Begum Akhtar
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Begum Akhtar (b. Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, British India, October 7, 1910 or 1914; d. 1974) was a ghazal singer from Uttar Pradesh in India. Her real name was Akhtaribai Faizabadi. Her first public performance was at the age of fifteen. She also acted in several Hindi movies.
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[edit] Biography
Akhtaribai Faizabadi, or Begum Akhtar as she was more popularly known, was born on 7th October, 1914 in the small town of Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, in northern India. She was born in a high class family that was not musically inclined. Begum 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, the great sarangi exponent from Patna, and later under Ata Mohammed Khan, of Patiala. Later she travelled to Calcutta, with her mother and started learning music from classical stalwarts like Mohammad Khan, Abdul Waheed Khan ,of Lahore and finally she became the disciple of Ustad Jhande Khan Saheb.
Her first public performance was at the tender age of fifteen. She took the music world by storm. The famous poetess Smt. Sarojini Naidu appreciated her singing during a concert which was organised in the aid of victims of Bihar, earthquake. This encouraged her to continue singing ghazals with more enthusiasm. She also cut her first disc for the Megaphone Record Company, at that time. A number of gramophone records were released carrying her ghazals, dadras,thumris,etc.
Begum Akhtar's good looks and sensitive voice made her an ideal candidate for a film career in her early years. When she chanced to hear great singers like Gauharjaan and Malakjaan, however, she decided to forsake the glamour of the film world for a career in classical music. Her supreme artistry in light classical music had its moorings in the tradition of pure classicism. She chose her repertoire in primarily classical modes, comprised of a variety of ragas ranging from simple to complex.
She received the Sangeet Natak Akademi award for vocal music and a mere Padma Shri a few years before her death. She was posthumously awarded the Padma Bhushan. To the public, though, Begum Akhtar was the "Queen of Ghazals," and it is this popular acclaim that seemed to be of most value to her.
In 1945, Begum AKhtar was married to barrister Ishtiaq Ahmed Abbasi and became known as Begum Akhtar. However, after marriage, due to her husband's restrictions, she could not sing almost 5 years, and subsequently, she fell ill. Music was prescribed as the only remedy! In 1949, she returned to the recording studios. She sang three ghazals and a dadra at Lucknow Radio Station. She wept afterwards and returned to singing in concerts, a practice which lasted until her death.
Begum Akhtar is almost synonymous with the concept of ghazal gaayaki. She immortalized her own definitive style of singing - a style that few have been able to match. She is rightly known as Mallika-e-Ghazal.
Her voice matured with time, adding richness and depth. She sang ghazals and other light classical pieces, singing them in her inimitable style. She has nearly four hundred songs to her credit. She was a regular performer on All India Radio. She usually composed her own ghazals and most of her compositions were raag based.
During her last concert which was held in Ahmedabad, she had raised the pitch of her voice as she felt that her singing that day had not been as good as she had wanted it to be. She had not been feeling well that day to begin with. The additional demand and stress she put herself under resulted in her falling ill and being rushed to the hospital. She passed away on 30th of October, 1974 leaving a big void in ghazal lovers' hearts.
[edit] Contributions to Hindi films
[edit] As an actress
With the advent of talkie era in India, Begum Akhtar acted in a few Hindi movies in thirties. East India Film Company of Calcutta approached her to act in KING FOR A DAY (alias Ek Din Ka Badshah) and NAL DAMAYANTI in the year 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, as a result of which she acted in ROTI which was released in 1942 and whose music was composed by maestro Anil Biswas. ROTI contained six of her ghazals but unfortunately due to some trouble between producer and director, Mehboob Khan subsequently deleted 3-4 ghazals from the film. All the ghazals are available on Megaphone gramophone records. Begum Akhtar, meanwhile, left Bombay and returned to Lucknow.
The movies she acted in are:
- Mumtaz Begum(1934)
- Jawaani Ka Nasha(1935)
- King For A Day (1933, director : Raaj Hans)
- Ameena (1934, director : -)
- Roop Kumari (1934, director : Madan)
- Naseeb Ka Chakkar (1936, director : Pesi Karani)
- AnaarBala (1940, director : A M Khan)
- Roti (1942, director : Maadhav Kaale)
- JALSA GHAR(1958,director : Satyajit Ray)
[edit] As a singer
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...
- Fir 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
- (1954 - hame.n dil me.n basaa bhi lo).
