The Music of Naushad Ali

He revolutionized Hindi film music by introducing classical ragas in his tunes. He composed music for many iconic films such as Mother India (1957), Mughal-E-Azam (1960) and Baiju Bawra (1952).

His father asked him to choose between home and music. Naushad picked music and went off to Bombay in search for work. This song ‘Jawaan Hai Mohabbat’ is from Anmol Ghadi (1946), one of his first blockbuster hits. The music of this film was popular with the youth of the time. 

Over the span of his career, Naushad made some everlasting collaborations. One his lasting partnerships was with legendary singer Mohammed Rafi. Naushad worked with Rafi over time creating heart-rending music and maximising Rafi’s background in classical music.

At one time frustrated with the music in the industry Rafi wanted to return to Punjab and his classical music roots. Naushad told him that he would compose songs rooted in classical ragas for him. There are traces of raga Malkauns in this song from Baiju Bawra (1952). 

Naushad Ali wanted to use classical music as the base for his tunes and introduce the audience to a new sound. He collaborated with classically trained singer Lata Mangeshkar for this song from Baiju Bawra (1952) set to the raga Bhairav and raga Kalingda. 

The other lasting collaboration Naushad formed was with lyricist Shakeel Badyuni. While Naushad worked with other popular lyricists at the time such as Majrooh Sultanpuri. The Shakeel-Naushad team gave the industry some memorable songs.

This song written by Shakeel Badayuni and composed by Naushad is from Mother India (1957) a film that tried to capture the tough lives of farmers in the post Independence era. This was also India’s first ever entry to the Oscars. 

Naushad and Shakeel created timeless melodies like "Pyaar Kiya toh Darna Kya", "Teri Mehfil Mein" and the iconic song "Naina Lad Jaihen" from Ganga Jamuna (1961). This is one of their early songs  from Uran Khatola (1955) filmed on Dilip Kumar.

Naushad was one of the first composers in the Hindi film industry to introduce the concept of sound mixing. He recorded the music and the singer singing separately and mixed the track later. This transformed the way music was recorded.

Naushad’s team with Shakeel and Rafi gave the industry some of its best hits. They covered a range of emotions from romance, pathos to social issues. Their songs always managed to hit a chord with the audience. This song from Uran Khatola (1955) is one of their collaborations.

Naushad left a lasting impression on the Hindi film industry  shaping its future in many ways. He brought a new and fresh perspective, opening doors for listeners. He ruled the music industry for decades and years later his tunes still manage to  strike a chord.