Among the few composers who contributed to the resurgence of Lahore based film industry was Feroze Nizami, who had established his credentials as a perceptive composer of film songs during his four-year stay at Bombay, where he scored music for several blokbusters.
The decade of the 1940s was a period of experimentation in film music, especially it saw the induction of Western style music orchestra and the use of melodic interludes in film songs. Also, during that period, Bombay became the major production centre for Sub-continental cinema.
Previously, films were produced mainly from Calcutta and, to a lesser extent, from Lahore. A large number of luminaries of cinema, who made their debuts either from Calcutta or Lahore, were lured by financiers of Bombay to shift to this emerging capital of film world in South Asia.
A large number of artistes associated with the New Theatres in Calcutta opted for careers in Bombay. Included among them were producers, directors, actors and actresses, besides lyricists, playwrights and music composers of Punjabi origin, a majority of whom had been groomed in Lahore. A Lahore-born musician, who considerably enriched the melodic culture of the Sub-continent was Ferozeuddin Ahmed, better known as Feroze Nizami.
Throughout his long career, he remained at the vanguard of avant - garde movement in film music, especially in the decade of the 1940s in Bombay and also after independence in Lahore. Not many contemporary composers invented so many tunes, which carried strong imprints of their creators as did Feroze Nizami. What is particularly interesting to note is that his stylistically composed songs changed very little when he returned to Lahore; the same qualities and mannerisms by which his later works were recognised could be discerned in many of his early compositions.
"I try to make my music speak simply and directly about what lies in my heart at the time of composition", Nizami once told this scribe when we both were associated with the Music Academy at the Lahore Arts Council in a candid manner, adding, "If there is love or melancholia, or if I am in a disturbed state of mind, these moods and feelings get soaked into my compositions".
After graduating from Islamia College, Lahore, Feroze Nizami, joined All India Radio, Delhi, as a programme producer like his contemporary Khurshid Anwar. Both resigned their jobs to become freelance composers of film songs for Bombay-based Indian film industry.
In those days, a group of young and educated Muslim composers used to meet regularly to confabulate on music, discuss their problems and deliberated on ways and means to meet the growing demands of film industry. Included among those talented artistes were Rafique Ghazanavi and Khurshid Anwar. They had been groomed in classical tradition of Muslim gharanas of musicians, which they promoted with much zeal and verve, either through their classical vocalisation, or via film compositions. Nizami, and later Rashid Attray and Master Ghulam Haider joined this group.
In the beginning, Feroze Nizami distinguished himself by his Kirana strand of classical vocalisation. He inherited the artistic mantle of his illustrious teacher and mentor, Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan. An elder brother of cricketer Nazar Muhammad, Nizami was a man of multi-faceted personality. Besides being a classical singer, who broadcast his music from Delhi and Bombay both before and after the political division of India, he composed music for a large number of films, produced in Bombay, Lahore and Karachi. He was regarded as one of the best composers of film songs in the Sub-continent.
Late Nizami was a musicologist, too. He wrote a large number of articles, which were published in "The Pakistan Times" regularly for several years. His Urdu books on music and mysticism were 'Asrar-e-Mauseeqi' (which was prescribed by the University of the Punjab for its graduate course in music) and 'Sarchashma-e-Hayat' of which he used to talk with pride. He also dabbled in homeopathy and practised the art of transcendental meditation.
An influential composer representing the Punjab school. Nizami remained in the forefront of progressive movement in film music. He used every genre - classical, folk, popular, and even melodies derived from Hindu liturgical modes, to embellish his compositions.
His greatest achievement was the evolution of a powerful and original creative force, which was reflected in his captivating songs for the films Jugnu (Bombay), Dopatta and Chunway (Lahore). Music buffs still vividly remember and enjoy the lilt and cadences of such songs as Aaj ki raat saaze-e-dil purdard, Yahan Badla wafa ka bewafai, Tum bhi bhula tho and Hamain to shaame-e-gham mein (Jugnu); Chandni raatain, Tum zindgi ko gham ka fasana (Dopatta), and Terey Mukhrey tay kala kala til way and Chun they aa totia (Chunway).
From rhythms, melodies, instrumental colours and other salient features of Punjabi folk music and Kirana classical traditions, Nizami derived inspiration for his compositions, some of which brought him early recognition. Interest in Punjabi folk music came to him early, even before his emergence as a composer. Some of his compositions were markedly superior to songs composed by other music directors, especially in delicacy and expressiveness, which created magical spells on the listeners. Nizami's popularity during the decade of the 1940s was well deserved.
If he was not the greatest Muslim composer after Khurshid Anwar, Master Jhandey Khan and Master Ghulam Hadier, he certainly was one of the great by the end of the year 1952. There is no area of composition to which he did not contribute significantly. He was considered a master in the invention of melodic interludes, and in arranging orchestral pieces of a song.
Apart from his creative talent, Nizami was also acknowledged as a classical singer of much merit. He did not allow his deteriorating health and old age to interfere with his melodic agenda and commitments. In 1963, Nizami led a delegation of Pakistani artists, who participated in a music seminar held at Tehran under the auspices of UNESCO. His paper on the then state of musical affairs in Pakistan won him appreciation of delegates from other countries.
Nizami also trained a number of singers, who too created names in the film world. More prominent among them were the inimitable playback singer Muhammad Rafi, composer and classical singer Ustad Saleem Husain (better known as Saleem Iqbal in film circles) and Muhammad Ali, who taught music at Lahore Arts Council (Alhamra) Music Academy.