BEST OF SHAMSHAD BEGUM - STAR SINGER OF YESTERYEAR

A couple of days ago, my friend Arun Sehgal sent me a list of 10 songs of Shamshad Begum compiled by a music journalist; Shamshad Begum, my favourite lady singer of Hindi songs in my growing up years. While I generally concurred with the list of the journalist, I needed to tweak it a bit to make my own. 

First, a few facts about this great singer honoured by our government with Padma Bhushan in 2009. She lived to the age of 94 and passed away on 23 April 2013, exactly 9 years ago. She sang more than 6000 songs in different Indian languages including around 1300 in Hindi, nowhere as many as Lata Mangeshkar, but still a considerable number with outstanding hits. Apart from being one of the first playback singers in Indian movies, she is reputed to have been the highest paid female singer from 1940 to 1955 and again from '57 to '64. In her heydays, she was the preferred singer of top music composers like OP Nayyar and Naushad. It is said that when Lata started singing, she was asked to follow the style of Shamshad as in the song that made Lata famous, 'Ayega Aanewala' in 'Mahal'.

Married at a young age, she was completely devoted to her husband who unfortunately passed away in 1955 in an accident when Shamshad was in her prime. That broke her heart and she gave up singing for 2 years which provided Lata an opportunity to reach for the top spot. Shamshad did make a return in 1957 only to go into self retirement in 1965.

On to my choice of her songs. We begin with the funny number of 1946 vintage, "Meri Jaan Sunday Ke Sunday", that Vinnie Mama and I had designated as our 'anthem'. Vinnie Mama was in his teens studying in Allahabad University and I was in single digits having just started schooling in Bharatpur. The song is a duet with the male imploring the girl to visit him every Sunday with lure of 'ande', whisky and brandy, and promises of taking her to London and Paris. Shamshad, singing as the girl, would have none of it and tells him to 'Bhaag yehan se dur' as her 'Baba' is a 'Kashi ka Panda' and her husband is a 'Pehelwan' capable of effectively wielding the 'danda.' 

The next one is comic too: "Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon, kiya hai vahan se telephoon, tumhari yaad satati hai, jiya mein aag lagati hai." This song, from a '49 film'  was also a duet with the composer, C Ramchandra, as the male singer.

"Saiyyan Dil Mein Aana Re, aake phir mat jaana re, chham chhama chham chham" was sung for the dancing Vyjanthimala in the film "Bahar". It is a happy, lively number.

The Begum and Lata Mangeshkar did a number of duets. One of the best is their last one together in "Mughal-e-Azam" titled "Teri Mehfil Mein Kismet aazma kar hum bhi dekhenge". The song is performed as a qawwali with Shamshad providing the voice for Nigar Sultana.

Shamshad sang two delightful numbers in Dev Anand's "CID", a '56 release. "Kahin Pe Nigahen Kahin Pe Nishana" was a mischievous solo while "Leke Pehla Pehla Pyaar" was sung with Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhosle in a sweet, light vein.

Around the same time was another playful song in "Aar Paar", a '54 movie. The song was "Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar Laage Teere Nazar". Continuing in the same spirit was "Reshmi Salwar Kurta Jaali Da" in "Naya Daur" of '57.

Lest we think she only sang light songs, there were sad ones too like "Ek Tera Sahara" in "Shama" in '46, and perhaps the saddest, "Chhod Babul Ka Ghar, mohey pee ke nagar aaj jaana para" in "Babul" in 1950. The song is a tear-jerker describing the feelings of a bride leaving her parents' house and childhood friends for the first time after marriage.

To her credit is her popular Holi song, "Holi Aayi Re Kanhai", sung in "Mother India". It is of further significance as the movie marked her return after a two-year hiatus because of her husband's demise.

For a personal favourite, it is back to Bharatpur and 1946 for "Anmol Ghadi" and Shamshad's lovely song, "Udan Khatole Pe Ud Jaoon, tere haath na aaoon", a flight of fancy on a flying machine.

I love songs about 'bachpan' (childhood) and so I shall close my list with "Bachpan Ke Din Bhula Na Dena" from the popular film "Deedar" of 1950. The song has two versions and I relate to the first one sung together by Shamshad and Lata Mangeshkar for two kids, former for the boy and latter for the girl. The lyrics are touchingly sweet with the children singing that though they have a long life's journey ahead, they should traverse it happily with song, laughter and love and never forget their childhood days. The song is filmed with the kids on a horseback and the clop-clop of hoofbeats provides a most pleasing accompaniment to the singing.