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was for Mumbai’s Mid-Day newspaper in Deedaar and Aan. According to Naushad,
1997. We had a column where one known they understood each other’s style and gave
personality would talk at length of one major each other space. “With the success of Baiju
achievement, and for Naushad, we chose Bawra, filmmakers began looking at us as
Baiju Bawra. a team, and many insisted Rafi do the male
“Is there anything new I can tell you, songs too,” the music director said.
something which has not been written
about?” he asked over the telephone when I Pursuing his dreams
requested an appointment. When I told him The interview was conducted after
the theme, he agreed, and a few days later, Naushad himself served tea in fine
I went to his Ashiana Bungalow on Carter crockery, displaying the typical hospitality
Road, Bandra. of Lucknow, from where he had run away
We sat in one of the front rooms, and he to pursue a career in music. After staying
talked about how Badayuni and he would with an acquaintance in Colaba he moved to
sit hours over a song in that same room. “We Dadar, where he slept on the footpath.
would just think of the song’s situation in Keen on pursuing his dreams, Naushad
the film and go on working till both of were assisted Ustad Jhande Khan and later the
in agreement,” he recalled. well-known music director Khemchand
Directed by Vijay Bhatt, Baiju Bawra is Prakash. As a music director, he made his
about a young musician in Emperor Akbar’s debut with Prem Nagar in 1940, and one
court who challenges Miyan Tansen to of his early achievements was composing
a musical duel. Naushad said that since Suraiya’s debut ‘Boot Main Karoon Polish
the story was about musicians, it needed Babu’ in the 1942 film Nai Duniya. His first
a strong classical base. Ustad Amir Khan hit was the 1944 film Rattan, which had
sang prominently and Pandit D.V. Paluskar songs sung by Amirbai Karnataki, Zohrabai
appeared in some songs. “Even for Rafi and Ambalewali and Karan Dewan. Ever since,
Lata, I decided to do classical songs,” he there was no looking back.
added. A few months after this interview, I had a
Besides the famous Malkauns bhajan, the chance to meet Naushad again, but this was
soundtrack used raag Bhairavi (‘Tu Ganga along with a few other mediapersons at his
Ki Mauj’), Maand (‘Bachpan Ki Mohabbat’), residence. The occasion was the launch of
Darbari (‘O Duniya Ke Rakhwale’), the album Aathvan Sur, containing poetry
Pilu (‘Jhoole Mein Pawan’) and a mix of written by him.
Bhairav and Kalingda (‘Mohe Bhool Gaye
Saawariya’). “It was a risk to take established
classical singers but it worked, and Amir
Khan and Paluskar were very cooperative.
Lata was already a star then, but this film
proved to be a big boost for Rafi, who had
two hits in ‘Man Tadapat’ and ‘O Duniya Ke
Rakhwale’,” Naushad said.
Before Baiju Bawra, Naushad and Badayuni Mohammed Rafi (centre), who delivered some of his best
songs to Naushad’s music, at a live performance with Nau-
had worked together in films like Mela, shad (left) and another musical great, Kersi Lord (right)
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #11 | MAY 2020 49
