Naushad Death Anniversary Special
The magician who decorated songs with his heavenly music pouring happiness and sorrows, romance and separation, philosophy, spirituality is none other than Naushad. The music director who is remembered after decades is Naushad. The Nawab in music who was born in the land of Nawabs, Lucknow, is Naushad.
The generation who is in their 60s today still remember song, ‘Nanha Munna Raahi Hu, Desh Ka Sipahi Hu’ often listened in childhood. When this generation reached to college and fell in love, the minds used to sing, ‘Nain Lad Jaaye to Manava Me Kasak Huyi Be Kari’ from movie Ganga Jamuna of Dilip Kumar as the time then was not carrying so much freedom like today and couples used to talk with eyes only.
When they had a break up, the song, ‘Jab Dil Hi Toot Gaya, Ham Ji Kar Kya Karenge’ used to come for help.
Some who had courage, used to take support of the song, ‘Pyar Kiya to Darna Kya, Jab Pyar Kiya to Darna Kya; Pyar Kiya Koi Chori Nahi Ki, Pyar Kiya’ from Mughal E Azam. This song gave confidence to love.
When people started listening such melodies since 1950, they experienced actually what is real spellbound situation.This fascinating musician was Naushad. He has made many musical experiments in Indian cinema and his tunes are still appreciated due their originality and creativity. Today’s generation is also fan of his songs as they are perpetual.
Lucknow is the city known for Nawabs. This city gave courage to Naushad to cater such an immortal music. The city of Lucknow, situated on the banks of river Gomati, has rich legacy of cultural, political background where Naushad was born in a middle-class family on 25th December, 1919. His father was a judicial court staff and there was no atmosphere of music at home as it was a conservative Muslim family. The music that Naushad used to listen outside was attracting him. In those days, movies were given live music during shows and a theater near his home was providing him lots of opportunities to listen it and he started dreaming then to be a music director. He started working in a shop selling musical instruments and used to play Satar, Tabla in the absence of owner. Once the owner, Gurbat Ali, happened to listen the attractive sweet playing and gifted him a Harmonium. What a historical incidence it was! However, he didn’t know that he was helping a great music director of future.
When his father came to know about his love for music, he warned to stop it and it was, of course, impossible for Naushad. So, he left home and went to Mumbai in 1937 at the age of 18. During the period he had established an orchestra but that experiment failed. He started struggling for work in dream city Mumbai and was wandering from pillar to post. He spent many nights on footpaths of Dadar starving for food.
At last, his struggle brought first opportunity to give music to movie Mala, but his name became famous after movie ‘Ratan’ in which Joharabai sang five songs with his music.
Naushad had inherent knowledge, study and sense of classical music and he was aware that if he had to retain his place in industry, he had to prove himself with something different music. When we listen, ‘Rumzum Barse Baadarwa Mast Hava’, or ‘Akhiya Mila Ke Ji Bharma Ke’, Pardesi Baalam Aa Baadal Aaya’, we can realize how Naushad had brought a new wave of innovative music in Bollywood and then the industry started experiencing his talent and creativity.
It was the time of Saigal and people were really mad for his songs. Naushad also wanted that Kundan Lal Saigal should sing a song for him. Saigal was known for singing good only after drinking. In 1947 Naushad and Saigal worked together for movie Shahjahan and the immortal song, ‘Jab Dil Hi Toot Gaya’ was created. It is to be noted that Naushad made Saigal to sing this song without drinking and it was a great surprising thing at that time. The song ‘Jab Dil Hi Toot Gaya’ in voice of Saigal expresses intense loneliness, grief and separation pains and till today its quality makes one feel sad. Innumerable lovers have been using this song after their breakups. Naushad had put his soul in the song and it was so favorite of Saigal that his wish was to play the song in his funeral procession. Unfortunately, Saigal left the world soon and Naushad – Saigal pair could not make more such memorable songs.
Lyricist Shakeel Badayuni and Music by Naushad was the popular equation those days and the pair contributed for more than two hundred songs. Naushad is known as a musician using classical music for most of the songs. The most popular example is ‘Mughal E Azam’ movie which has each and every song that earned tremendous fame and all are still favourite. The milestone movie shows the wealthy, prosperous Mughal era and its music shows the richness of classical music by Naushad. The song, ‘Mohe Panghat Pe Nandlal’ with Thumari style, the song, ‘O Duniya Ke Rakhwale’ with Raga Darbari Kanada are mesmerizing. The immortal song, ‘Pyar Kiya to Darna Kya’ is the product of great creativity, innovative experiments and hard work of Naushad. At the time of recording, he had put one of the mics in bathroom and then mixed the sounds. He has really opened a treasure of music in this film.
He used every Raga in classical music very intelligently. ‘Mohe Panghat Pe Nandal Chhod Gayo Re’ in Baiju Bawara; ‘Jawa Hai Mohabbat’ from Anmol Ghadi based on Mishr Pahadi Raga sung by Noor jahan; the song, ‘Awaj De Kaha Hai’; the song, ‘Dil Diya Dard Liya’ with Raga Yaman show the highest level of his love for classical music and his creativity.
He used to feel uneasy till he finds the right expected tune for his songs. At the time when big famous classical singers were away from Bollywood, Naushad obtained songs for Baiju Bawara, ‘Mughal E Azam’ from Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Amir Khan, Pandit D. V. Paluskar and took the songs at apex level.
Naushad had a sense of identifying good singers and so he obtained songs and gave opportunity of film songs to renowned singers like Amirbai Karnataki, Nirmala Devi, Suraiya, Umadevi (Actress Tuntun). He was known as a music director who brings new talent in industry. Earlier music directors used to have Tabla and harmonium for Thumari Dadara and Piano for western tunes while Naushad made changes and he is known as the father/ creator of background score and game changer of industry. It was started using at background in special scenes in movies. He brought anew trend of mixture of classical, folk, symphony and western music as he had knowledge and skills of all kinds of music. The songs like Madhuban Me Radhika Naache; Mohe Bhul Gaye Saawariya, Mohe Panghat Pe; Nain Lad Gayi Hai and Bhajan like ‘Man Tarpat Hari darshan Ko’, show his knowledge and skills about folk music.
Though classical based, the songs of Naushad are as simple as anyone can sing it for self. He used to minutely study the voice quality of singers like Mukesh, Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and use in appropriate songs. He has lots of songs after 1950 to his credit with great popularity from famous movies like Mughal E Azam, Mother India, Diwana, Dillagi, Dard, Dastan, Baiju Bawara, Dulari, Shajahan, Mere Mehboob, Saaj Aur Awaj, Leader, Sangharsh, Ram aur Shyam, Ganga Jamuna, Kohinoor, Son of India, Aadami, Anmol Ghadi, Babul and many more. All the songs prove the quality and versatility of creative Naushad.
The music of Naushad is remembered for songs Aaj Purani Raho Se (Aadami), Muze Kho Diya (Aan), Ab Kaun Hai Mera, Mera Pyar Bhi Tu Hi (Sathi), Dhundho Dhundho Re Sajna (Ganga Jamuna), Chhod Babul Ka Pyar (Babul), Bhul Ja (Sathi), Gam ka Fasana, Mai Bhawara Tu Phool (Mela), Aaj Ki Raat Mere Dil Ki Salami (Ram aur Shaym). Same like the words the melodious music of these songs reaching the meaning of words is equally important and Naushad must be given credit of this.
He undoubtedly proved his versatility with new experiments, study, use of classical music with proper sense and quality, wise use of folk music and extended great contribution to bring the golden era of film music in India. He treated all the songs so nicely that each of them is decorated with golden tunes. Today the modern music has lost the quality and it has a life of few days only as it doesn’t have that real sense of music.
Naushad is like a big star shining in the sky of music. With no background of music, he created history in Bollywood music. He was honored with Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1982, Padmbhushan in 1992. Though he is not with us today, his work is a treasure to us. He will be there in our memories with the painful song, ‘Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki, Na Jaane Tum Kab Aaoge’ from Dulari.
