning temporal informed me that Naushad Ali had passed away and asked me to pen some thoughts on his life and music.

Naushad, as he was universally known, learned classical music from Ustad Ghurbat Ali, and Ustad Babban Saheb in Lucknow, before he ran away to Bombay in 1937 to make his name in the film industry.

He struggled in his early days and worked as a pianist in composer Mushtaq Hussain's orchestra till he got his big break with music director Khemchand Prakash as an assistant. His first independent film was Prem Nagar in 1940 but he got noticed in A.J.Kardar's Sharda, which was released in 1942 and introduced Surayya to the film industry. (For trivia buffs: A.J.Kardar was the older brother of A.H. Kardar the first Pakistani Cricket Captain.) However, it was Rattan released in 1944 that brought overnight fame to Naushad Ali.

Naushad gave us some of the greatest hits of all times. Starting from Rattan in 1944 till Taj Mahal in 2006, he composed music in nearly seventy films.

He introduced Surayya, and gave breaks to Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammad Rafi. They went on to become Bollywood legends. Nausahd was a colossus who ruled over the music industry from mid 40s to mid 60s, the golden era of Bollywood musicals.

After the unprecedented success of Rattan, Naushad Ali went on his purple patch of producing phenomenal music in Shah Jahan, Anmol GhaRi, Dard, Dillagi, Dulari, Andaz, Babul, Mela, URan Khatola and his magnum opus Baiju Bawra. The film that formally introduced Hindustani classical music to Indian film goers.

In Baiju Bawra he used famous maestroes Pandit D.V.Paloskar and Ustad Amir Khan in a Jugalbandi. Mohammad Rafi also sang his sublime bhajan Man taRpat hari darshan ko aaj in Raag Malkauns and O duniya ke rakhwale in Raag Darbari: perennial hits with the lovers of Indian cinema.

His other memorable films were Rattan, Mela, Deedar, Jadoo, Shabab, Mother India, Mughl-e-Azam, Ganga Jamuna, Mere Mahboob, Ram Aur Shyam, Pakeezah and Aadmi.

Naushad Ali succeeded to sign Ustad BaRe Ghulam Ali Khan to sing Shubh ghaRi aayo raaj dulara to perfection in Mughl-e-Azam.

Naushad gave Lata Mangeshkar her big break in Andaz in which she sang this beautiful ghazal:

Uthaaye ja un ke sitam aur jiye ja
yuN hi muskraay ja aanNsoo piye ja

Lata being a Maharashtrian, her Urdu diction and delivery was far from ideal for a perfectionist like him. He personally sat with her for hours and coached her till her diction, delivery and accent was perfect. Lata herself was a great student who went on to master the Urdu, Hindi and Avadhi diction and delivery to become at par in ghazal gayeki with Begum Akhtar and Avadhi/Poorbi gayeki with Girija Devi. Her perfect rendition of Dhoondho dhoondho re sajna more kaan ka bala in Ganga Jamuna and Mohe panghat pe Nand Lal cheR gayo re, both under Naushad Ali are a tribute to both Lata and Naushad, two of the most radiant stars of Hindi film music.

It is not generally known that Naushad was a fairly good poet himself. This gave him an added insight into the lyrics that he fused with his genius. His music highlights and enhances the beauty and sweetness of poetry and blends with the theme of the plot. Another name that enhanced Naushad's magic was poet Shakeel Badayuni who penned hit lyrics for most of his films.

Even though Naushad had 26 silver jubilee, 9 golden jubilee and 3 platinum jubilee films to his credit, only Baiju Bawra netted him his only Film Fare award for Best Music Director.

However, Naushad's greatest contribution to Indian film music is the introduction of Hindustani Classical music into the mainstream cinema music. Today, after sixty years, people of all ages and taste listen to Noor Jahan singing with pathos Awaaz de kahaN hai, duniya meri jawaN hai in PahaRi and marvel at the ethereal beauty of this song.

Naushad never left his Hidustani Parampara and used the ragas and folk in those memorable songs which bring a joie de vivre to the listeners. Here is an example of the beautiful use of the ragas in some film songs.

1. Jo maiN jaanti bisrat hai saiyyaN in Maand (Shabab.)
2. More sayyaNji utreNge paar ho in Pilu (Uran Khatola.)
3. Jaane waale se mulaaqaat na hone paayi in Yaman (Amar.)
4. Tere pyaar meiN dildaar in Bihaag (Mere Mahboob.)
5. Suhaani raat dhal chuki in PahaRi (Dulari.)
6. Meri kahani bhoolne walay tera jahaN aabad rahe in Tilang (Deedaar.)
7. O duniya ke Rakhwalay, sun dard bhare mere naalay in Darbari (Baiju Bawra.)

Despite his laid back demeanor and conservative background Naushad was an innovator, risk taker and a perfectionist. He was very selective and accepted limited number of films per year even when he was at his peak.

He introduced Qawwali and Bhajan into film music along with western orchestra, church and choir music.

He also pioneered the use of large orchestra for the first time in Mahboob Khan's film Aan in 1952. He is also credited with introducing Ustad BaRe Ghlam Ali Khan in Mughl-e-Azam who sang Shubh din aayo raaj dulara and Prem jogan ke sundari with great aplomb. Pandit D.V.Paloskar and Ustad Amir Khan sang a jugalbandi in Baiju Bawra.

Naushad completed Pakeezah after Master Ghulam Mohammed's death and continued doing an occasional film right up to the 1990s but he was not the same Naushad of the golden era. (I have a confession to make. I have refrained from commenting on his last film the epic Taj Mahal because I have not heard its composition.)

Some of the many awards he received over his lifetime included Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Padma Bhushan and Sangeet Natya Academy Award. He passed away in Mumbai on May 5, 2006 due to old age. Inna lillah e wa inna ilaihe rajeoon.