Shamshad Begum (
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
: शमशाद बेगम, IAST: ''Śamśād Bēgam''; 14 April 1919 – 23 April 2013)
was an Indian singer who was one of the first playback singers in the
Hindi film industry. Notable for her distinctive voice and range, she sang over 6,000 songs in
Hindustani,
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
,
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people
*Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece
See also
*
* ...
,
Gujarati
Gujarati may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India
* Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat
* Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them
* Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub ...
,
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
, and
Punjabi languages, among which 1287 were Hindi film songs.
She worked with renowned composers of the time, such as
Naushad Ali
Naushad Ali (25 December 1919 – 5 May 2006) was an Indian music director for Hindi films. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and foremost music directors of the Hindi film industry. He is particularly known for popularising the ...
and
O. P. Nayyar
Omkar Prasad Nayyar (16 January 1926 – 28 January 2007) was an Indian film music composer, singer-songwriter, music producer, and musician. He is considered to be one of the most rhythmic and melodious music directors of the Hindi film industr ...
, for whom she was one of their favorites. Her songs from the 1940s to the early 1970s remain popular and continue to be remixed.
Personal life
Shamshad Begum was born in
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. ...
,
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
(present-day
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
) on 14 April 1919 the day after the
Jallianwala Bagh massacre
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place on 13 April 1919. A large peaceful crowd had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab, to protest against the Rowlatt Act and arrest of pro-independenc ...
took place in nearby
Amritsar
Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...
. She was one of eight children, five sons and three daughters, born to a conservative Muslim family of limited means. Her father, Mian Hussain Baksh Maan, worked as a mechanic and her mother, Ghulam Fatima, was a pious lady of conservative disposition, a devoted wife and mother who raised her children with traditional family values.
In 1932, the teenage Shamshad came in contact with Ganpat Lal Batto, a
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
law student who lived in the same neighbourhood and who was several years older than her. In those days, marriages were performed while the bride and groom were very young, and Shamshad's parents were already looking out for a suitable alliance for her. Their efforts were on the verge of bearing fruit in 1934 when Ganpat Lal Batto and Shamshad made the decision to marry each other. In 1934, despite strenuous opposition from both their families due to religious differences, 15-year-old Shamshad married Ganpat Lal Batto. The couple had but one child, a daughter named Usha, who in due course married a Hindu gentleman,
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
Yogesh Ratra, an officer in the
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...
.
In 1955, Ganpat Lal Batto died in a road accident. His death left Shamshad very distraught, because her husband had been the focus of her life and they had both been extremely devoted to each other. He had handled many aspects of her career and contracts and had been a major positive energy behind her career progression. After his death, Shamshad became listless and lost the fighting spirit to pursue her career, which registered a sharp decline thereafter. Indeed, while Shamshad Begum was both an outstanding singer and a successful famous one, she was at some deeper level always a wife and mother first, someone who instinctively prioritised her family over her career. By nature, she preferred to keep away from the public glare and from business dealings, taking the view that it was rather unseemly for a lady to be involved in such things.
After her husband's death, Shamshad Begum began living with her daughter and son-in-law in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
, first in south Mumbai and later at
Hiranandani Gardens
Hiranandani Gardens (known popularly as Hiranandani) is an upmarket township consisting of condominiums, penthouses, bungalows and commercial complexes in Powai in the city of Mumbai. Hiranandani was constructed by the Hiranandani Group and ca ...
.
She gradually became a recluse and devoted herself entirely to her grandchildren, to the point that the general public was unaware of whether she was alive or dead. In 2004, a controversy erupted in the media, when several publications wrongly reported that Shamshad Begum had died a few years previously. Shamshad's family clarified in a press release that this was not so.
Her self-imposed seclusion is remarkable, because during all those decades away from the public eye, her old songs remained popular with the public and not a day passed without at least a couple of songs being played on
Vividh Bharati
The Vividh Bharati Service (VBS; ) of All India Radio was conceptualized to combat Radio Ceylon in 1967. Due to the Indian Government stopping its short wave relay centers, VBS is only available on the Internet. Vividh Bharati radio channel wa ...
and
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 ...
.
Career
1924–40
Begum's talent was first spotted by her principal when she was in primary school in 1924. Impressed by the quality of her voice, she was made head singer of classroom prayer. At 10, she started singing folk-based songs at religious functions and family marriages. She received no formal musical training. Her singing ambitions, which she held from 1929, met with opposition from her family. In 1931, when she was twelve, her uncle, who enjoyed
qawwali
Qawwali ( Punjabi: (Shahmukhi), (Gurmukhi); Urdu: (Nasta'liq); Hindi: क़व्वाली (Devanagari); Bengali: কাওয়ালি (Bengali)) is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing, originating from the Indian subcontinent ...
s and
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 ...
s, secretly took her to Jenophone (or Xenophone) Music Company for an audition with Lahore-based musician and composer,
Ghulam Haider. Begum said in an interview, "I sang Bahadur Shah Zafar's (the poet-ruler) ghazal ''Mera yaar mujhe mile agar''." An impressed Haider gave her a contract for twelve songs, with the same facilities provided to top singers. It was Begum's paternal uncle Aamir Khan who convinced her father, Miya Hussain Baksh, to allow her to sing. When she won a contract with a recording company, her father agreed to let her sing on the condition that she would record in a
burka and not allow herself to be photographed. She earned 15
rupees per song and was awarded 5,000 on the completion of the contract on Xenophone. Xenophone was a renowned music recording company, patronised by the rich, and her popularity grew in elite circles in the early 1930s. Though she had won the Xenophone audition without having any formal music training, Hussain Bakshwale Sahab and later Ghulam Haider improved her singing skills between 1937 and 1939.
Her popular breakthrough came when she began singing 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 ...
(AIR) in Peshawar and Lahore from 1937. Producer Dilsukh Pancholi wanted her to act as well in a film he was producing. Begum readily agreed, gave a screen test and was selected. Her father became angry when he found out and warned her that she would not be allowed to sing if she continued to harbour a desire to act. Begum promised her father that she would never appear before the camera. She continued to sing songs on the radio. She never posed for photographs, and few people saw her picture between 1933 and the 1970s.
Begum sang for AIR through her musical group 'The Crown Imperial Theatrical Company of Performing Arts', set up in Delhi. The then ''AIR Lahore'' helped her to enter the world of movies as they frequently broadcast her songs, which induced music directors to use her voice for their films. Begum also recorded ''
naats'' and other devotional music for a couple of gramophone recording companies. Her crystal-clear voice caught the attention of ''
sarangi
The sārangī is a bowed, short-necked string instrument played in traditional music from South Asia – Punjabi folk music, Rajasthani folk music, and Boro folk music (there known as the ''serja'') – in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. It is ...
'' maestro Hussain Bakshwale Saheb, who took her as his disciple.
1941–45
Director
Mehboob Khan
Mehboob Khan (born Mehboob Khan Ramzan Khan; 9 September 1907
at filmreference.com. – 28 ...
brought Shamshad Begum to Mumbai after telling her husband 'I will take her to Mumbai and give her a flat, car, conveyance and even if four to six people accompany her, it's fine. Please let her come to Mumbai'. Her father was not convinced at first but later gave in as Shamshad wanted to come to Mumbai. Haider used her voice skilfully in some of his earlier films such as ''
Khazanchi'' (1941) and ''
Khandan Khandan may refer to:
* Khandan Rural District, rural district in Iran
* Khandaan (1942 film) (pre-Partition Punjabi Urdu film)
* Khandan (1965 film) (Hindi film)
* Khandaan (1979 film), an Indian Hindi-language drama film
* Khandaan (TV series) Kh ...
'' (1942). By 1940, Begum was already well established on the radio. The songs "Cheechi Wich Pa ke Chhalla", "Mera Haal Vekh Ke" and "Kankaan Diyaan Faslaan" from ''Yamla Jatt'' of 1940 became a huge hit and popularised
Pran, singer Begum and composer Haider. Haider continued to compose hit songs which Begum sang for films including ''Zamindar'', ''
Poonji
''Poonji'' is a Bollywood film. It was released in 1943. The film was directed by Ravindra Dave and Vishnu R. Pancholi. It starred M. Esmail, Durga Mota, Ragini in lead roles.
Plot
The film revolves around three sisters trying to prevent th ...
'' and ''Shama''. Khan used Begum's voice in ''
Taqdeer'' (1943), where he introduced
Nargis
Nargis Dutt (born Fatima Rashid; 1 June 1929 – 3 May 1981) was an Indian actress and politician who worked in Hindi cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, she made her screen debut in a minor role ...
as the heroine. Begum was soon singing for other composers including Rafiq Ghaznavi, Ameer Ali, Pt. Gobindram, Pt. Amarnath, Bulo C. Rani, Rashid Atre and M. A. Mukhtar, in the pre-independence era.
When Haider moved to
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
in 1944, Begum went with him as a member of his team, leaving behind her family and staying with her ''Chacha'' (paternal uncle). After partition, Haider migrated to Pakistan but Begum remained in Mumbai. She had no known Pakistani connection post 1947. Begum became a national star between the early 1940s and the early 1960s, having a voice different from her peers such as
Noorjehan (also discovered by Haider), Mubarrak Begum, Suraiya,
Sudha Malhotra
Sudha Malhotra is an Indian playback singer. She also acted in some Bollywood films and as a playback singer, worked in popular Bollywood movies in the 1950s and 1960s, like ''Arzoo'', ''Dhool Ka Phool'', ''Ab Dilli Door Nahin'', ''Girl Friend' ...
,
Geeta Dutt
Geeta Dutt (born Geeta Ghosh Roy Chowdhuri; 23 November 1930 – 20 July 1972) was an Indian playback singer and a famous Hindi and Bengali classical artist, born in Faridpur before the Partition of India. She found particular prominence as a ...
and
Amirbai Karnataki
Amirbai Karnataki (c. 1906 – 3 March 1965) was a famous actress/singer and playback singer of the early Hindi cinema and was famous as ''Kannada Kokila''. Mahatma Gandhi was an ardent fan of her song ''Vaishnav Jan To''.
Early life
Amirbai ...
. Her peak period in the Hindi film industry was from 1940 to 1955 and again from 1957 to 1968.
1946–55
Begum sang extensively for composers including
Naushad Ali
Naushad Ali (25 December 1919 – 5 May 2006) was an Indian music director for Hindi films. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and foremost music directors of the Hindi film industry. He is particularly known for popularising the ...
,
O. P. Nayyar
Omkar Prasad Nayyar (16 January 1926 – 28 January 2007) was an Indian film music composer, singer-songwriter, music producer, and musician. He is considered to be one of the most rhythmic and melodious music directors of the Hindi film industr ...
,
C. Ramchandra and
S. D. Burman
Sachin Dev Burman (1 October 1906 – 31 October 1975) was an Indian music director and singer. A member of the Tripura royal family, he started his career with Bengali films in 1937. He later began composing for Hindi movies and became one o ...
from 1946 to 1960. Naushad acknowledged in an interview that he was indebted to Begum in reaching the top, as she was famous before he became known in the late 1940s; after his tracks sung by her became highly popular, his talent was recognised. It was Begum's solo and duet songs sung for Naushad in the late 1940s and early 1950s which made Naushad famous. After Naushad became successful he recorded songs with new singers as well in the early 1950s, but kept working with Shamshad in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Naushad chose his favourite singer Begum once again to sing four out of the twelve songs in ''
Mother India
''Mother India'' is a 1957 Indian epic drama film, directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar. A remake of Khan's earlier film '' Aurat'' (1940), it is the story of a poverty-stricken village wom ...
''.
Begum is credited with singing one of the first Westernised songs, "Meri jaan...Sunday ke Sunday" by Ramchandra. She kept getting more offers to sing songs and was the highest paid female singer from 1940 to 1955 and again post Mother India in 1957 to 1964. In 1949, music directors S. Rajeswara Rao, M. D. Parthasarathy and Balakrishna Kalla asked her to sing "Jaiyo Jaiyo Shipayon Bazar" for
P. Bhanumathi
P. Bhanumathi Ramakrishna (7 September 1925 – 24 December 2005) was an Indian actress, singer, film producer, director, music composer, and novelist. She is regarded as the first female super star of Telugu cinema. She is also considered the ...
in the film ''Nishan'', produced by Gemini Films of Madras, which became highly popular.
Although Burman started composing Bengali music in 1937, he achieved national fame with tracks sung by Begum in Hindi films.
Burman was not well established as a music director in Hindi films until 1946; he then asked Begum to sing in his debut Hindi film as music director, ''Shikari'' (1946), with the song, "Kuch Rang Badal Rahi". In 1949, came ''
Shabnam
Jharna Basak (born 17 August 1946), known by her stage name Shabnam, is a Bangladeshi–Pakistani stage and film actress. Actor Waheed Murad introduced her to the Pakistani film industry by offering her a lead role in his film ''Samundar'' in 1 ...
'', in which Burman asked her to sing duets named "Pyar Main Tumne" and "Kismat Bhi Bhichadna" with
Mukesh Mukesh is an epithet for the Hindu god Shiva, and literally means "conqueror of the Muka demon". It also means god of 3 worlds, heaven, hell & earth, which in turn represents Hindu god Shiva. It is commonly used as a male given name in India. Peopl ...
, which became popular. ''Shabnam'' was Burman's biggest hit to that date with
Filmistan
Filmistan is an Indian film studio based in Goregaon, Mumbai. Spread over five acres, near Patkar College on S.V. Road, the studio has seven shooting floors, and a temple and garden for outdoor locations. Patkar College's reputation has incre ...
, and was especially noticeable for its multilingual song "Yeh Duniya Roop ki Chor", sung by Begum and acted by
Kamini Kaushal
Kamini Kaushal (born as Uma Kashyap, 24 February 1927) is an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films and television. She is noted for her roles in films such as ''Neecha Nagar'' (1946), which won the 1946 Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) at Cannes Fil ...
, which became another hit. Burman subsequently asked her to sing tracks in ''Bazar'', ''Mashaal'', ''
Bahar'', ''Shahenshah'', ''Miss India'', and other films. The song "Jaam Tham Le" from ''Shahenshah'' was a trendsetter for Burman compositions.
Begum had met Nayyar during her radio stint in Lahore, when he worked as an office boy delivering cakes for the lead singers. In 1954, when Nayyar got a break as a composer, he approached Begum to record songs for ''Mangu''. Nayyar described her voice as resembling a "temple bell" for its clarity of
tone. He worked with her until the late 1960s and gave her many hit songs, including "Ab To Jee Hone Laga" from ''
Mr. & Mrs. '55'', "Main Jaan Gayi Tujhe" from ''
Howrah Bridge
The Howrah Bridge is a balanced cantilever bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal. Commissioned in 1943, the bridge was originally named the New Howrah Bridge, because it replaced a pontoon bridge at the same location linking the cities ...
'', "Zara Pyar Karle" from ''Mangu'', "Saiyan Teri Ankhon Mein" from ''12' O Clock'', "Thodasa Dil Lagana" from ''
Musafirkhana'', and many others.
Several of her songs from this period remain extremely popular, including those acted by
Nigar Sultana, such as "Teri Mehfil Mein" from ''
Mughal E Azam
''Mughal-e-Azam'' () is a 1960 Indian epic historical drama film produced and directed by K. Asif. Starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, and Durga Khote, it follows the love affair between Mughal Prince Salim (who went on ...
'' and "Mere Piyan Gaye" from ''
Patanga'' (1949), as well as "Saiyan Dil Mein Aana Re", acted by
Vyjayanthimala
Vyjayanthimala (born 13 August 1936) is a former Indian actress, dancer and parliamentarian. She is the recipient of several accolades, including two BFJA Awards and five Filmfare Awards. She made her screen debut at the age of thirteen with ...
, and "Boojh Mera Naam Hai", acted by
Minoo Mumtaz
is a city in northwestern Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Its name is commonly romanized as "Minō" or "Minoo"; however, the city government officially uses the spelling Minoh in English. As of October 2016, the city has an estimated population of 134 ...
. "Milte hi aankhen dil hua" from ''
Babul'' (1950) had a romantic duet with
Talat Mahmood
Talat Mahmood (24 February 1924 – 9 May 1998) was an Indian playback singer who is considered one of the popular male Indian film song and ghazal singers. Although he tried his luck as a film actor, he did not succeed a great deal in actin ...
, acted by
Dilip Kumar
Mohammed Yusuf Khan (; 11 December 1922 – 7 July 2021), better known by his stage name Dilip Kumar, was an Indian actor who worked in Hindi cinema. Credited with pioneering method acting in cinema, he dominated the Indian movie scene from lat ...
and
Munawar Sultana
Munawar Sultana (8 November 1924 – 15 September 2007) was an Indian cinema actress, who acted in Hindi films. She is cited as one of the "popular" actresses of the late 1940s to early 1950s period, along with Noor Jehan, Swarnalata and Rag ...
, which also became popular. Her duet with
Rafi, "Chhala Deja Nishani" from ''Bazar'' became a mega-hit.
In the late 1940s,
Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar (born as Abhas Kumar Ganguly (); 4 August 1929 – 13 October 1987) was an Indian playback singer and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential and dynamic singers in the history of Indian music.
He ...
and
Madan Mohan
Madan Mohan is a form of the Hindu god, Krishna.
Krishna is celebrated as ''Madan Mohan'', who mesmerizes everyone. His consort, Radha is glorified as Madan Mohan's ''Mohini'', who can even mesmerise Madan Mohan (her Kahn). Radha is known as th ...
sang as chorus boys for her songs at the Filmistan Studio. Begum promised at this time that she would sing songs composed by Mohan once he started his career as a music director and would accept a lower fee. She also predicted that Kumar would become a great playback singer. She later recorded duets with Kumar, including "Gori ke Nainon Mein Nindiya Bhari" from ''
Angarey
Angarey or Angaaray (translated alternatively as "Embers" or "Burning Coals") is a collection of nine short stories and a one act play in Urdu by Sajjad Zaheer, Rashid Jahan, Mahmud-uz-Zafar and Ahmed Ali first published in 1932 and general ...
'' and "Mere Neendon Me Tum" from ''
Naya Andaz
''Naya Andaz'' () is a 1956 Indian Hindi-language film starring Kishore Kumar and Meena Kumari in lead roles. The music was composed by O. P. Nayyar.
Plot
Sukhan and Chand (Kishore Kumar) are the father and son, who hold diametrically opposi ...
''.
1955–76
Shamshad was at the peak of her career right from 1941 to 1955 and was the most in demand female singer and highest paid female playback singer from 1940 to 1955. She was the lead singer for many films like ''
Taqdeer'', ''
Humayun
Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad ( fa, ) (; 6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), better known by his regnal name, Humāyūn; (), was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern ...
'', ''
Shahjehan'', ''
Anokhi Ada'', ''
Aag'', ''
Mela'', ''
Patanga'', ''
Babul'', ''
Bahar'', ''
Jadoo'', ''
Aan
''Aan'' (Hindi: आन, Urdu: آن, translation: ''Pride''), released as ''The Savage Princess'' in the United Kingdom and United States, is a 1952 Indian Bollywood adventure film, produced and directed by Mehboob Khan. It was India's first t ...
'' and more. But after her husband's accidental death in 1955, Begum became a recluse and stopped accepting singing assignments, including recordings, for a year. Though she had stopped recording for her songs in the year 1955 after her husband's death, the songs released between 1955 and early 1957 including songs from films such as ''
CID
CID may refer to:
Film
* ''C.I.D.'' (1955 film), an Indian Malayalam film
* ''C.I.D.'' (1956 film), an Indian Hindi film
* ''C. I. D.'' (1965 film), an Indian Telugu film
* ''C.I.D.'' (1990 film), an Indian Hindi film
Television
* ''CID'' ( ...
'', ''
Naya Andaz
''Naya Andaz'' () is a 1956 Indian Hindi-language film starring Kishore Kumar and Meena Kumari in lead roles. The music was composed by O. P. Nayyar.
Plot
Sukhan and Chand (Kishore Kumar) are the father and son, who hold diametrically opposi ...
'', ''Baradari'', ''
Mr. & Mrs. '55'' and other hits continued to be popular . At this juncture
Mehboob Khan
Mehboob Khan (born Mehboob Khan Ramzan Khan; 9 September 1907
at filmreference.com. – 28 ...
approached her in 1957 and said he wanted a full-throated voice for Nargis in ''
Mother India
''Mother India'' is a 1957 Indian epic drama film, directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar. A remake of Khan's earlier film '' Aurat'' (1940), it is the story of a poverty-stricken village wom ...
''. The first song she sang after returning to her career was "Pee ke ghar aaj pyari dulhaniya chali" for ''
Mother India
''Mother India'' is a 1957 Indian epic drama film, directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar. A remake of Khan's earlier film '' Aurat'' (1940), it is the story of a poverty-stricken village wom ...
''. She made a successful comeback, and subsequently recorded many notable songs for films such as ''Howrah Bridge'', ''
Jaali Note
''Jaali Note'' () is a 1960 Hindi-language crime film directed by Shakti Samanta, based on the theme of counterfeit money. It stars Dev Anand and Madhubala, along with Helen, Madan Puri, Om Prakash.
The film was unsuccessful with critics but ...
'', ''
Love in Simla
''Love In Simla'' is a 1960 Indian romance film, produced by Sashadhar Mukherjee and his Filmalaya production house. Directed by R. K. Nayyar, who co-wrote the script with Agha Jani, the film had the producer's son, Joy Mukherjee, in the lead r ...
'', ''
Bewaqoof'', ''
Mughal-e-Azam
''Mughal-e-Azam'' () is a 1960 Indian epic historical drama film produced and directed by K. Asif. Starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, and Durga Khote, it follows the love affair between Mughal Prince Salim (who went ...
'', ''
Bluff Master'', ''
Gharana
In Hindustani music (North Indian classical music), a ''gharānā'' is a system of social organisation in the Indian subcontinent, linking musicians or dancers by lineage or apprenticeship, and more importantly by adherence to a particular mus ...
'' and ''Rustom-E-Hind''.
The well-known later playback singer,
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her cont ...
, started singing when Begum was at the peak of her career, with Begum's break after her husband's death boosting Mangeshkar's career and helping her get offers for high-quality songs. In the early careers of Mangeshkar, as well as her younger sister,
Asha Bhosle
Asha Bhosle (; Mangeshkar; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur
and occasional actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian Cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in the ...
, between 1944 and 1956, they had often been asked by producers and music directors to imitate Begum's style of singing, because producers could not afford Begum's fees. In their first song together, Mangeshkar was a part of the chorus while Begum was the main singer. Many of the songs sung by Lata like "''Ayega Ayega''" were sung in Shamshad Begum's style. Even Asha Bhosle's songs like her first duet with Kishore – "''Aati Hai Yaad Humko''" from the 1948 film ''Muqaddar'' bear direct resemblance to Shamshad Begum's style. From 1949 to 1960, beginning with the song "Dar Na Mohabbat Karle" from ''
Andaz'', Mangeshkar and Begum have sung many duets together, with the most famous being "Pyar Ke Jahan Ki" from the 1949 film ''
Patanga'', "Bachpan Ke Din" from 1951's ''
Deedar''; their last song together was ''
Mughal-e-Azam
''Mughal-e-Azam'' () is a 1960 Indian epic historical drama film produced and directed by K. Asif. Starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, and Durga Khote, it follows the love affair between Mughal Prince Salim (who went ...
''s song "Teri Mehfil Mein Qismat" in 1960. Begum sang songs together with Mangeshkar and Bhosle, including "Mubarak Ho Woh Dil Jisko" from ''
Benazir'' . It was between 1958 and 1963 that the career of Lata got a major boost as music directors started gradually preferring her soft voice. Until then, Geeta Dutt and Begum were the most preferred singers, but Shamshad Begum continued to be at the top from 1940 until 1963.
From 1965, her songs started to be mimed by actresses other than the lead. Beginning in 1965, songs for her in films started getting reduced but the songs she sang instantly became hits through 1968. She then declared a self-imposed retirement in 1965. But she kept having certain composers asking her to sing songs in few films and among them her songs from films like in ''
Daku Mangal Singh
''Daku Mangal Singh'' is a Bollywood action movie directed by Chand and starring Dara Singh, Mumtaz and Prithviraj Kapoor. The film was released in 1966 under the banner of Pinky Films.
Plot
Mangal Singh terrorises the Dholakpur village, but ...
'', ''
Upkar'', ''
Kismat'', ''
Heer Ranjha
''Heer Ranjha'' (or ''Heer and Ranjha'') ( pnb, , ਹੀਰ ਰਾਂਝਾ ) is one of several popular tragic romances of Punjab, other important ones being "Sohni Mahiwal", "Mirza Sahiban" and " Sassi Punnhun". There are several poetic na ...
'', ''
Johar Mehmood in Hong Kong
''Johar Mehmood in Hong Kong'' is a 1971 Bollywood comedy film directed by S.A. Akbar. The film stars Mehmood and I. S. Johar. Its part of a comedy series that included Johar-Mehmood in Goa (1965), Johar in Kashmir (1966) and Johar in Bombay (19 ...
'', ''
Teri Meri Ik Jindri'' and ''Main Papi Tum Bakhshanhaar''. Her song "Kajra Mohabbat Wala" from the 1968 film ''Kismat'' and "Nathaniya Hale To Bada Maza" from the 1971 film ''Johar Mehmood in Hong Kong'' remains popular.
Retirement and death
From the late 1980s, Begum started giving occasional interviews. In one of her interviews with Filmfare magazine in 2012, Begum disclosed, "The more hits I gave, the less work I got. When I helped new composers I never told them to give me all their songs to sing. I believed only God could give, not them." Her final interview was in 2012. In 2009, she was conferred with the prestigious O. P. Nayyar Award for her contribution to Hindi film music.
She was also conferred the
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 ...
in 2009.
Later, her daughter Usha said in an interview, "Because of the politics in the industry, she didn't want to work any more. This is one of the reasons why she wouldn't let me be a singer. I told her, let me sing for my self-satisfaction, but she said if you learn to sing, you will directly enter the industry. So, she wouldn't let me do so."
Begum died at her Mumbai residence on the night of 23 April 2013 after a prolonged illness. She was 94. She was cremated in a small, dignified ceremony.
Information and Broadcasting minister, Manish Tewari said, "The film industry has lost one of its most versatile singers. Shamshadji's style of singing set new benchmarks. Her melodious voice with powerful lyrics gave us songs that have remained popular even today." Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh (; born 26 September 1932) is an Indian politician, economist and statesman who served as the 13th prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is also the third longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indir ...
said, "She was an artist of extraordinary talent and abilities, and the songs she has left behind in her long career, which she started with AIR in 1937, will continue to enthral music lovers."
Her daughter Usha Ratra said, "She kept herself away from glamour of the industry despite being one of the top singers of her era as she did not like the limelight. My mother used to say that artistes never die. She wanted to be remembered for her songs."
Selected songs
![Shamshad Begum 2016 stamp of India](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Shamshad_Begum_2016_stamp_of_India.jpg)
* "Leke Pehla Pehla Pyar", "Kahin Pe Nigahen Kahin Pe Nishana", "Boojh Mera Kya Naam Re" – ''CID'' (1956); (Music:
O.P. Nayyar)
*"Savan Ke Nazare Hai" -
Khazanchi (1941 film)
''Khazanchi'' (English: Cashier) is a 1941 (pre-partition) blockbuster, directed by Moti B. Gidwani, starring M. Ismail, S. D. Narang, Ramola Devi, Manorama and Durga Mota in lead roles. M. Ismail played the title role of a Khazanchi (Engli ...
; (Music: Ghulam Haider)
*"Hum Dard Ka Afsana" -
Dard (1947 film)
''Dard'' (Pain) is a 1947 Bollywood drama film directed by Abdul Rashid Kardar. The film was produced by Kardar Productions. It was a surprise "musical hit" at the box office as it had an ordinary (for then) star cast. Suraiya played the secon ...
*"Jab Usne Gesu Bikhraye" -
Shahjehan (1946) (Music: Naushad)
*"Main Bhawara Tu Hai Phool" (Duet with
Mukesh Mukesh is an epithet for the Hindu god Shiva, and literally means "conqueror of the Muka demon". It also means god of 3 worlds, heaven, hell & earth, which in turn represents Hindu god Shiva. It is commonly used as a male given name in India. Peopl ...
) -
Mela (1948 film)
''Mela'' () is a 1948 Indian Hindi-language romantic tragedy film. It was produced by and directed by S.U. Sunny for Wadia Movietone. It starred Dilip Kumar, Nargis, Jeevan, Rehman and Nur Jehan. The film's music was composed by Naushad. Mukesh ...
; (Music: Naushad)
*"Chandni Aayi Ban Ke Pyar" -
Dulari (film)
''Dulari'' is a 1949 Indian Hindi-language romantic musical film directed by A.R. Kardar. The film stars Madhubala, Geeta Bali and Suresh, and its music was composed by Naushad. ''Dulari'' revolved around Prem (Suresh), a rich man who falls in ...
(1949)
*"Na Bol Pi Pi More Aangna" -
Dulari (film)
''Dulari'' is a 1949 Indian Hindi-language romantic musical film directed by A.R. Kardar. The film stars Madhubala, Geeta Bali and Suresh, and its music was composed by Naushad. ''Dulari'' revolved around Prem (Suresh), a rich man who falls in ...
(1949)
* "Milte Hi Aankhen Dil Hua", (Duet with
Talat Mehmood
Talat Mahmood (24 February 1924 – 9 May 1998) was an Indian playback singer who is considered one of the popular male Indian film song and ghazal singers. Although he tried his luck as a film actor, he did not succeed a great deal in acti ...
) – ''Babul'' 1950; (Music:
Naushad Ali
Naushad Ali (25 December 1919 – 5 May 2006) was an Indian music director for Hindi films. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and foremost music directors of the Hindi film industry. He is particularly known for popularising the ...
)
* "Chali Chali Kaisi Yeh Hawa Yeh", (Duet with
Usha Mangeshkar
Usha Mangeshkar (born 15 December 1935) is an Indian singer who has recorded many Marathi, Manipuri, Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Nepali, Bhojpuri, Gujarati and Assamese songs.
Personal life
Usha Mangeshkar is an Indian singer. She is the fou ...
) – ''
Bluffmaster'' (1965); (music:
Kalyanji Anandji
Kalyanji Virji Shah (30 June 1928 – 24 August 2000) was the ''Kalyanji'' of the Kalyanji-Anandji duo. He and his brother Anandji Virji Shah have been famous Indian film musicians, and won the 1975 Filmfare Award for Best Music Director, f ...
)
* "Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar Laga Teer-e-nazar", (''
Aar Paar
''Aar Paar'' () is a 1954 Indian Hindi-language noir comedy film. Directed by Guru Dutt, it has music by O.P. Nayyar and lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri. ''Aar-Paar'' stars Johnny Walker, Shyama, Shakila, Jagdeep, Jagdish Sethi. Raj Khosla and A ...
'' 1954), (music: O.P. Nayyar)
* "O Gadiwale Dheere" – ''Mother India'' 1957; (Music: Naushad)
* "Ye duniya roop ki chor" – ''Shabnam'' 1949; (Music: S.D.Burman)
* "Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon" – ''Patanga'' 1949; (Music C.Ramchandra)
* "Ek Tera Sahara" – ''Shama'' 1946; (Music: Master Ghulam Haider)
* "Holi Aayee Re Kanhaai" – ''
Mother India
''Mother India'' is a 1957 Indian epic drama film, directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar. A remake of Khan's earlier film '' Aurat'' (1940), it is the story of a poverty-stricken village wom ...
'' (1957); (Music: Naushad)
* "Naina Bhar Aye Neer" –
Humayun (1945); (Music: Master Ghulam Haider)
* "Nazar Phero Na Humse" – (Duet with G M Durani) – ''Deedar'' (1951); (Music: Naushad)
* "Chod Babul Ka Ghar" – ''Babul'' 1950; (Music: Naushad)
* 'Badi mushkil se dil ki beqarari ko qarar aaya' – Naghma 1953; (Music: Naushad) ; (Lyrics: Shoukat Dehlavi)
* "Kajra Mohabbatwala Ankhiyon mein Aisa dala" (Duet with
Asha Bhosle
Asha Bhosle (; Mangeshkar; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur
and occasional actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian Cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in the ...
) – ''Kismat'' (1968); (Music:
O.P. Nayyar)
* "Meri Neendon Main Tum" (Duet with
Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar (born as Abhas Kumar Ganguly (); 4 August 1929 – 13 October 1987) was an Indian playback singer and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential and dynamic singers in the history of Indian music.
He ...
) – ''Naya Andaz'' 1956; (Music: O.P.Nayyar)
* "Teri Mehfil Mein Qismat" (Duet with
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her cont ...
) – ''Mughal-E-Azam'' 1960; (Music:Naushad)
*"Pyar Ke Jahan Ki Nirali" (Duet with
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her cont ...
) -
Patanga (1949 film)
''Patanga '' is a 1949 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film. It was the first film produced ''and'' distributed by Varma Films; yet,It was the seventh highest grossing Indian film of 1949. The film was directed by H. S. Rawail based on a ...
; (Music: C. Ramchandra)
* "Saiyan Dil Mein Aana Re" – ''Bahar'' 1951; (Music: S.D.Burman)
* "Reshmi Salwar Kurta Jaali Da" – ''Naya Daur'' 1957; (Music: O.P.Nayyar)
* "Kisike Dil Mein Rehna Tha" – ''Babul'' 1950 – with Lata; (Music:Naushad)
* "Dharti Ko Aakash Pukare" – ''Mela'' 1948 – with Mukesh; (Music: Naushad)
* "Ek Do Teen Aaja Mausam Hai Rangeen" –
Awaara (1951)
''Awaara'', also written ''Awāra'', ur, , Āvārā, group=n, name=HindiUrdu and known overseas as ''The Vagabond'', is a 1951 Indian Hindi crime drama film, produced and directed by Raj Kapoor, and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. It stars Raj ...
; (Music: Shankar-Jaikishen)
* "Dil eechak beechak gurr" – "Bawre Nain" 1950 – (Music:Roshan)
* "Kahin pe nigahein" – "C.I.D." 1956 – (Music: O.P. Nayyar)
* "Door Koi Gaye" – "
Baiju Bawra (1952)(Music: Naushad)
* "Chaman mein reheke veerana" – "Deedar" 1951 – (Music :Naushad)
References
External links
Legends – Shamshad Begum: Her profile, Interview, complete list of her songs and her work with Music Directors and Co-Singers*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Begum, Shamshad
1919 births
2013 deaths
Indian women playback singers
Bollywood playback singers
People from Lahore
Assamese playback singers
Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts
Indian performers of Islamic music
20th-century Indian singers
Punjabi people
Punjabi-language singers
Urdu-language singers
Hindi-language singers
20th-century Indian women singers