Flash-back: Naushad The Maestro, From The Pavements To White House

By D N Singh

It was during one of his visits to Bhubaneswar, this author had the privilege to talk to Naushad, the great music composer in a hotel room.

When I saw the man in his ‘kurta’ and waste-coat, the feeling within me was bit of being humbled down by the great maestro’s simplicity and graciousness combined.

After a long chat on music in Bollywood and its changing cycles down the years, he was, time and again, seen in a throwback mood to the older days of melody and purity of music.

He had a small list of his favorite playbacks but he could not resist from recalls about Lata Mangeshkar.

Naushad recalled one incident he had shared with the other great Maestro, Ustad Bade Gullam Ali. “it was afternoon and I and Ustad ji were sitting on a bench of tea shop near Juhu and from a loudspeaker a song could be heard sung by Lata, ‘Sarafat Chhrod Di Menine’

Both were listening to the song, almost enraptured by its melody. As soon the song ended, Bade Gulam Ali Khan uttered “ Kambaqt”.

Naushad asked Bade Gulam Ali, “who do you call Kambaqt”?

Bade Gulam Ali looked at Naushad and said with a thin smile writ on his face, ‘Lata Mangeshkar, aur kaun( who else)’.

But why so? Naushad shot back.

“Kabhi bhi besoora hote meine soon nahi paya isko” Ali said. “So that was what Lata is all about in the esteems of a great like Bade Gulam Ali”, Naushad told me.

Being An Indian

Then he recalled his first visit to US as one member of a team of musicians from India and abroad. They were invitees of the US government and were lodged in a posh hotel in Washington DC.

On an invite from the then First Lady, Hillary Clinton, for a dinner in the White House, they were getting ready. Suddenly a message came from the first lady’s office, that all the members of the guests were supposed to come in three-piece suits.

All the guests were getting ready but Naushad. He told the messenger from the White House that, he does not have a three-piece suit and can only come in his traditional attire, Kurta Payjama. So offered not to go to the dinner.

Hearing about it, soon another official from the First Lady rushed to the hotel they were housed in and made an apology on behalf of Lady Clinton and requested Naushad to come in any attire he chose.

Naushad was then at the gala dinner at the White House when a smiling First Lady walked to him and apologized for the trouble and led him to the central hall for general introduction with other maestros from other countries.