Mala (Pakistani singer)

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Mala (Urdu: مالا) was a famous Pakistani playback singer of Urdu and Punjabi films.

Mala's given name was Naseem. She was born in Lyallpur, Punjab, British India. She was the younger sister of music composer Shamim Nazli. Naseem was interested in singing and music from a young age. Fortunately, her elder sister happened to be her first music teacher and Naseem learnt the essentials of music from her. On Shamim Nazli's request, music composer, Baba G.A. Chisti recorded two songs for the Punjabi film Aabroo (1961) in Naseem's voice. However, the film flopped and didn't attain success. Despite the fact that her elder sister got her a break in films, it was Anwar Kamal Pasha who persuaded Naseem to try her luck in the Pakistani film industry. Her first major break in films came in 1962. She changed her name to Mala and sang a simple Urdu composition, Aaya re dekho for the film Sooraj Mukhi (1962). The music was composed by Master Abdullah and the film went on to become a memorable film. In 1963, Mala rendered her voice to a tragic Urdu composition, Dil daeta hai for the film Ishq pe zor nahin (1963). The music was composed by Master Inayat Hussain and the song was picturised on Yasmin. This highly acclaimed film will always be remembered by cinema goers. The desondency and despair, which were vividly caught by Mala, were simple exemplary. Mala always sang with the appropriate diction and inflexion and excelled in every situation.

Additionally, Mala's greatest accomplishment was Akele na jana. The song was an extremely tragic combination of torment and anguish. Her voice was immaculate, which matched the tragic scene in the film. Mala teamed up with Sohail Rana and this mutual understanding led not only to the greatest super-hit song in the annals of the Pakistan film industry, but also to the first platinum jubilee film of Pakistan. The emotions conveyed by the profundity and intonation of this great singer filled even men's eyes with tears, let alone women. The dramatic effect which Mala's lilting voice, Sohail Rana's tragic composition and Masood Anwar's magnificent lyrics produced, had never been witnessed before or thereafter. The film Armaan is indeed more than a film, it is a tribute to a dream that is being kept alive by the classical Pakistani values. In 1962, Mala won the Nigar Award for best singer for the film Ishq pe zor nahi. In 1965, she won the Nigar Award for best singer for the film Naila. The last days of Mala were fraught with loneliness and misery. She could not come to grips with the harsh realities of life. Over and above, she found herself in the midst of deep financial crisis. Eventually, her immense pain and suffering came to a halt on March 6, 1990 when she said farewell to the unjust world.