PICTURE TALK
Naushad Ali, the great music maestro of such great Hindi films like Anmol Ghadi, Andaz, Dulari, Aan, Baiju Bawra, Amar, Udan Khatola, Mother India, Kohinoor, Mughal-e-Azam, Ganga Jamuna and Paakeeza, to mention a few, came from a very humble background from the city of Lucknow. Naushad was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the Padma Bhushan in 1981 and 1992 respectively for his contribution to the Hindi film industry.
I had grown up listening to the fabulous film songs for which he had composed the music. He was one of my most favourite subjects whom I wanted to shoot – even if it were not an assignment from a newspaper or magazine.
When I expressed my desire to meet and shoot Naushad, my media friends discouraged me asking me not to waste my time and film on someone leading a retired life and who was no more in demand for scoring music in the Hindi film industry! In short, he was past his prime and was no more in demand, so he was rather “worthless” for my friends but not for me.
Even if he were out of business at the time, I was very keen to shoot him. I have always gone and shot people I have admired for their talent, in any field of like, without ever caring for the amount of time or film I would have to spend on their pictures or thinking when or where would I be able to sell them.
After Naushad, there were Dr Salim Ali, music director Jaidev, Hemant Kumar, Protima Bedi. There were several others who were not active or in demand in their chosen professions. They were past their prime or were just being ignored by the industry or living in oblivion at the time I met them and decided to take their pictures. Must I add here that I have never regretted my decisions.
A total of five films have been made on the life of Naushad and his work and a few biographical books have also been written on his life. Naushad was ranked as one of the most respected and successful music directors of the Indian film industry.
Naushad had requested and was granted a plot by the Maharashtra Government during his life time and the ‘Naushad Academy of Hindustani Sangeet’ was started.
Naushad gave a new trend to popular film music by basing his tunes on classical music ragas and folk music. He breathed his last on 5 May 2006 in Mumbai. He died of cardiac arrest at age 86.
The views expressed here are the author’s own and The News Porter bears no responsibility for the same.
