Jo dard tumhaare dil mein hai
Apne bhi wohi gham hain
Lag jaao gale aa kar
Jo tum ho wohi hum hain

Naushad wrote these lines days after Mohd Rafi passed away:

Goonjte hain tere naghmon se ameeron ke mahal
Jhopron mein bhi gareebon ke teri aawaaz hai
Apni mousiki pe sab ko fakr hota hai magar
Mere saathi aaj mousiki ko tujh par naaz hai

On Western music and remixes at a TV awards function some years back:

Saaz-e-dil ke taraane bahut hain
Jeene ke bahaane bahut hain
Dar-e-ghair se na maango bheek fann ki
Jab ghar mein hi khazaane bahut hain

The one the Rafi Saab “Insaf Ka Mandir Hai Yeh” is another unforgetable score. ‘Amar’ is perhaps one of the best works of Mehboob Khan as a Film Maker.

When filmmaker Babubhai Mistry asked Laxmikant-Pyarelal to compose music for the low-budget costume drama Parasmani in 1963, the duo began thinking of which singers to choose. In his natural narrative style, Pyarelal recalls: “We chose the singers on the basis of the song, instead of sticking to one singer. If we felt Mohammed Rafi’s voice suited Woh Jab Yaad Aaye and Roshan Tumhi Se Duniya, we chose him. And if we thought Mukesh’s voice went well with Chori Chori Jo Tumse Mili, we chose him.”

Parasmani, in fact, marked the beginning of a long association between Rafi and Laxmikant-Pyarelal.

The singer was to give L-P a major hit with Chahoonga Main Tujhe in Dosti. Over the years, he’s rendered a string of hits for the music directors — including Beimaan Hai Bada (in Loafer), Na Tu Zameen Ke Liye (Dastaan), Aane Se Uske Aaye Bahar (Jeene Ki Raah), Chalkaaye Jaam and Hui Shyam Unka (Mere Humdum Mere Dost), Yeh Jo Chilman Hain and Itna To Yaad Hai Mujhe (Mehboob Ki Mehndi), the Patthar Ke Sanam title track, the Khilona title song, Jhilmil Sitaron Ka (with Lata Mangeshkar in Jeevan Mrityu), Parda Hai (Amar Akbar Anthony), Dafliwale (with Lata in Sargam), Dard-e-Dil (Karz) and scores of others. In fact, Rafi’s last song Tu Kahin Aas Paas Hai Dost was recorded for L-P in the film Aas Paas.

Exactly 26 years after Rafi’s death, his songs remain immortal. On July 31 every year, musicians and fans do their bit to remember their idol.

Naturally, memories of Rafi dominate our conversation with Pyarelal when we meet him at his Bandra flat. Willingly, the composer talks about Rafi the person. Relaxing on his sofa, the music director says: “Rafi was like a farishta. No other word would be more appropriate to describe him.”

Pyarelal spins back down the years. He recalls: “Laxmiji and I became music directors after a long period of struggle. But we had known Rafi because we had been musicians for many years. In our early days, Rafi had given me Rs 500, which was a big amount those days. I told him I won’t return it and he just smiled. Till today, I have kept that money.”

According to Pyarelal, Rafi laughed a lot. “He talked less and had a special style of nodding his head. He always looked down and talked, no matter whom he talked with. For him, everybody was the same, and he talked to everybody in the same tone,” he points out.

Rafi had a special habit of keeping his car spotless clean. “He had a Fiat, and he would put together all these lights and bright-coloured objects. Even at home, he would insist on cleanliness. There was one room full of awards, and he took care of each award. Another thing he loved was good food. He’d have a lavish meal whenever he could,” he says.

Pyarelal, however, points out that Rafi rarely went to parties. “He liked to stay in his own world, and concentrate on two things — namaz and riyaz. But he has come to my birthday party twice. They may be among the exceptions he made, but we were so close,” he adds.

The conversation naturally shifts to Rafi’s approach towards singing. Says Pyarelal: “He was God-gifted. He used to do so much riyaz that everything looked so simple. Then, he would modulate his voice to suit each hero, whether it was Dilip Kumar, Bharat Bhushan or Shammi Kapoor.”

Pyarelal says Rafi was a strict disciplinarian when it came to work. He elaborates: “He never cancelled any recording, even if he had a 102 degree temperature. In fact, he was the first singer to regularly go on foreign tours. He would go every year, first with his small orchestra, and later with a bigger group.”

Was there anything that Rafi loved as much as singing? Pyarelal laughs: “Yes, he loved whistling. He would whistle regularly, either in the form of a tune or just loudly when he was happy.”

For Pyarelal, the tales would never cease. But then, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Rafi not only made some great music together, but shared a special bond too.

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.
posted by Banjaara at 9:42 PM 1 comments

Monday, May 01, 2006 banjara