Naushadnama

The seven letters in Naushad’s name are like the seven notes of Hindustani classical music. After just a few years in films, Naushad (1919-2006) went to rule the Hindi cinema music world for around two decades, beginning with the landmark Rattan (1944). His oeuvre (from 1940 to 2005) consists of an unmatched list of jubilees, many of which are musical milestones such as Andaz (1949), Baiju Bawra (1952), Mother India (1957) and Mughal-e-Azam (1960). No individual stays supreme without putting in tremendous efforts to reach the pinnacle and to stay there as long as possible, as our maestro did. And no composer probably moved so cleverly, behind the scenes, than did Naushad to sustain his hold on the public imagination. Although we continue to marvel at the incredible variety of his mellifluous creations that have withstood the test of time, how little most of us know about Naushad the man. Renowned song historian Raju Bharatan fleshes out the real Naushad – his triumphs and tragedies – bringing into play more than 50 years of personal interaction with the tuneful titan. In the process, the author makes the book more sparking with a string of anecdotal gems. For instance: • How Naushad and his contemporaries despite their professed bonhomie, were fiercely competitive (both musically and monetarily) in their attempts to occupy the ‘top spot’. • How many days of rehearsal were needed for some of the Baiju Bawara masterpieces? • How the immortal compositions of Mughal-e-Azam were recorded in a studio no better than a tin shed. This volume also throws new light on the relations and interactions between Naushad and his singers (especially Suraiya, Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and Shamshad Begum); his songwriters (mainly D.N Madhok, Shakeel Badayuni and Majrooh Sultanpuri); and his ‘unsung’ instrumentalists (some of whom were geniuses in their own right).

The definitive saga, at once riveting and revelatory – studded with rare nuggets of information and fascinating anecdotes – that sparkingly brings out the life and times of an internationally acclaimed incredibly versatile singer. Asha Bhosle – a Guinness world record holder plus recipient of the Padma Vibhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award – has held one and all spellbound for six decades now. Her voice, both fluid and flexible, has infused neo life into a variety of genres – from the melancholy melody to the rollicking rock-’n’-roll; from the soulful creation to the vibrant disco; from the romantic rhapsody to the rambunctious folk song; from the dainty ghazal to the boisterous qawwali; and from the pathos-filled rendition to the naughty-naugthy seductive number. The author – on the strength of his vast and varied exposure and experience – turns the focus on enthralling behind-the-scenes happenings that shaped the advance of this artiste with a remarkable range and a noteworthy body of work. ‘The world has no time for losers’ has remained Asha’s performing credo. This volume captures Asha Bhosle in her numberless shades. It is about how – in her silken rivalry with elder sister Lata Mangeshkar – she moved with panache from O. P. Nayyar to S. D. Burman to R. D. Burman. It is about how she served a galaxy of composers; about how, in the end, she reached the pinnacle all by herself. Against odds that would have driven any other woman into quitting. No quitter ever, Asha Bhosle, as the supernova supreme, just went on to underline the adage: ‘No power like woman power’. No more can you stay away from this marvel of a musical biography than you can stay away from the matchless musicality of Asha Bhosle. If she is one of a kind, so is this musical masterpiece capturing all the resonances and nuances going with her piquant persona. Here is a long-awaited career study shedding light on the twists and turns marking the starry-eyed world of Hindustani film music.

The Hindi film song has held millions spellbound for nearly eight decades. In this unputdownable ‘labour of love’, India’s leading film song historian, Raju Bharatan, delves deep into his treasure trove to tell us how singing is all about romancing, how composing is all about feelings, how the twain, stardom and songdom, do meet to make the vintage film number a part of the nation’s psyche. He reconstructs song happenings over the last sixty years or so to condense the emotion and passion going into legendary star hook-ups, showing us how with the pairing comes the vibe, with the vibe comes the tune, and with the tune unfolds cinema that is a ‘Madhuballad’ all the way. This volume also describes the creative inputs of music directors, lyricists and singers that go into the making of a Hindi film song. It is a compendium that no one can afford to miss! Raju Bharatan is popularly recognized as the last word on film music in India – as the only one physically there ‘on the scene’ through the decades. His knowledge of Hindustani cinesangeet is matched only by his grip on Indian cricket. He now packs fifty years of musical lore into a work sure to command a niche on your bookshelf.

BollySwar is a decade-wise compendium of information about the music of Hindi films. Volume 7 chronicles the Hindi film music of the decade between 1991 and 2000. This volume catalogues more than 1000 films and 7000 songs, involving more than 1000 music directors, lyricists and singers. An overview of the decade highlights the key artists of the decade - music directors, lyricists and singers - and discusses the emerging trends in Hindi film music. A yearly review provides listings of the year's top artists and songs and describes the key milestones of the year in Hindi film music. The bulk of the book provides the song listing of every Hindi film album released in the decade. Basic information about each film's cast and crew is provided and detailed music credits are provided. Where available, music credits go beyond information regarding music directors, lyricists and singers, and include the names of session musicians, assistants, programmers, arrangers, mixers, recordists, etc. Where applicable, music related awards are listed. Interesting trivia is listed for most films. This includes information about artist debuts, plagiarised or sampled songs, controversies and stories behind the making of the film and its music. This book is primarily meant as a quick reference for people looking for information related to a Hindi film or a song, but readers can also browse through the book to get an overview of the events that shaped Bollywood music in the decade. Given that Hindi films are a reflection of the Indian society, the reader can also glean insights about the country's socio-political and cultural environment from the book.

This book is about the life and work of Ghulam Mohammed one of the greatest music directors of Hindi film industry whose compositions are priceless. A genius who gave remarkable music and a man with an unbeatable talent. His music is immortal.

In Once Upon A Prime Time, Ananth Mahadevan pens the memoirs of his journey on Indian television. From first hand experiences with film makers who were the founding fathers of television serials, to today's consumerism driven shows, he has tasted them all. The book reads like an autobiography yet covers virtually every major player who was responsible for the nostalgia that Indian television now evokes. It incorporates exclusive moments with many celebrities and award winning directors. Join the actors on their sets as they perform for television and learn about the stories that made the shows come to life. Covering artistes and makers who impacted our world, such as Amitabh Bachchan, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Sai Paranjpye, Basu Chatterjee, Kundan Shah, Ravi Chopra, Ramesh Sippy , Farooque Shaikh, Aziz Mirza, Gulzar and Govind Nihalani. The book is in all probability, the first ever story of Indian television. Besides taking one down memory lane, this could be a throwback for all those connected with the medium, past and present. It gives you a feeling of travelling through time and watching history being made – behind the scenes. "The book reads like an autobiography, but covers every major player who was responsible for the nostalgia that Indian television now evokes." - Hema Malini