- Mubarak Begum
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Mubarak Begum Born Sujangarh, Churu, Rajasthan Genres playback singing Occupations Singer Instruments Vocalist Years active -1968 Mubarak Begum (Devanagari: मुबारक बेगम, b. 1940, Sujangarh, Churu, Rajasthan) is an Indian Ghazal and playback singer.[1]
She started her career with light music recitals with All India Radio, the Indian government radio. Her career as a playback singer with Hindi film industry started when she got a break in the movie Aaiye with the song "Mohe Aane Lagi Angrayi, Aja Aja Balam" for composer Shaukat Dehlvi. She also sang a duet with the then upcoming Lata Mangeshkar.
Most composers had preferring to provide her with only a few lines instead of complete songs; she had struggled to be considered for complete songs. Even later, when she happened to sing seven songs in the Kamaal Amrohi film Daayaraa, the film sank and with that her hopes of making it big in the Hindi film playback industry.
Her big moment, however, finally came when the legendary film maker Bimal Roy gave her the song "Haal-e-Dil Sunayenge" in the film Madhumati. The song was one among the many hits in the extremely successful movie. But somehow, luck continued to elude Mubarak Begum, with only an occasional hit over the subsequent years. With her soulful voice and melody, and the haunting effect her voice had over listeners, she could not quite reach the heights she ought to have. Another major hit in her career was the song "Kabhi Tanhaiyon Mein Yun" for composer Snehal Bhatkar in Kidar Sharma's film Hamaari Yaad Aayegi which is, till this day, regarded as a classic rendition. Mubarak Begum's was a voice that enthralled millions, a voice, which she claims, was stifled by her contemporaries in the Hindi film industry. "I don't want to name them. Everyone knows them. They snatched away work from me, ensuring that no music director or film-maker ever gave me any," Mubarak Begum told PTI. The 70-year-old singer lives in penury in a small house of Behrampauda area in western suburb Jogeshwari, with an ailing daughter and a son who drives a taxi. "It's a struggle to take care of the grocery, phone and electricity bills," she added. A singer long forgotten by the film fraternity, she mesmerised an entire generation of music lovers with her immortal numbers like 'Mujhko apne gale lagaa lo', 'O mere humrahi' from the film Humrahi and 'Bemurrawwat bewafa begana dil' from Susheela. Widely appreciated in the '50s and the '60s, Mubarak Begum did not attain pole position in the Hindi mainstream movies. "Music composers wanted to give me work but these singers, who later became globally famous, ensured I did not get work as it would have meant competition," she said. "I had no godfather in the film industry. Mukesh had Raj Kapoor, Mahendra Kapoor had BR Chopra... there was no one for me," she said. After all these years, does she bear a grudge against her contemporaries, who "ruined" her career? "I trust that Allah rewards those who do good and punishes those who snatch other people's livelihood," she said. "They (her detractors) told the music composers, if you let Mubarak Begum sing, we will not work for you." The versatile singer, whose numbers like 'Kabhi tanhaiyon mein yun hamari yaad aayegi...' had music aficionados wanting for more, says the film fraternity has turned a blind eye to her plight. Her daughter Shafaq Banu, 41, is bedridden with advanced stage of Parkinson's disease. "It is a tough task arranging for her medicines or run household expenditure. I have a constant back-ache and waist pain for which I need to take medicines regularly," Mubarak Begum said. Born in Sujangarh, Churu in Rajasthan, the singer spent childhood in Ahmedabad and Vadodara before her father, a fruit vendor, noticing her singing talent, decided to shift to Mumbai. "My father thought I would get work here. In Mumbai, initially I sang 'ghazals' for the All India Radio and music composers took note. I started getting work," she recalled. Actor-politician late Sunil Dutt helped her get a house. "I went to meet Dutt saab. He did not know me although I had sung in the 1955 Sohrab Modi film Kundan, in which he acted. After someone told him about me, he was delighted and said 'I sang very well and that I preceded even Lata Mangeshkar in the industry,'" she said. "Then Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh sanctioned this house (in Jogeshwari) to me seven years ago from the chief minister's discretionary quota for artistes and I moved into it four years ago after selling our old house at Grant Road," Mubarak Begum said. "I had no money to pay for the (new) house. Lyricist Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi raised the money." "When I recorded songs, we got between Rs150 to Rs500 per film," she said. "I must have recorded between Rs500 to Rs1,000 songs, including in Hindi, Gujarati and also Rajasthani folk songs," she added. "There are some ardent fans who keep calling me for some functions. I recently went to Jaipur where everyone recalled my career." What does she think of today's Hindi film music? "Today, there are no songs... it's all a tamasha (farce)," the singer said, adding she doesn't listen to the latest music churned out in Bollywood. "What keeps me engrossed are the 'saas-bahu' serials on TV," said the singer. She has worked with most composers of her time, yet never had the chance to make it to her zenith. Today, she remains a distant memory Mubarak Begum didn’t get many opportunities to get her voice heard. Today, as she looks back at a career which didn’t quite take off in the real sense of the term, she says, “I’ve done only 25 per cent of the work I could have. My wings were cut before I even began to fly. And I’ve never been able to understand why – since I was a niche singer, there was no question of treading on anyone else’s toes. But just as I was getting popular, composers stopped calling me for work. Finally, I reached a stage when I had no work at all.”
Now, as she waits for some miracle to release her from what has become a life of drudgery, Mubarak Begum looks back fondly on her days of struggle – when life still held out that most tempting bait, hope.
FILMS WERE A PASSION “As a child, I loved watching movies. Though originally from Rajasthan, we lived in Sahrangpur Darwaza (Ahmedabad). I remember, whenever I knew somebody was going to watch a film, I’d throw a tantrum – I wanted to go, too! So, my ‘taya’ (paternal uncle) would take me, even though once the lights went off and the film began, I’d promptly fall asleep! When my family moved to Mumbai, Suraiya was very popular. I’d see her films, imitate her voice and sing all her numbers to perfection.”
“Then I started learning music from Abdul Karim Khan’s (a well known classical singer of the time) nephew, Riyazuddin Khan. I learnt just enough of classical music to be able to do ‘riyaz’ – I was told that too much classical training made one’s voice unfit for light music.”
“Around this time, I started singing on All India Radio (AIR) and, apparently, had a large audience. Among them was Rafique Ghaznavi Khan saab, remembered as the man who said the famous words (that accompany the logo of Mehboob Khan Films) – ‘Muddayi lakh bura chahe to kya hota hai, wohi hota hai jo manzoore khuda hota hai’. He is the music composer of ‘Taqdeer’, Nargis’s debut film.”
MIKE FRIGHT STRIKES! “Anyway, Khan saab liked my voice and asked me to sing for him. I was very raw then, and was made to rehearse at a recording studio at Tardeo (Mumbai). But when I stood before the mike, I just couldn’t sing! Agajani Kashmiri, the well known writer, was also present and kept saying, ‘Go for another take.’ The others asked him, ‘What take? She can’t sing!’ We (my father and I) returned home. But, at the time, I felt no regret. I was too naive to really understand the importance of it all.”
“My father was very keen that I enter the music world, and constantly did the rounds of producers’ offices. That’s how I met Shyamsunder – a popular composer in those days – who introduced me to Ram Daryani. He was making ‘Badi Bahen’ at the time and promised to give me two songs in the film. But history repeated itself – I was made to rehearse (this time in Shree Sound Studios); and I got so frightened, I couldn’t sing!”
OVERCOMING MY FEAR “This struggle continued till I met Yakub, who was making ‘Aayiye’, the music of which was composed by Shaukat Dehlvi, who did the popular ‘Nagma’. I remember going to Eastern Studios at Worli (Mumbai), where Allaudin, Yakub’s brother, was the recordist. And there, for the first time, we recorded without a hitch! The song was a solo, ‘Mohe aane lagi angrayi… aaja aaja balam’. I also sang a duet (with Lata Mangeshkar) for the same film, ‘Aao chalein, chalein sakhi wahan’.”
“Meanwhile, I continued meeting composers, hoping to get work. But some of them refused to hear me. When I went to meet S. D. Burman, he said, ‘Polish your voice, polish your voice’ without listening to my voice.”
“My next film was ‘Phoolon Ke Haar’, for which I sang eight songs. Composed by Hasraj Behl to the lyrics of D. N. Madhok, Verma Malik and Indivar, the film had Geeta Bali and Nigar Sultana in the lead roles. A few small films followed, for which I got paid as little as Rs. 150.”
MY BIGGEST PROJECT “Then, I landed my biggest project, ‘Daayra’, thanks to Harishchandra Rao, its composer. I’d just finished recording a song for Jamaal Sen, a relative of today’s composers Dilip and Sameer Sen. I believe Harishchandra Rao had tried to get other singers, but they’d stood him up. So, he took me to meet Kamal Amrohi.” “Busy recording with Meenu Katrak, Kamal saab sent along a representative to decide on my voice. That’s how I got to sing for ‘Daayra’. The theme song, ‘Devta tum ho mera sahara, maine thamma hai daaman tumhara’ was a duet between (Mohammad) Rafi and me. I sang other numbers too – ‘Jali jo shama, deep ke sang jaloon’, for example. I had about seven songs in the film, which had Meena Kumari and Nasir Khan in the lead. Unfortunately for me, ‘Daayra’ was an utter flop. I was extremely disappointed.”
SONGS WERE WRITTEN FOR ME! “Around this time, I was called to sing for Naushad saabs film ‘Shabab’. When I got there, I found all I had to sing was a few lines in a child’s chorus. The song was Rafi’s ‘Mehelon mein rehne wale, hamein tere dar se’
“I was upset – it was such a big production and all I was getting to sing was a few lines! Then, they offered to give me a full song if I sang this one. I agreed.”
“After which, S. D. Burman ‘da’ suddenly called me over to visit him at Dev Anand’s office in Juhu (Mumbai). He was composing for the film ‘Devdas’ and wanted me to sing the number ‘Woh na aayenge palatkar, unhein lakh hum bulaayein…’. The song had just about two lines, which had to be repeated over and over again.”
“Sahir Ludhianvi, the lyricist, who was sitting there, heard me and said, ‘I’ll give you a full song.’ That’s how the song finally had an ‘antara’ and ‘asthayi’. Burman ‘da’ was very pleased and praised me. All I could remember at the time was how he’d refused to even listen to me when I’d approached him earlier.”
“I had the opportunity of singing in every film made by Bimal Roy. ‘Hale dil sunayenge…’ (‘Madhumati’) became very popular. Initially, even this song was just one stanza long, till Shailendra saab told me he’d write the full lyrics and the song grew in length.”
“That song was recorded with only three musicians – a sarangi player (Pt. Ram Narain), a ‘tabalchi’ and a harmonium player. Composer Salil Choudhry heard it, as he was entering the room, and was very thrilled!”
MY MOST POPULAR NUMBER “I’ve sung in practically all of Kidar Sharma’s films too. For one, whose production composer was Snehal Bhatkar, I sang ‘Kabhi tanhayiyon mein yoon, hamari yaad aayegi…’ At the recording, Kidar Sharma sat with his eyes closed till the song was done, and then got up and gave me some money. When I hesitated, Snehal Bhatkar told me, ‘Take it. Whoever he gives money to makes a name.’ The film was ‘Hamari Yaad Aayegi’, with Tanuja.”
“At the time, I was told the song was a background number (those days background numbers didn’t figure on records). But on a visit to Pakistan, I found people talking about this song. Then, I realized that Kidar saab had got a record made after all. This song has been one of my most popular numbers. It still is.”
MY REPERTOIRE GREW “Composers Shankar-Jaikishen were becoming very popular around this time, and I’ve always been a very ardent fan of theirs. I’ve always respected them for their originality – they were like no one else. I sang for ‘Hamrahi’ with them – the song was a duet with Rafi saab, ‘Mujhko apne gale lagalo ai mere hamrahi…’ I worked with them in ‘Around The World’ (a duet with Sharda, ‘Yeh muh aur masoor ki dal…’) and again in ‘Arzoo’ (‘Jab ishk kahin ho jaata hai…’ – a ‘quwaali’). “I worked with Kalyanji-Anandji in ‘Juari’ (‘Neend ud jaye teri chainse sone wale…’) and in ‘Yeh Dil Kisko Doon’. A song that scaled the heights of popularity was ‘Hume dum daike souten ghar jaana…’, which I sang with Asha Bhosle. Madan Mohan had me sing in ‘Neend Humari Khwab Tumhare’ (‘Sakiya ek bhi to de…’). In ‘Saraswati Chandra’, I sang the number ‘Vada humse kiya dil kisiko diya…’ and in ‘Kajal’ – ‘Agar tum na miloge to main yeh samjoongi…’. I had begun getting more and more work.”
SUDDENLY THERE WAS NO WORK! “Then my life did an about turn. For no reason, my songs would be recorded and then cut off from the film, like in the film ‘Jab Jab Phool Khile’, and again, in a number I recorded with Shobha Gurtu for Bappi Lahiri. Slowly, I realized that I was being edged out of the industry.”By this time, Mubarak Begum had sung with almost every composer and singer – she’d had duets with Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Geeta Dutt, Rafi, Mukesh, Talat Mehmood, Manna Dey… She’d sung for regional language films like in Sindhi (“It was ever so difficult,” she laughs, today, “to get the pronunciation right AND concentrate on the singing! But watching my co-singer, Talat Mahmood, struggling too made me do my best”). Now, she sings for stage shows – “I have to survive,” she says.But listeners will never forget what she has sung, even if her repertoire hasn’t been very large. She has some memorable numbers to her credit – Jan Nissar Akhtar’s number for ‘Susheela’ with Talat Mahmood, ‘Kuch ajnabi se aap hain, kuch ajnabi se hum…’ or the one from ‘Daakbabu’, ‘Ghir ghir aaye badarva kare, rang bhare ras bhare pyare pyare…’
This industry where awards are two a penny, Mubarak Begum has received no recognition whatsoever for her work… “Forget appreciating talent with an award, we’re not even invited for the functions any more. So completely have we been forgotten,” says she, sadly
A look at some of the well-known songs by her makes one wonder why she could not reach the status of a Lata Mangeshkar or Geeta Dutt:
- "Neend Ud Jaaye Teri Chain se Sone Wale" (Yeh Dil Kisko Doon)
- "Kabhi Tanhaiyon men Hamari Yaad Aaegi" (Hamari Yaad Aaegi)
- "Aye Dil Bata' (Khooni Khazana)
- "Kuchh Ajnabi se aap hain"
- "Mujh ko Apne Gale Lagalo" (Hamrahi)
- "Ayji ayji yaad rakhna sanam" (Daku Mansoor)
- "Shama Gul Karke Na Ja"
- Saawariya Teri Yaad Mein"
- Humein Dum Daike"
References
- ^ "Notes from the past". The Chandigarh Tribune. 12 October 2008. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20081012/spectrum/main4.htm. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
External links
Categories:- 1940 births
- Living people
- Indian female singers
- Indian film singers
- Indian ghazal singers
- People from Rajasthan
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