

The death of her husband (in 1955) was a big blow to Shamshad Begum. He also made a very unusual duet, blending her voice with Kishore Kumar - 'Meri neendon mein tum' from 'Naya Andaz' (1956) remains one of the most loved romantic duets. Starting with the megahit, 'Kabhi aar kabhi paar' ('Aar Paar', 1954), the duo gave evergreen romantic numbers like, 'Leke pehla pehla pyar', 'Kaheen pe nigahen' and 'Boojh mera kya naam re' in 'C.I.D.' (1956). Nayyar, the other music director with whom Shamshad Begum has had several hits, often described her voice as a "temple bell". 'Baiju Bawra' (1952) and 'Mother India' (1957) and the famous 'qawwali', 'Teri mehfil mein qismat aazma kar' from 'Mughal-e-Azam' (1960) came later. The Naushad-Shamshad 'jodi' (pair) took off with 'Chandani aayi ban ke pyaar' ('Dulari', 1949). While Naushad is more classical, Nayyar is the experimental, peppy one. Nayyar and Naushad have to be given the credit for presenting Shamshad Begum's vocal versatility to the world - she has sung unforgettable songs for both composers whose musical styles are very different from each other. Burman's 'Saiyyan dil mein aana re' ('Bahaar', 1951) is yet another hot golden oldie.īut O.P. Ramchandra utilised her voice for two very different style compositions - 'Meri jaan, meri jaan sunday ke sunday' ('Shehnai', 1947), which is considered by many to be one of the first real "westernised" songs of Bollywood, and the popular, 'Mere piya gaye rangoon' ('Patanga', 1949). Saigal fan became a national rage, belting out one hit after another. It was not long before A-list composers, the likes of Naushad, Ram Ganguly, S.D. It is said that she used to earn a princely sum of Rs 15 (US$1=Rs 50.08) per song at the time. That year, she sang for Mehboob Khan's historical venture 'Humayun', with 'Naina bhar aye neer' being her first major recording hit. When Haider relocated to Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1944, Shamshad Begum, who was an integral part of his team, also shifted base, leaving her family behind. In fact, she sang in several of his films, including 'Khazanchi' (1941) and the notable 'Khandaan' (1942). Then, as happens in all great stories involving stars, came Shamshad Begum's big break - Ghulam Haider, the Lahore-based composer, was floored by her talent. At this point, the best thing that happened to her was that sarangi maestro, Ustad Hussain Bakshwale Saheb, accepted her as a disciple. An immediate success, she captivated many with her enchanting, earthy, nasal voice. Her voice was first heard on All India Radio Lahore in December 1937. It may come as a surprise to many but perhaps her only real exposure to music in childhood was singing 'naats' (poems recited in praise of the Prophet Mohammed). Shamshad Begum was born in 1919 in Amritsar, Punjab, to a conservative Muslim family. But before she set down the mike for good, she left her fans with several evergreen hits that continue to be enjoyed till date.

Incidentally, this is the first ever 'filmi' felicitation she has received, despite a long and illustrious singing career.Ī picture of grace and elegance, Shamshad Begum, now leads a retired life in Powai, a suburb of Mumbai, with her daughter and son-in-law. Nayyar award for her contribution to Hindi film music. Nayyar Foundation announced that they were going to present the grand old lady of Bollywood with the prestigious O.P. Almost three decades after she stopped recording, she received the Padma Bhushan, a civilian award given by the Government of India.Īnd, just a day before that honour came her way, the Pune-based O.P. The year has already begun on a memorable note for her. Burman, Shamshad Begum turns 90 on April 14. One of the first female playback singers of the Hindi film industry and the woman whose golden voice inspired melody geniuses like O.P. While the remixed tunes are a rage at the clubs, few youngsters would be able to name the person behind the groovy voice they love so much: Musical legend Shamshad Begum. 'Mere piya gaye rangoon', 'Leke pehla pehla pyar', 'Kabhi aar khabhi paar' - these retro Hindi numbers are part of every popular DJ's play list these days.
