Naushad was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema in 1982. He is one of the most talented and popular music composer in Indian cinema. He holds the credit of introducing the famous Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi to Hindi filmi music. Naushad's professional training in Hindustani music made him adaptable of the Hindustani ragas to filmi music.

Since early childhood in Lucknow he was an avid listener to the live orchestras accompanying silent films. He learnt music from Ustad Ghurbat Ali, Ustad Yusuf Ali and Ustad Babban Saheb. In his initial days he composed for amateur theatricals such as the Windsor Music Entertainers.

Naushad joined a dramatic company in a theatre at Golagunj in Lucknow.He was trained under Laddan Khanhad where he became capable of working independently as a composer. There he also developed the sense to pick rare musical jewels from the folk tradition of Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Saurashtra during the company's sojourns in those regions. The dramatic company broke up while in Saurashtra and once again Naushad was literally thrown on the streets.

In the late 1930s he came to Bombay to try his luck as a musician but had to really struggle . He even had to spend nights on the footpath before he worked as a pianist in composer Mushtaq Hussain's orchestra. Naushad worked as a harmonium player in the Ranjit film company where he met D. N. Madhok the well-known songwriter.Mr. Madhok recommended Naushad due to which he got a job in Prakash Studio and was also assigned to compose music for a film Premnagar which launched this young music maker on a career .He also assisted music director Khemchand Prakash for a while.

He got his first break in Prem Nagar (1940) that went unnoticed .He earned recognition with the film Sharda (1942) wherein 13-year-old Suraiya did the playback for heroine Mehtab. he turning point in his career was Rattan (1944) that took Naushad to the top . Ankhiyaan Milake and Sawan ke Badalon became the most popular songs of the day.

Naushad was one of the first to introduce sound mixing and the separate recording of voice and music tracks in playback singing. He was the first to combine the flute and the clarinet, the sitar and mandolin. He also introduced the accordion to Hindi film music and was among the first to concentrate on background music to extend characters' moods and dialogues through music. Songs for his music have been mostly penned down by Shakeel Badayuni. In a sense, their partnership can be compared to that of Rodgers & Hammerstein's.

In the 1940s , Naushad had aseries of hits including A.R. Kardar's Shahjehan (1946), Dard (1947), Dillagi (1949), Dulari (1949) and Mehboob Khan - Anmol Ghadi (1946), Elaan (1947), Anoki Ada (1948), Andaaz (1949). Naushad also boosted Lata Mangeshkar's career with films Mahal and Barsaat . The lilting tunes from Dillagi (old), Baiju Bawara and Mughal-e-Azam, Mother India and Aan along many other films delighted millions.Fame and fortune followed him and his name figured prominently in film circles.

In 1950's he He went on to score the music for classics - Mother India (1957), Mughal-e-Azam (1960), Ganga Jamuna (1961) and Mere Mehboob (1963). Mughal-e-Azam, had Naushad's outstanding musical score was outstanding Shubh Din Aayo and Prem Jogan ke Sundari Pio Chali and Lata 's gems like Mohabbat ki Jhooti Kahani pe Roye and Pyaar Kiya to Darna Kya .Also Mohd. Rafi's Ae Mohabbat Zindabad. After 1960's ,Naushad completed Pakeezah (1972) and continued doing occasional films.