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5th May saw the sad demise of probably one of the most prolific music composers known to Indian cinema.

Naushad Ali was born in Lucknow on December 25, 1919. He moved to Bombay in the late 1930s to become a musician but had to really struggle in his initial years. He eventually worked as a pianist in composer Mushtaq Hussain's orchestra. He then joined music director Khemchand Prakash (whom he considers his teacher) as his assistant.

Prem Nagar (1940) was his first film where he worked solo but he got noticed with Sharda (1942). It was Rattan (1944) that took Naushad right to the top and enabled him to charge a fee of Rs 25,000 for each film - a big amount for any music composer of that time.

He introduced Indian classical music in Indian cinema and also was the one who introduced the accordion and was among the first to concentrate on background music to extend characters' moods and dialogues through music. Naushad was also one of the first musicians to introduce sound mixing and the separate recording of voice and music tracks in playback singing in India.

Naushad has scored music for over 65 films, 25 of which have been silver, nine golden and two diamond jubilee hits.

Naushad's musical score was outstanding particularly the two songs by noted classical singer Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (Shubh Din Aayo and Prem Jogan ke Sundari Pio Chali) not to mention the Lata Gems (Mohabbat ki Jhooti Kahani pe Roye, Pyaar Kiya to Darna Kya) and Mohd. Rafi's Ae Mohabbat Zindabad with a chorus of 100 people! It was indeed surprising that Naushad lost the Filmfare award that year to Shankar-Jaikishen for their populist score in Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi (1960).

His major hit films include Baiju Bawra (1952), Mother India (1957), Mughal-e-Azam (1960), Ganga Jamuna (1961) and Mere Mehboob (1963).

Apart from composing music, he also produced three films Babul (1950), Udan Khatola (1955 in Tamil) and Maalik (1958).

Naushad completed composing for Pakeezah after Ghulam Mohammed's death and continued doing an occasional film right up to the 1990s but the magic he had mustered in his heydays was clearly missing. In the last decade the only film he composed included the Shahrukh Khan starrer Guddu. His last work was for Akbar Khan's Taj Mahal and the maestro also reworked to enhance the effect of music in the colored version of Mughal-e-Azam released in 2004.

He was awarded the Filmfare award for Baiju Bawra in 1954 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1981 for lifetime achievement in Indian cinema. He also won the lifetime achievement award at the Screen Weekly Awards in 2000.

Indian Cinema truly has lost an icon.

Naushad Filmography

1. Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story (2005)
2. Mughal-e-Azam (colored version) (2004)
3. Guddu (1995)
4. Aawaz De Kahan Hai (1990)
5. Love and God (1986)
6. Dharam Kanta (1982)
7. Chambal Ki Rani (1979)
8. Aaina (1977)
9. Sunehra Sansar (1975)
10. Tangewala (1972)
11. Pakeezah (1971) (title and background music)
12. Ganwaar (1970)
13. Aadmi (1968)
14. Saathi (1968)
15. Sunghursh (1968)
16. Palki (1967)
17. Ram Aur Shyam (1967)
18. Dil Diya Dard Liya (1966)
19. Saaz Aur Awaaz (1966)
20. Leader (1964)
21. Mere Mehboob (1963)
22. Son of India (1962)
23. Gunga Jumna (1961)
24. Mughal-E-Azam (1960)
25. Kohinoor (1960)
26. Zara Bachke (1959)
27. Sohni Mahiwal (1958)
28. Mother India (1957)
29. Baradari (1955)
30. Shahzada (1955)
31. Udan Khatola (1955)
32. Amar (1954)
33. Darwaza (1954)
34. Shabab (1954)
35. Char Chand (1953)
36. Aan (1952)
37. Baiju Bawra (1952)
38. Deewana (1952)
39. Deedar (1951)
40. Jadoo (1951)
41. Babul (1950)
42. Dastan (1950)
43. Andaz (1949)
44. Chandni Raat (1949)
45. Dillagi (1949)
46. Dulari (1949)
47. Anokhi Ada (1948)
48. Mela (1948)
49. Dard (1947)
50. Naatak (1947)
51. Anmol Ghadi (1946)
52. Keemat (1946)
53. Shahjahan (1946)
54. Sanyasi (1945)
55. Geet (1944)
56. Jeevan (1944)
57. Pehle Aap (1944)
58. Ratan (1944)
59. Kanoon (1943)
60. Namaste (1943)
61. Sanjog (1943)
62. Nai Duniya (1942)
63. Sharda (1942)
64. Station Master (1942)
65. Darshan (1941)
66. Mala (1941)
67. Prem Nagar (1940)

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