Remembering Naushad

Born in Lucknow in 1919, Naushad was the first, and perhaps only, music composer of Hindi cinema whose name appeared before the actors' in a film's credits.

Many film personalities believe Naushad was the star of the films for which he composed music.

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

There's a 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 his most celebrated musical scores in the 1950s and '60s.

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 sound and voices. If Mohammad Rafi was his favourite male singer, with Lata Mangeshkar, Naushad created some of her most popular melodies.

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

"That's right," Mangeshkar smiles at the memory. "In those days, there were no recording devices to create an echo effect. Naushad saab devised this method of creating an echo in the song.

With Naushad, 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 (Amar), Na milta gham (Amar), Mohe panghat pe Nandlal, Beqas pe karam, and of course, Pyar kiya to darna kya, in Mughal-e-Azam.

I also like Naushad saab's Dhundo dhundo re sajna, from Ganga Jumna. They don't make composers and songs like that any more."

A non-compromising votary of the traditional Indian music, veteran music composer Naushad Ali who died today was fondly remembered by the film fraternity as a champion of the country's composite culture.

Known for his aversion to the fast-catching 'remix culture', Naushad was a master proponent of Indian classical music in Hindi films in the 40s and 50s, when the movie industry was at a nascent stage, they said.

"He was not just a music director, but a symbol of composite culture of the country, who brought dignity, class and refinement to Indian film music, lyricist and noted script writer Javed Akhtar said.

He said Naushad's contribution to the film industry has been awesome. "For years Naushad was the name of Indian film music....We will always remember him with great respect and reverence," he added.

Renowned director Mahesh Bhatt said 86-year-old Naushad was a "symbol of secular India, a man who really lived out what the composite culture was all about in his daily life. His music has a resonance of that composite culture.

"When he composed bhajans it seemed he was a devout Hindu. He had the depth of India and the great civilisation really ran through his veins," he said, and recollected that Naushad was heartbroken when the secular fabric of the nation was torn apart during communal riots.

Naushad was saddened when the quality of the Indian music deteriorated due to mindless imitation of the West, and he used to say that "we must change with the changing times, but should not lose connection with the roots," Bhatt said.

Remembering Naushad, melody queen Lata Mangeshkar said he used to experiment a lot with his music in his films and not only gave new faces a chance but also guided them in shaping their career.

"Naushad launched Uma Devi with the hit song "Afsana likh rahi hoon" and later advised her to make a career in films and re-christened her Tuntun, and she went on to become very popular as a comedy artist," she said.

He predominantly used classical music in his films, but the compositions were relatively simple so that the common man could understand and enjoy them, she said.

Music composer Uttam Singh said with Naushad's death the curtains have come down on a generation of classical music in the film industry.

"He was a complete institution in classical music...His last work in Akbar Khan's Taj Mahal is a hit," he said, adding that Naushad's death was a personal loss to him.

Noted actress of yesteryear, Saira Banu said she and her husband Dilip Kumar shared a lovely friendship with Naushad.

"We were expecting to take him to Pakistan where two of his classics "Taj Mahal" and "Mughal-e-Azam" are being released," she added.

In Mumbai, thespian Dilip Kumar described Naushad as "a very noble and delightful man" who contributed immensely to the Indian film industry and classical music.

"He was very close to me. Unfortunately he was not keeping in good health in the recent past," he told reporters.

"Part of Naushad's family was in the US and others were here in India, and they took good care of him, providing him treatment by the best doctors in the US and India," he said.

Asked if films like "Mughal-e-Azam" would have been possible without Naushad's music, Dilip Kumar replied in the negative.

Santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, who visited the late music director's residence in Mumbai to pay his tributes, said, "Naushad was unique in every way. He used western instruments to score music but gave it a Hindustani touch."

Music director Khayyam said, "Naushad was a great man, but with simple habits. He presented the most intricate classical music in films in an easy-to-understand manner."

Khayyam termed songs like "Uthaye Ja Unke Sitam" sung by Lata Mangeshkar and "Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki" sung by Mohammed Rafi as some of Naushad's best compositions.

"He and his music are immortal. He may have left us physically, but whenever we will hear or hum his compositions, his picture will appear before us," he said.

Describing Naushad as "a gem of a person", music director Ravindra Jain said, "His passing away is a personal loss to me. As a senior member of the fraternity and former office bearer of our Artistes' Association, he always strived for the welfare of the film industry."