Mumbai’s tinsel town has seen many rise from rags to riches, but Naushad Ali’s story stands out for its raw grit. The composer, whose death anniversary falls on May 5, was born in 1919 Lucknow to a family that shunned music. Father Wahid Ali, a court clerk, saw no future in it.
From childhood, Naushad was drawn to the spiritual qawwalis of Dewa Sharif. Formal training from Lucknow’s stalwarts ignited his passion. He started at Royal Theatre with silent film scores, repaired harmoniums, and toured with theatre groups, mastering regional folk sounds.
The breaking point came when Naushad declared music his calling. ‘Choose between music and home,’ his father demanded. At 18, he bolted to Mumbai in 1937, facing homelessness—first on friends’ couches, then Bombay’s streets.
Persistence paid off. Lessons from Ustad Jhande Khan led to a New Theatres gig. Debuting independently with ‘Prem Nagar’, Naushad’s genius shone in ‘Sharda’ with teen Suraiya and exploded with ‘Rattan’, transforming his fortunes dramatically.
A poignant episode unfolded at his nikah. Loudspeakers played his smash hit ‘Aankhiya Mila Ke’, prompting his irate father-in-law to decry it as youth-corrupting. Naushad, now a star, kept mum about his authorship.
Renowned for fusing ragas with folk and orchestration, Naushad launched legends like Rafi and Lata. His life, marked by family ultimatums and quiet triumphs, reminds us that true art demands sacrifice. Naushad’s melodies remain timeless.
