Akhtari Bai Faizabadi (7 October 1914 – 30 October 1974), also known as Begum Akhtar, was an Indian singer and actress. Dubbed "Mallika-e-Ghazal" (Queen of Ghazals), she is regarded as one of the greatest singers of
ghazal
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...
,
dadra
Dadra is associated with the Hindustani classical music of the Indian subcontinent.
Dadra tala
This is a Hindustani classical '' tala'' (rhythmic cycle), consisting of six beats in two equal divisions of three. The most commonly accepted theka ...
, and
thumri
Thumri () is a vocal genre or style of Indian music. The term "thumri" is derived from the Hindi verb ''thumuknaa'', which means "to walk with a dancing gait in such a way that the ankle-bells tinkle." The form is, thus, connected with dance, dr ...
genres of
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...
.
[
Begum Akhtar received the ]Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IPA: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in Englis ...
for vocal music in 1972, was awarded Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
, and later a Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...
Award posthumously by the government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
.
Early life
Akhtari Bai Faizabadi was born on 7 October 1914 to Asghar Hussain, a lawyer and his second wife Mushtari. Asghar Hussain subsequently disowned Mushtari and his twin daughters Zohra and Bibbi (later known as Begum Akhtar).
Career
Akhtar was barely seven when she was captivated by the music of Chandra Bai, an artist attached to a touring theatre group. However at her uncle's insistence she was sent to train under Ustad Imdad Khan
Ustad Imdad Khan (1848 – 1920) was a sitar and surbahar player. He was the first sitar player ever to be recorded.[Patna
Patna (
), historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. ...]
, and later under Ata Mohammed Khan of Patiala
Patiala () is a city in southeastern Punjab, India, Punjab, northwestern India. It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the administrative capital of Patiala district. Patiala is located around the ''Qila Mubarak, Patiala, Qila Mubarak ...
. Later, she travelled to Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
with her mother and learnt music from classical stalwarts like Mohammad Khan, Abdul Waheed Khan of Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
, and finally she became the disciple of Ustad Jhande Khan.[
Her first public performance was at the age of fifteen. The famous poet ]Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu (''née'' Chattopadhyay; 13 February 1879 – 2 March 1949) was an Indian political activist, feminist and poet. A proponent of civil rights, women's emancipation, and anti-imperialistic ideas, she was an important person in Indi ...
appreciated her singing during a concert which was organised in the aid of victims of the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake
Events
January–February
* January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established.
* January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...
. This encouraged her to continue singing ghazals with more enthusiasm. She cut her first disc for the Megaphone Record Company, at that time. A number of gramophone records were released carrying her ghazals
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a p ...
, dadras
Dadra is associated with the Hindustani classical music of the Indian subcontinent.
Dadra tala
This is a Hindustani classical '' tala'' (rhythmic cycle), consisting of six beats in two equal divisions of three. The most commonly accepted theka ...
, thumris
Thumri () is a vocal genre or style of Indian music. The term "thumri" is derived from the Hindi verb ''thumuknaa'', which means "to walk with a dancing gait in such a way that the ankle-bells tinkle." The form is, thus, connected with dance, d ...
, etc. She was amongst the early female singers to give public concert, and break away from singing in ''mehfils'' or private gatherings, and in time came to be known as ''Mallika-e-Ghazal'' (Queen of Ghazal).[
Begum Akhtar's good looks and sensitive voice made her an ideal candidate for a film career in her early years. When she heard great musicians like ]Gauhar Jaan
Gauhar Jaan (born Angelina Yeoward; 26 June 1873 – 17 January 1930) was an Indian singer and dancer from Kolkata. She was one of the first performers to record music on 78 rpm records in India, which was later released by the Gramophone Compa ...
and Malak Jan, however, she decided to forsake the glamour of the film world for a career in Indian classical music
Indian classical music is the classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as '' Hindustani'' and the South Indian expression known as '' Carnatic''. These traditions were not ...
. Her supreme artistry in light classical music had its moorings in the tradition of pure classicism. She chose her repertoire in primarily classical modes: a variety of raags, ranging from simple to complex. After the advent of talkie era in India, Begum Akhtar acted in a few Hindi movies in the 1930s. East India Film Company
The East India Film Company was an Indian film production company, based in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India. It was the first Indian film company to screen a movie at an international film festival. Started in 1932 in Calcutta, by R. ...
of Calcutta approached her to act in "King for a Day" (alias ''Ek Din Ka Badshah'') and ''Nal Damayanti'' in 1933.[
Like others of that era, she sang her songs herself in all her films. She continued acting in the following years. Subsequently, Begum Akhtar moved back to Lucknow where she was approached by the famous producer-director ]Mehboob Khan
Mehboob Khan (born Mehboob Khan Ramzan Khan; 9 September 1907
at filmreference.com. – 28 ...
, to act in ''Roti
Roti (also known as chapati) is a round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent. It is popular in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, Trinid ...
'' which was released in 1942 and whose music was composed by the maestro Anil Biswas. "Roti" contained six of her ghazals but unfortunately due to some trouble with the producer, Mehboob Khan
Mehboob Khan (born Mehboob Khan Ramzan Khan; 9 September 1907
at filmreference.com. – 28 ...
subsequently deleted three or four ghazals from the film. All the ghazals are available on Megaphone gramophone records. Begum Akhtar, meanwhile, left Bombay and returned to Lucknow. Her name appears differently in many film credits as Akhtaribai Fyzabadi, Akhtaribai Faizabadi, Akhtari and Begum Akhtar.[
In 1945, Akhtari Bai married a Lucknow-based barrister, Ishtiaq Ahmed Abbasi, and became known as Begum Akhtar.][ However, after marriage, due to restrictions by her husband, she could not sing for almost five years and subsequently, fell ill and emotionally depressed. That is when her return to music was prescribed as a befitting remedy, and in 1949 she returned to the recording studios.][Begum Akhtar (1914–1974) – Begum Akhtar Profile]
NRCW, Government of India website, Published 19 March 2006, Retrieved 1 October 2020 She sang three ghazals and a dadra at Lucknow All India Radio
All or ALL may refer to:
Language
* All, an indefinite pronoun in English
* All, one of the English determiners
* Allar language (ISO 639-3 code)
* Allative case (abbreviated ALL)
Music
* All (band), an American punk rock band
* ''All'' (All a ...
station. She started crying afterwards and returned to singing in concerts, which she continued to do unto death. She sang publicly in Lucknow
Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
, in a women's only concert in aid of the war with China, which was held in 1962.[
Her voice matured with time, acquiring richness and depth. She sang ghazals and other light classical pieces, in her inimitable style. She has nearly four hundred songs to her credit. She was a regular performer on ]All India Radio
All or ALL may refer to:
Language
* All, an indefinite pronoun in English
* All, one of the English determiners
* Allar language (ISO 639-3 code)
* Allative case (abbreviated ALL)
Music
* All (band), an American punk rock band
* ''All'' (All a ...
. She usually composed her own ghazals and most of her compositions were raag based. She also sang the timeless Bengali classical song "Jochona Koreche Aari" (জোছনা করেছে আড়ি).[
On 7 October 2017, ]Google
Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
dedicated a Doodle
A doodle is a drawing made while a person's attention is otherwise occupied. Doodles are simple drawings that can have concrete representational meaning or may just be composed of random and abstract lines or shapes, generally without ever lift ...
profile to her commemorating the 103rd birthday of Begum Akthar.
Death
During her last concert in Balaramapuram near Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
in 1974, she raised the pitch of her voice as she felt that her singing had not been as good as she had wanted it to be and felt unwell. The stress she put herself under resulted in her falling ill and she was rushed to the hospital.[
She died on 30 October 1974 in the arms of Nilam Gamadia, her friend, who invited her to ]Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...
, which became her final performance.[
Her tomb was a mango orchard within her home, 'Pasand Bagh' in ]Thakurganj
Thakurganj is a town and a notified area, divided into 12 wards, in Kishanganj district in the Indian state of Bihar.
Geography
It has an average elevation of 82 metres (269 feet). It touches international border of Nepal in one side ...
area, of Lucknow
Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
. She was buried alongside her mother, Mushtari Sahiba. However, over the years, much of the garden has been lost to the growing city, and the tomb has fallen into disrepair. The marble graves enclosed in a red brick enclosure, were restored in 2012, along with their pietra dura
''Pietra dura'' () or ''pietre dure'' () ( see below), called parchin kari or parchinkari ( fa, ) in the Indian Subcontinent, is a term for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished colored stones to create images. It is c ...
style marble inlay. Attempts are on to convert her home built in 1936 in China bazaar, Lucknow into a museum.
Her disciples include Shanti Hiranand, who later received Padma Shri and wrote a biography ''Begum Akhtar: The Story of My Ammi'' (2005).[ Art critic S. Kalidas directed a documentary on her titled ''Hai Akhtari''.
]
Discography
# Begum Akhtar has nearly four hundred songs to her credit[
]
List
* See Begum Akhtar songs for comprehensive list.
* ''Naseeb Ka Chakkar'' , –
# "Kalyug Hai Jabse Aaya Maya Ne..."
*''Roti'' , Anna Sahab Mainkar
# "Wo Hans Rahe Hain Aah Kiye Jaa..."
# "Ulajh Gaye Nayanwa Chhute Nahin..."
# "Char Dino Ki Jawani Matwale..."
# "Ai Prem Teri Balihari Ho..."
# "Phir Fasle Bahaar Aayi Hai..."
# "Rehne Laga Hai Dil Me Andhera..."
* ''Panna Dai'' , Gyan Dutt
# "Hamen Yaad Teri Sataane Lagi..."
# "Main Raja Ko Apne Rijha Ke Rahungi..."
* ''Dana Pani'' , Mohan Junior
# "Ishq Mujhe Aur Kuchh To Yaad Nahi..."
* ''Ehsaan''
# "Hamen dil mein basaa bhi lo.."
Filmography
Awards and recognition
* 1968: Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
[
* 1972: ]Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IPA: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in Englis ...
[
* 1975: ]Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...
(posthumously)[
]
Bibliography
* ''In Memory of Begum Akhtar'', by Shahid Ali Agha. US Inter Culture Associates, 1979.
* ''Great Masters of Hindustani Music'', by Susheela Misra. Published by Hem Publishers, 1981. ''Chapter 26''.
* ''Begum Akhtar: The Queen of Ghazal'', by Sutapa Mukherjee. Rupa & Co, 2005, .
* ''Begum Akhtar: The Story of My Ammi'', by Shanti Hiranand. Published by Viva Books, 2005, .
* ''Ae Mohabbat… Reminiscing Begum Akhtar'', by Jyoti Sabharwal & Rita Ganguly, 2008, .
* ''Begum Akhtar: Love's Own Voice'', by S. Kalidas. 2009, .
References
External links
Biography of Beghum Akhtar
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akhtar, Begum
1914 births
1974 deaths
20th-century Indian Muslims
Indian women ghazal singers
Indian ghazal singers
Indian film actresses
20th-century Indian actresses
Actresses in Hindi cinema
Hindustani singers
Thumri
Indian women playback singers
Singers from Lucknow
People from Faizabad district
Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts
Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts
Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Women Hindustani musicians
Women musicians from Uttar Pradesh
20th-century Indian women singers
20th-century Indian singers