Notes from the past ...Siraj Khan

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Notes from the past  Siraj Khan THE extended presence of Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle on the Indian film music circuit  ended the careers of many female singers. Yet, the contribution of playback singers such as  Shamshad Begum, Sudha Malhotra, Kamal Barot, Usha Mangeshkar, Ruma Guha Thakurta  and Mubarak Begum is unforgettable. The queen amongst them, Shamshad Begum, now leads a quiet life at her suburban Mumbai  home with her only daughter and son-in-law. The grand old lady is over 89 years and has  been out of the public glare. The last time she had allowed herself to be photographed was  some 50 years ago. Shamshad Begum began her career with the Lahore radio in 1937. The Amritsar-born  singer instantly captured the imagination of her listeners with her mellifluous voice and ruled  their hearts for at least two decades. Saiyan dilmain aana re , Boojh mera kya naam re, Teri mehfil main kismat aazma  kar hum bhi dekhangeare some of Shamshad Begum’s smash hits. Her swan  song, Kajra mohabbatwala and legendary composer O.P. Nayyar’s song Kabhi aar kabhi  paar are other popular numbers by Shamshad Begum, which still rule the charts in their  remix avatar. Sudha Malhotra was another magical voice. Born in New Delhi in 1936, she was  discovered as a child artiste by Master Ghulam Haider (a prominent music director of the 1940s) . Her first break came with Mil gaye nain, composed by Anil Biswas, for the film Arzoo.  Salaam-e-hasrat qubool karlo and Kashti ka khamosh safar hai a duet with Kishore Kumar,  are the other songs she is often remembered for. There is another interesting little-known aspect of her life. She is one of the rare f emale singers to have sung a self-composed song. Sudha has not only given the music  for Tum mujhe bhool bhee jao from filmDidi, but also sung it with Mukesh. Sudha was also often linked with famous lyricist, Sahir Ludhianvi, who was said to  be in love with her. Unfortunately, his was to be an unrequited love, which has been  immortalised in the number, Chalo ek baar phir se ajnabi ban jaen. Sudha is now 72  and lives in Mumbai. Barring an occasional ghazal and bhajan programme, she is seldom  seen or heard. Then there is the talented Kamal Barot, who has sung countless duets and qawaalis  as the secondary voice. Garjat barsat sawan ayo re with Suman Kalyanpur, Dadi amma  dadi amma maan jao with Asha Bhonsle, Hasta hua noorani chehra with Lata Mangeshkar.  The list can go on. But her rare solos, too, have been outstanding - Aaj humko hansaye  na koyee is haunting. Kamal is now in her 70s but little is known of her recent singing exploits. Usha Mangeshkar, an accomplished Hindi and Marathi playback singer, has perhaps played  second fiddle to her illustrious elder sisters, Lata and Asha all her life. Kahe tarsay  and Dekho bijli doli, sung along with Asha Bhonsle, are excellent. Her solo, Sultana  sultana and Aplam chaplam with Lata Mangeshkar, are popular even today. Now at 73,  she has almost phased out her public singing, although she did make a surprise appearance,  singing for Jai Santoshi Ma in 2006. A person who is known for sheer variety of her accomplishments is Ruma Guha Thakurta  nee Ghosh. Born in 1934, she is an actress, singer, dancer and choreographer. In 1951,  Ruma married Kishore Kumar. Their son Amit Kumar was born an year later.  After her divorce, she settled in Kolkata, where she formed the Calcutta Youth Choir,  along with composer Salil Chowdhury and filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Ruma has sung songs  with Manna Dey, Hemant Kumar, and Kishore Kumar, acted in over 100 Hindi and  Bengali films, and played the lead role in Ganashatru that won an Oscar nomination in 1989.  She acted in Mira Nair’s The Namesake. At 74 today Ruma still retains her gusto for life. Mubarak Begum is another singer, whose comeback story is unprecedented. The singer  who rendered unforgettable songs such as Kabhi tanhaiyon mein, Mujhko apne gale lagalo  and Kuch ajnabi se aap hein, had not sung since 1968, after being sidelined.  Early this year Mubarak Begum made her comeback after 40 years.  Her stage presence is still infectious. In the past six months, she has performed twice in  Pune, Mumbai, Baroda and New Delhi (most recently on July 17) and there are more  concerts planned in Kolkata and Chennai. These women are national treasures. And while decades have passed by since many  of them last stepped into a recording studio, the songs they have sung continue  to touch the soul. Perhaps, it’s time to let them know that they haven’t been forgotten.—