Naushad, the legend and Sadhna ...article which I wrote on 25 Dec.

On the occasion of the 97th birth anniversary of the legendary Naushad (born on 25 Dec 1919), I append few points from his life and career stolen from the internet:

• When he got married, the band was playing the tunes of the super hit songs of the film 'Rattan'. While his father and father-in-law were condemning the musician who had composed these songs, Naushad dared not tell them that it was he who had composed the music.
• His greatest contribution was to bring Indian classical music into the film medium. Naushad's style was renowned for his ability to incorporate classical rhythms into his symphonies. He based his music upon the "ragas" that formed a basis in Indian classical music, and thus his music took on complex formations
• He often spent nights sleeping on the footpath opposite the Broadway theatre in Bombay, and dreamt of seeing his music played over there. Sixteen years later, he burst into tears at the premiere of Baiju Bawra (1952), at that same theatre.
• He also introduced the accordion to Hindi film music and was among the first to concentrate on background music to extend characters' moods and dialogue through music.
• He is known for introducing Lata Mangeshkar, Mohd Rahi and Surayya to the scale that we know today.
• For Aan (1952), he was the first to use a 100-piece orchestra.
• For Mughal-e-Azam (1960) song Ae Mohabbat Zindabad, he used a chorus of 100 persons. He asked Lata Mangeshkar to render a part of the song "Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya" in a bathroom that had glazed tiles and then recorded the music to get the echo effect.
• During the early 1940s, his recordings were done in quiet parks and gardens after midnight because the studios did not have sound-proof recording rooms. In the gardens there would be no echo and disturbances, unlike the studios where the sound reverberated because of the tin roofs.
• From 1942 until the late 1960s, he was one of the top music directors in Hindi films. While he did less than a hundred films during his lifetime, 26 of those films celebrated Silver jubilees (25 weeks run) – 8 celebrated golden jubilees (50 weeks run) and 4 celebrated diamond jubilees (60 weeks run).
• Five films have been made on his life and work. Biographical books published are Dastaan-E-Naushad (Marathi) by Shashikant Kinikar; Aaj Gaawat Man Mero (Gujarati); Hindi and Urdu biographical sketches in Shama & Sushma Magazines respectively, titled "Naushad Ki Kahani, Naushad Ki Zubani"; the last one was translated into Marathi by Shashikant Kinikar. Kinikar also came up with a book titled "Notes of Naushad" which puts together some interesting anecdotes of Naushad's life.

A small common element with Sadhna whose Ist death anniversary also falls today: Mere Mehboob

of pigeons and doves...

The association with pigeons has been a bit prolonged for my family. The alliance to my memory runs for some close to 3 decades now. 
It started with small amounts of rice thrown in to the intruders while they murmured with gloated throats around the balcony. With this quotidian benevolence, the numbers soon began to rise; seemed as if they had a wonderful shout-out system to ensure that the message goes to as many. The courtyard seemed occupied by the intruders for most part of the day. The kit / flight, as I googled out the collective noun to be, included all hues of the Columbidae family from the pure silvery shining, the light gray with dirty spots around, the magenta necked overall deep gray to the close-to-black and the lapis-lazuli shade bearers. At some point I had become so used to the lot that I could distinctly make out the hungry note from the satisfied croaking.
I remember being asked to ferry a small sack of grains from a place which I used to get on my cycle. In the initial phase, it used to last a month. But with a degree of benevolence growing through me and my younger sister, it started to last less than a fortnight. But yes, the pains (for me) and the cost (for my parents) were worth it; the sheer pleasure of having these entities around and the awe-generation because of the timing maintained by them irrespective of the climate and the part of the year. They could recognize the person who was throwing the grains because I could see a distinct comfort among them when my father or mother were in the act. When the rolls changed over to me (which was very rare, though), they maintained a larger distance from the hand and some had a stoic silence on their crop (that is a distinct belonging of pigeons and doves which I learnt later).
While I was physically detached from my roots @ Rourkela for studies and then for the job treks, I was always thrilled with the news of these winged entities. As I was away, there happened three changes in the addresses for my parents back there but these entities followed them ritually.
As I headed home after almost 1 1/2 years, I was pleased to find the continuity of the ritual. The place of action has now shifted to the modestly large rooftop. My son had his quota of excitement amidst the multiple hurls of wheat, yes thats the new food for the visiting columbidaes.
Am sure each of these winged entities had something to do with the rapid growth of goodwill and blessings for my family.