Phir teri kahani yaad aayee, Naushad

On my walks down Carter Road, we often passed ‘Ashiaana’, the bungalow where Naushad saab lived. There were never any crowds outside, yet it was a landmark. A few metres away was Rajesh Khanna’s mansion, which at one time had hordes outside.

I remember Naushad through some forced moments – times when I was dragged for reruns of films because someone wanted ‘company’. And of course those post-dinner sessions at home where we’d sit on the gaddas; I was a mute witness.

Also, a good ‘internaliser’, I think. For I knew most of the songs, every word, every tune.

I would not have known who was behind the music had there not been the occasional sound of, “Wah, Naushad saab, kya baat hai…! He was nowhere in sight, but so palpable.

I smile at the memory of Tasveer banaataa hoon, tasveer nahin banatee, because as a kid I was in charge of making that ‘toin, toin’ sound!

And koi saagar dil ko behalata nahin was like a satin sheet over silken skin; I can feel the flesh quiver at the next line, Main koi patthar nahin insaan hoon…

On a slightly lighter note, I can see some of his songs become theme songs or anthems for different groups.

eik shahanshaah ne banvaa ke haseen tajmahal – The Cynic

do sitaaron ka zameen par hai milan aaj ki raat – The Sublime Lovers

aajaa meri barbaad mohabbat ke sahaare -- The Helpless

insaaf ki dagar pe, bachchon dikhaao chal ke – The Hopeful

kya mil gaya bhagwaan tumhe dil ko dukhaake -- The Agnostic

man tadapat hari darsan ko aaj -- The Faithful

mere mehboob tujhe meri muhabbat ki qasam -- The Suave Wooer

milate hi aankhein dil hua deewaana kisika – The Incorrigible Romantic

mohabbat ki jhuthi kahani pe roye – The Unrequited Lover

mohe bhool gaye saanvariya – The Deceived

nanhaa munna raahi hoon, desh ka sipaahi hoon – The Patriot

suhaani raat dhal chukee, na jaane tum kab aaoge – The Eternal ‘Waiters’

teri mehfil mein kismat aazmaa kar hum bhi dekhenge – The Challengers

jab dil hi toot gaya -- The Pessimists

teri mehfil mein kismat aazmaa kar hum bhi dekhenge – The Challengers

tu kahe agar jeevan bhar, main geet sunaataa jaaoon – The Pleasers
uthaaye jaa unke sitam aur jiye jaa – The Masochists

yaad mein teri jaag-jaag ke hum, raat bhar karvatein badalte rahe – The Insomniacs

And this is one I love – for being subtle, that slight shrug which says more than a thousand slaps would not…

na milata ghum to barabaadi ke afsaane kahaan jaate
agar duniya chaman hoti to viraane kahaan jaate

chalo achchha hua apnon mein koiii ghair to nikalaa
agar hote sabhi apane, to begaane kahaan jaate

duaaein do mohabbat hamane mitkar tumko sikhala di
na jalate shamaa mein to parvaane kahaan jaate

tumheen ne ghum ki daulat di badaa ehsaan farmaayaa
zamaane bhar ke aage haath phailaane kahaan jaate