Naushad - The true Indian composer

Naushad unlike his contemporaries never plagiarized from western music while composing his songs.He was an Indian by heart and a true protagonist of Indianness in film mussic. In this sense he has carved his own niche in the history of film music.All his songs are based on Indian music viz.classical,semiclassical,folk or any other forms.Seelect any of his songs and listen carefully and repeatedly,you will realize how painstakingly the melody is casted with each note and pause cut and polished like diamonds in a jewellery.

He was a hard task master and insisted his playback singer to rehearsal for weeks unless he is satisfied with the result. One can feel the result of this "Riyaz" in the flow and pace of his songs.
His songs are never composed in haste.There is a feeling of tranquality and spirituality in them,supported by mellow orchestra. I mention two songs which exude
these qualities of his music :
1) "Jane wale se molakat na hone payee" by Lata from the film Amar based on the raga Bhopali
2) "Zindagi aaj mere nam se sharmati hai" by Rafi from the film Son of India base on raga jaijainvanti
Naushad music is incomplete without mentioning the rare charm of his background music.For his background score he used a large orchestra whic gave the symphony effect using various indian musical instruements going with the mood and the demand of the scenes.Feel the musical effect in the background score of Mughale Azaam and Pakizah

NAUSHAD'S MAGICAL BATON

I have a very vivid memory of a film song which I enjoyed s child of eight while watching the film Andaz starring Dilip Kumr, Raj Kapoor nd Nargis in a rickety thetre of a smll town of Bihar in early 50's.The song was 'Uthai ja unke sitam"sung by Lata Mangeshkar rendered on the screen by Nargiss.Of all the popular melodies mostly sungukesh in this film composed by Nausha d this particular song struck the chord in me which later years I discovered that this lilting melody was composed in raga Kedara.This was my first experience of the geniuss of Naushad who could mould an indian classical raga into popular film song with such a dextrity.Another classical number which mismerised me in my childhood was from the film Shabab "man ki been matwali baje" by Rafi and Lata set in ragaw Basant Bahar.
I still visualise in my memory, a young boy running on the street of a sleepy town of Bihar after the loud speaker on a carriage which was playing this song while dvertising for this film to be shown in the local theatre.Those days in 50's this was the way for promoting a film.The boy who is now 67 is still under the charm of Naushad magical melodies.This is Naushad.
I will write more about some immotal songs composed by Naushad.