#10 Mughal-e-Azam: Top 100 Bollywood Albums

The 1960 magnum opus featured a majestic soundtrack matching the scale of the film by composer Naushad and lyricist Shakeel Badayuni, who created iconic songs like Jab Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya and Mohe Panghat Pe. Directed by K Asif, Mughal-e-Azam starred Madhubala, Dilip Kumar and Prithviraj Kapoor

Movie Details of Mughal-e-Azam

Music: Naushad

Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

Label: Saregama

Director: K. Asif

Seven years after Anarkali came this K Asif movie that dealt with the same love story on a much grander scale; grandness that reflected in the film's music as well. One of composer Naushad's biggest contributions to film music is the way he incorporated classical music in films; and Mughal-e-Azam's soundtrack stands as a majestic edifice testifying this fact. The songs here made beautiful employment of classical ragas like darbari (Mohabbat Ki Jhooti), gara (Mohe Panghat), kedaar (Beqas Pe Karam) etc. A major coup the composer pulled off was to get Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan to represent Tansen's voice, making this the only instance of the legendary singer recording for a film.

Best Song of Mughal-e-Azam: Like with Anarkali, in Mughal-e-Azam too it was Lata Mangeshkar who became Anarkali's singing voice throughout the film, and my biggest favourites from the album – Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya, Beqas Pe Karam, Humein Kaash Tumse, Mohabbat Ki Jhooti – are all Lata's solo acts. To be picking one though, I will go with the most memorable one among the lot, the magnificently picturised Pyaar Kiya.. Shakeel Badayuni's lines conveying rebellious love had a perfectly haunting tune from the composer that he reportedly based on a folk song from UP. The song's opulent orchestration touches goosebump-inducing proportions towards its climactic finish, especially with the brilliant chorus kicking in.

On a related note: Sanjay Leela Bhansali said in interviews that his 2015 film Bajirao Mastani was meant as a tribute to Mughal-e-Azam; there are visibly incorporated nods to the latter in multiple song sequences from Bajirao..Deewani Mastani Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya, Mohe Rang Do Laal Mohe Panghat Pe Nandlaal etc.

The Mughal-e-Azam Playlist:

  1. Mohe Panghat Pe (Singer: Lata Mangeshkar)
  2. Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya (Singer: Lata Mangeshkar)
  3. Mohabbat Ki Jhooti (Singer: Lata Mangeshkar)
  4. Humein Kash Tumse Mohabbat (Singer: Lata Mangeshkar)
  5. Beqas Pe Karam (Singer: Lata Mangeshkar)
  6. Teri Mehfil Mein (Singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Shamshad Begum)
  7. Ye Dil Ki Lagi (Singer: Lata Mangeshkar)
  8. Ae Ishq Yeh Sab Duniyawale (Singer: Lata Mangeshkar)
  9. Khuda Nigehbaan (Singer: Lata Mangeshkar)
  10. Ae Mohabbat Zindabad (Singer: Mohammed Rafi)
  11. Prem Jogan Ban Ke (Singer: Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan)
  12. Shubh Din Aayo Raj Dulara (Singer: Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan)

Listen to the entire album of Mughal-e-Azam here:

(With contributions by Praveen VR, co-founder of musicaloud.com)

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