Shamshad Begum Pictures Ndtv Interview Options

[Pulkit]

Part II of the article


I had a pleasant relationship with my contemporaries'


Lata Khubchandani



Shamshad Begum has fond memories of her contemporaries -- Zohrabai Ambalewali, Amirbai Karnataki, Begum Akhtar, Nurjehan, Juthika Ray, Rajkumari. "When we were together, we were great friends," she claims. "We had a pleasant relationship, though we didn't socialise with each other after work. At least, I didn't. But our professional association was good. We were all fans of K L Saigal. No one thought of harming the other, nor did we try to snatch work away from anyone."


She also explains why singing was harder those days. "Each song had to be recorded twice -- once for the film and once for the recording company. So even if you were working full time you could do only about four songs a day. Recordings took place in the evenings and shootings during the day. We worked in an atmosphere where composers put their soul into the compositions and the results are there to see -- even today -- isn't it?" asks Shamshad.


Does she have any regrets? "Yes," says Shamshad, "My greatest regret is that I never got to sing with K L Saigal, though we did sing for the same film, Shahjehan. I was really shy of getting photographed. Once the two of us ran into each other at the recording company, but he didn't know me because no one had seen my pictures. It was funny because we were then introduced and he said, 'arre kudiye ... tera bhala ho... tu kitna sona gaati hai... (God bless you, girl, you sing so well).' Her eyes glint as she narrates this incident, recalling every nuance in the voice of her favourite singer. It also makes one
realise the kind of talent these singers had and the respect they commanded from each other.


Ironically, each time Shamshad gave a hit song, she had to start all over again. All those composers who had once begged her to sing for them started giving her a raw deal. For instance, she recorded the song O leke pehla pehla pyar for CID which was, and remains, a popular song. After the recording, the sadder version was given to Asha Bhosle to sing, and this was publicised with great gusto. Despite that, it is Shamshad's version that remains in the memory of listeners. But she read the sign loud and clear, and preferred to opt out of the messy
situation, rather than stoop to stay in competition.


And in spite of life's vagaries, she made everything that came to her a big success. Her songs gave the careers of several music directors a boost -- Naushad (Nagma), O P Nayyar (Aar Paar), Chitragupt (Sindbad Jahazi). Her number with Kishore Kumar, Mere neendo mein tum mere khwabon mein hum will perhaps survive another century.


Shamshad still remembers her first impression of the young Kishore Kumar. Says she, "He was a fine boy, always full of life, but professionally low because he wasn't reaching where his brother had. I remember telling him, 'destiny is a great thing tomorrow you may become more popular than anybody else.' And he actually did."


Such was the demand for Shamshad Begum that film-makers waited for her to be free to sing for them. Tarachand Barjatya wanted her to come to Madras to sing for his film. But she couldn't spare the time, so he came to Bombay. In his film Bahar, she sang Dil ka qarar leke aaja re aaja pardesiya and Duniya ko laat maro. Guru Dutt had a superb singer at home in Geeta Dutt, but if he decided that Shamshad had to sing a particular number, then he awaited her pleasure and convenience.


That speaks for the talent and virtuosity of this singer, particularly when one sees how replaceable some others have been.


It was when people started playing games that Shamshad went into self-imposed oblivion. Today, she leads a retired life with memories of another day to keep her company. But she retains that regality which made her rule musicdom once.


------------------------------­------------------------------­--------------------


'I had a pleasant relationship...'


Khayyam on Shamshad Begum:


"I didn't do much work with her though I did record some songs which didn't see the light of day for various reasons. But I knew her. Her voice was one of its kind and her enunciation was wonderfully clear. She commanded a lot of respect both at the personal and professional level.


We used to have small and big budget films even then. Shamshad was ever willing to oblige, even if we approached her for a small film and pay her less than the fee she commanded. She will always be remembered as the singer who never made excuses to cancel recordings, as one who did her work wonderfully well. She had quite a personality, yet she shied away from publicity -- you'd never see her getting photographed or written about.


She had worked with all the popular composers of her day and was quite the ruling queen for three decades. It is the sign of her good upbringing that despite tremendous success, she was never arrogant. She had everything that life could offer, yet she was always down-to-earth. She was also extremely cooperative, a quality she shared with Mohammad Rafi.


What can I say about her songs -- each number she touched became a hit. She was very popular in Punjabi films too. Till today, people speak of her with awe and respect. She never indulged in politics or troubled anyone. One never heard her criticise anybody and she was very jovial too.


She sang quite a lot with Ghulam Haider whom we consider the prophet of film music. Shamshad and Haider's wife, Amrozia Begum were very good friends. They even sang together and gave performances on All India Radio and Lahore Radio."

[sbfan]

Hi Thanks pulkit for fulfilling my request

hope we receive the audio version also.

do you have lata khubchndani 's interview of geeta dutt. ?

with warm regards

ashish

[Inaam]

Thanks a lot Pulkit!

[Pulkit]

Thanks Inaam and Ashish . I really liked the K.L. Saigal anecdote in the interview Ashish, Lata K. did not interview Geeta Dutt but only wrote a piece to pay tributes to the lady. However, she did interview Mubarak Begum. It is really sad the way film industry treated some of these great singers like- Shamshad Begum, Geeta Dutt, Mubarak Begum and Raj Kumari- the industry should have been more empathic in its dealings with these lovely voices. What do you say?

[pradeepasrani]

Amirbai, Rajkumari, Shamshad and Zohrabai were the reigning playback singing queens of the 1940s. Khurshid, Noorjehan and Suraiya were famous too but as actress-singers, though Suraiya did lent her vocals to other heroines in early 40s. There were a few others, Lalita Deoolkar, Naseem Akhtar, Zeenat Begum to name a few; who too gave many memorable songs. Sadly many of them were forgotten once their singing career was over and did not have a happy retired life.

I remember watching Rajkumari sing "Ghabrake Jo Hum Sar Ko Takrayen Toh Achha Ho, Is Jeene Mein Sau Dukh Hain Mar Jaayen Toh Achha Ho" at Jai Hind College auditorium in 1984 on the occassion of release of Hamraaz's Hindi Film Geet Kosh (Vol. II). After the function was over, she quietly walked up to Churchgate station, boarded a second class compartment of the local train to travel to her home in a distant Mumbai suburb. For this lesser known actress but more popular playback singer, who is remembered for several outstanding songs in 1940s, life after retirement was not a bed of roses at all and the above lyrics perhaps aptly reflected the state of her mind.

Pradeep

[sbfan]

hi pulkit ,

yes the bollywood had been very rude to these people. They were in no means less than the the new which arrived post 1948.Though shamshad begum conitnued to get work till late 60's but her other friends do not and ended in oblivion.No doubt that rajkumari,zohrabai,ammerbai were great talented ones but inspite of thier successe s they were left ammerbai in kismet,zohra in rattan,rajkumari in mahal bawre nain.In one article on net that shamshad was asked to sing in chorus by her favourite music director and she felt hurt by it. i think her favourite must be naushad /nayyar but her last work with naushad was mughal- e-azam.

here are some parts of naushad's interview
INTERVIEWER :

You have worked with so many singers, many of whom were made by you, were given first chance by you. Who were the singers, with whom you really enjoyed and you got creative satisfaction working with them.

NAUSHAD ALI :

I have always tried that new singers should be given a chance. There is this girl who came from Delhi and she was in problem, you call her by the name of Uma Devi (Tun Tun). She came and met me and said she wants to sing. So I gave her a chance..

NAUSHAD ALI :

Noorjahan also sang for me in Anmol Ghadi. It was nice to work with her, because her voice, and also Shamshad Begum�s voice had great transparency (Interviewer : ek allhadpan) so it was nice working with all of them.

INTERVIEWER :

You have made maximum use of the voice of Shamshad Begum.

NAUSHAD ALI :

Yes, it is true, it is their favour (KARAMFARMAI) that these great singers may not have got any respect by singing my songs, but I definitely got great respect due to their singing of my songs.


regards

ashish

[sbfan]

hi friends
here is the part of the article to which i mentioned in last post.can anyone tell which music director offered her to sing in chorus

here's the link
http://www.studio-systems.com/Playback&Fas...MARCH/29MAR.htm

"Singer Zohrajan Ambalewali ('Ankhiyan milake' - 'Rattan'), who retired in the '50s, had her long comfortable retirement ens- ured by her daughter Roshan Kumar& i's successful career in Kathak. Similarly, sound investment'of her earnings could enable Suraiya to refuse to sing for the other artistes. after retiring as an actr- ess. Singer Lalita Dewoolkar ('Hum ko

tumhara hi aasra' -with Rafi -'Sajan') has a successful singer/music director husband Sudhir Phadke to look after her and Sud- ha Malhotra (Awaz de raha hai koi' Gauh- ar') fortunately has a wealthy husband. Shamshad Begum ('Ek tera sahara' - 'Sh- ama' who had set innumerable hearts aflame with her sharp and full throated voice felt hurt when her favourite music director invited her to sing in chorus. She preferred to retire under the care of her happily married daughter rather than suffer the humilialtion.
But fortune does not favour all. Singer Rajkumari ('Ghabhara ke jo hum sarko' -'Mahal', 'Sun bairi balam such bol -'Bawre Nain') who started her career in the early '30s had the world at her feet when she was sitting on the pinnacle of success. Her career nose-dived in the '50s and that was the beginning of her struggle for surv- ival. If destiny was unkind to her, nature favoured her. The years could not age her voice nor adversity break her spirit and that saved her from the ultimate degradation "

regards

ashish

[sbfan]

Amirbai, Rajkumari, Shamshad and Zohrabai were the reigning playback singing queens of the 1940s. Khurshid, Noorjehan and Suraiya were famous too but as actress-singers, though Suraiya did lent her vocals to other heroines in early 40s. There were a few others, Lalita Deoolkar, Naseem Akhtar, Zeenat Begum to name a few; who too gave many memorable songs. Sadly many of them were forgotten once their singing career was over and did not have a happy retired life.

I remember watching Rajkumari sing "Ghabrake Jo Hum Sar Ko Takrayen Toh Achha Ho, Is Jeene Mein Sau Dukh Hain Mar Jaayen Toh Achha Ho" at Jai Hind College auditorium in 1984 on the occassion of  release of Hamraaz's Hindi Film Geet Kosh (Vol. II). After the function was over, she quietly walked up to Churchgate station, boarded a second class compartment of the local train to travel to her home in a  distant Mumbai suburb. For this lesser known actress but more popular playback singer, who is remembered for several outstanding songs in 1940s, life after retirement was not a bed of roses at all and the above lyrics perhaps aptly reflected the state of her mind.

Pradeep

Hi Mr pradeep

It is great that you have personally met that great lady.can you tell which other music digniatroies visted that occasion. Very less is known about her family, only that she married a person from bombay talkies. how she spent most of her life till death in 2001..it was hers voice which had less nasal content and sweeter.than the contempararies.

do reply

warm regards

ashish

[Ummer]

Hi Mr pradeep

It is great that you have personally met that great lady.can you tell which other music digniatroies visted that occasion. Very less is known about her family, only that she married a person from bombay talkies. how she spent most of her life till death in 2001..it was hers voice which had less nasal content and sweeter.than the contempararies.

do reply

warm regards

ashish

Hello Ashish,
I have read in an article that Rajkumari is suvived by her son. They even posted a pic of her son, which I dont have right now.

[sbfan]

Hello Ashish,
                      I have read in an article that Rajkumari is suvived by her son. They even posted a pic of her son, which I dont have right now.

Hi Ummer ji

I have learnt from a site that she married person V.K. Dubey from hmv.that's why she is mentioned as rajkumari dubey .Here are is the few info on her marraige as stated by her in her interview on

http://gaurav-kumar.tripod.com/article.htm

" My family has always supported me - when I was an actress and
singer. I married very late in life. My husband was from Benares (UP), where he
spent a lot of his time (because he owned a shop there), while I was settled in
Mumbai. Of course, he joined me later. "
I don' remember anything else regarding her marriage.
regards
ashish

[Pulkit]

Hi Ashish, Pradeep and Ummer

I'm very fond of Raj Kumari's voice. Before a year or two of her death she appeared in Zee's Sa Re Ga Ma and her voice had not lost even a bit of that sweetness, melody and sharpness which was her hallmark ages ago.

Ashish as far as the 'chorus' incident is concerned, she might even be referring to Madan Mohan. I think Shamshad ji did not get many individual lines to sing in 'naache ang ve, chhalke rang ve' in Heer Ranjha, but I'll have to listen to it again and confirm as it has been many years since I heard it last.

And here is a small write-up on Raj Kumari where Naushad shares his thoughts about her and a shocking incident....................

"Rajkumari was the first playback singer who was highly
respected"


Legendary composer NAUSHAD ALI pays tribute to singer
Rajkumari, who passed away recently.


It was in 1940. I was just starting out as a music director. Prakash
Pictures assigned me the job of compsing music for Station Master.
The film starred Prem Adib and Ratnamala. Suraiya was introduced as
the sister of the heroine. I was asked to use the voice of Rajkumari,
who was at the top then.


When she entered the studio premises in her big Buick car, everyone
in the studio lined up to receive her. It was then I realised that
Rajkumari was the first playback singer to receive such high respect.
It was an honour that she sang for a new music director like me. All
the songs for the heroine were sung by her in the film. But she was
not an egotist. She was very simple and kind-hearted. She was humble
and respected others irrespective of their position. Besides she was
the highest paid playback singer.


Rajkumari was a classical singer, who excelled in thumri and dadra.
The song she sang for me in Station Master was Kajri and the words
were Hare Rama bade jatan se seechu tori phulwari re ha.. ha re.
She sang the same song when she was invited for Sa Re Ga Ma on Zee
TV recently, and I felt honoured. I had almost forgotten that song,
but was reminded of it when she sang it. Her rendition was just the
same as she had sung it then. It had not affected with age, unlike
other singers. She sang the song after 50 years with the same
melodious voice. Her voice had not even cracked. As long as she was
alive her voice was alive. Her death has silenced that golden voice
forever.


After Station Master, we couldn't work together. Many new singers
had arrived on the scene by then like Amirbai Karnataki, Zohrabai,
Shamshad Begum, Suraiya, and Rajkumari was left behind.


The most touching scene I can never forget was when, after 50 years,
I met her while I was recording a song for H.S. Rawail's Sanghursh.
I had asked my assistant to get a few chorus singers. When I noticed
Rajkumari among them, I was shocked. I called her aside and told her
that I could never make her a part of the chorus.


She said that if I didn't take her, it would deprive her of whatever
little she was earning. I felt sad that the singer, who was ruling
when I started out, and yet sang for a newcomer like me in Station
Master, was now singing in chorus for a livelihood. I told her that
I was cancelling the chorus, and instead she would be given a
dialogue in the song. She was worried that this would mean less
remuneration, but I assured her that she would be paid handsomely.


In the song Mere pairon men ghungaru bandha de, I inserted the
dialogue Kya baat hai gori in thrice, because I wanted to give
respect to Rajkumari. Then again, when I was recording the background
music for Pakeezah, after the death of Ghulam Mohammed, I decided to
use her voice since she was in financial trouble. I used her voice
in the Thumri and Dadra against the backdrop of kotha. I was baffled
that even after 50 years, her voice had remained as tender as it was
earlier. She thanked me, but I told her she deserved a solo song in
the film.


I had suggested to playback singers to raise some funds, and present
her a momento since she was the seniormost singer. It was not only
/to help her to tide over her financial difficulties, but also a
gesture of goodwill from the present-day singers, who owed their
playback singing to her since Rajkumari was the first female
playback singer."


About the singer


Rajkumari began her career as singer on All India Radio, way back in
1934. HMV contacted her for an album in Gujarati. Inititally she
started working as an actress in Hindi films, with bit roles in films
like Roshan Ara, Bilwa Mangal and Radhe Shyam in 1932.


She got an important role in Aankh Ka Tara and Turki Sher in 1933,
She was the heroine in Bhakt Ke Bhagwan and Insaaf Ki Topi opposite
Jayant in 1934. Her other films as the leading lady were Kadakti
Bijli (1936), Sarojani (1937), Jungle Ka Jawan (1937), Toofan
Express (1938) opposite Jal and Agha, Rani Sahiba (1940) with
Prakash and Manthan, and Mere Sajan (1941).


She sang for leading composers O.P. Nayyar, Anil Biswas, Khemchandra
Prakash, Husnlal Bhagatram, Roshan and Ghulam Hyder. Her famous songs
include Ghabaara ke and Kyun mere dil mein dard jage from Mahal,
Kajrari matwali from Nau Bahar, Mere roothe huwe chanda from Bawre
Nain. She also sang with K.L. Saigal for Bhakt Surdas. The last song
she sang was a lori for Gulzar's Kitaab. The last public performance
of hers was in 1996, when she received the Aashirwad Navratna Award,
and recently she sang for the popular music-based programme Sa Re Ga
Ma.


As told to M.S.M. Desai

[sbfan]

Hello Pulkit

Thanks for such a good write up. yes it is true she was the first acclaimed playback singer of bollywood after she quit films.

first of all on Shamshad's incident I don't think he was Madan mohan as this song Nache ang v
as i have read this was the song reused and earlier recorded in Mirza Sahiban. I am not sure
as her lines were picturised on kamini kaushal who played ranjha's bhabhi. .well it can be SAID. that naushad or O.P nayyar cannot be that persons

The incident told by naushad is really quite shocking. A full fledged top playback singer has to sing in chorus in order to meet her two hands meet. and being hesitant when naushad asked her to come out of chorus really sad Destiny was really harsh on her. I dont think that after naushad's request any playback singer turned for her help. It is a curse on this music industry.for that reason naushad had specially kept that song in pakeezah .her voice looked very fresh in nazaria ki maari, any details for Gulzar's kitaab.Her voice stands aside from the shamshad's ,zohra,s and very sweet. Her performance was best in Mahal ,bawre nain.which are my personal favourites.

regards

ashish

[Pulkit]

Hi Ashish

Baware Nain and Mahal are also my personal favorites. I also like her duet with Lata in Bazaar- 'zara sun lo hum apane pyaar ka afsana kahte hain.' Her songs with Roshan are really imperious masterpieces- kajrari matwari madbhari(Nau Bahar), Kahin dil lagane ka saamaan kar le(Rag Rang), Zindagi badli(Anhonee), sun bairi balam(Baware Nain), ghir ghir ke aasman par(BN), mere roothe hue chanda(BN), mujhe sach sach batado(BN). The song composed by O.P. Nayaar- 'jabase pii sang nainaa laage' is also very sweet. She also did a decent job in Kitaab song- 'hari din to beeta'.

[pradeepasrani]

Amirbai, Rajkumari, Shamshad and Zohrabai were the reigning playback singing queens of the 1940s. Khurshid, Noorjehan and Suraiya were famous too but as actress-singers, though Suraiya did lent her vocals to other heroines in early 40s. There were a few others, Lalita Deoolkar, Naseem Akhtar, Zeenat Begum to name a few; who too gave many memorable songs. Sadly many of them were forgotten once their singing career was over and did not have a happy retired life.

I remember watching Rajkumari sing "Ghabrake Jo Hum Sar Ko Takrayen Toh Achha Ho, Is Jeene Mein Sau Dukh Hain Mar Jaayen Toh Achha Ho" at Jai Hind College auditorium in 1984 on the occassion of  release of Hamraaz's Hindi Film Geet Kosh (Vol. II). After the function was over, she quietly walked up to Churchgate station, boarded a second class compartment of the local train to travel to her home in a  distant Mumbai suburb. For this lesser known actress but more popular playback singer, who is remembered for several outstanding songs in 1940s, life after retirement was not a bed of roses at all and the above lyrics perhaps aptly reflected the state of her mind.

Pradeep

Hi Mr pradeep

It is great that you have personally met that great lady.can you tell which other music digniatroies visted that occasion. Very less is known about her family, only that she married a person from bombay talkies. how she spent most of her life till death in 2001..it was hers voice which had less nasal content and sweeter.than the contempararies.

do reply

warm regards

ashish

At the function organised to release Vol II of HFGK, Maestro Naushad released the book. If my memory serves me right among others, Hansraj Behal, Qamar Jalalbadi, Surendra and Zohrabai Ambalavali graced the occassion.

Rajkumari was known to two of my vintage music collector friends, Mr. Bhaskar Kodange and Mr. Amiya Chakravarty from whom I learnt that she faced difficult times in her last few years.

In the 1940s, Rajkumari was among the classiest and most popular singers. Her songs under the baton of stalwarts like Anil Biswas, Gyan Dutt, Naushad and many others were the rage of those days.

Pradeep

[sbfan]

" My first film song was for Yamla Jat, composed my Master Ghulam Haider."
She goofed.
Her first  filmi song  was  in a Punjabi movie  'sassi punnu'  produced in
Calcutta in 1937-38:
' punnuun diye muurte nii, muh.nvon kyon naiin boldi'

Urzung ji

If you have this song.please u/l it

regards

ashish