Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story - Music

Music

Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story was the last work of renowned musician Naushad, who died on 5 May 2006. The audio was formally released at a gala event in Mumbai at ITC Grand Central Sheraton & Towers, Parel on 16 March 2005 by Times Music in tandem with the home label Mashreq Music. The album had some classy songs composed by the maestro that encapsulates the Mughal era. The soundtrack album consists 8 songs, featuring vocals by Hariharan, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Preeti Uttam and Ajay Chakraborty, and an instrumental theme. A special edition Double CD, consisting of the soundtrack album and 9 instrumental pieces that were used as the background score in the movie was also released. This was the first time in India that the background score of a film was released simultaneously with the music release. The lyrics were penned by Naqsh Layallpuri and Syed Gulrez Rashid. The background score was the major highlight of the film.

The album received excellent reviews from critics. The director of the film Akbar Khan quoted, "My film's music needed either a Tansen, a Beethoven or a Naushad...I was only left with the last choice! With the power of his spell bounding music, Naushad has managed to recreate the magic of the bygone era, perfectly complimenting the mood of the film. The music does not touch the eardrum & bounces back, but penetrates and lives in the soul of people." The note by Naushad about this work was "I have composed the music of Taj Mahal – an eternal love story after a long gap. In my opinion, Taj Mahal, the film created by Akbar Khan is made out of sheer love, passion and dedication and he has managed to completely absorb the essence of Mughal history with an in depth knowledge of every character. I have seen the film and can confidently say that Akbar Khan has left no stone unturned in making this epic saga and has narrated history in a very simplistic manner. I am sure the film will appeal greatly to cinema lovers. With respect to the music of Taj Mahal – an eternal love story, I have strived to deliver the kind of music that Akbar Khan had in mind, melody being the chief focus. I sincerely hope that I have not let him down and that the music is liked by music aficionados. I have composed music for other films of the mughal era including Shah Jehan, Baiju Bawra and Mughal e Azam but each film requires different treatment depending on the situation, environment, characters, theme etc, hence I refuse to be drawn into comparisons. I trust I have been able to do justice to the brief given to me by Akbar Khan for his film. I must use this occasion to also complement Times Music in taking the commendable step of releasing the background score that I have created at the same time in a separate CD along with the music of the film as the two go very much hand in hand. It is equally important to promote the background score of a film which is in fact much more difficult to compose as compared to the music score. Lastly, with every new composition, it still feels that I have just begun and there is a lot more to achieve..."

Disc 1

1. Ajnabi Thehro Zara - Hariharan, Preeti Uttam
2. Apni Zulfein Mere - Hariharan
3. Dilruba Dilruba - Hariharan, Preeti Uttam
4. Ishq Ki Daastaan - Kavita Krishnamurthy, Preeti Uttam
5. Mumtaz Tujhe Dekha - Hariharan, Preeti Uttam
6. Taj Mahal - Hariharan, Preeti Uttam
7. Tareef Neeba Bazaar - Instrumental
8. Yeh Kaun Mujhe Yaad Aaya - Ajoy Chakraborty
9. Taj Mahal (Crescendo) - Hariharan, Preeti Uttam

Disc 2

1. Mumtaz's Theme (Part 1) - Instrumental
2. Jehanara's Karavan - Instrumental
3. Khushamdid - Instrumental
4. The Birth & The Death - Instrumental
5. Meena Bazaar - Instrumental
6. The Siege - Instrumental
7. Shah Jehan's Theme - Instrumental
8. Mughal Intrigue - Instrumental
9. Mumtaz's Theme (Part 2) - Instrumental