10 unknown facts about Mubarak Begum

Legendary singer Mubarak Begum, who gave scores of Hindi film songs and ghazals, mainly between 1950s and 70s, was not keeping well for the last few years. Mubarak Begum, who was best known for crooning the title track of 1961 romantic-dramaHamari Yaad Aayegi, has passed away after prolonged illness. Here we have ensemble a list of facts that we must know about the late 80 year old Mubarak Begum. 10 unknown facts about Mubarak Begum The phenomenal playback singer, Mubarak begum passed away on 19th July at her residence in Jogeshwari, Mumbai due to chronic illness. The 80 year old singer of yesteryears has given us a range of Hindi songs, Ghazals and melodious songs in her career span. Her voice expressed agony and pain, and she was rarely used as the playback singer for lead actresses because of her repeatedly Mujra Mubarak Begum was born into a Muslim family at Sujangarh in Rajasthan and had been raised in Ahmedabad in Gujarat before shifting the residential place to Mumbai. She decided to become a singer after watching the movies which featured Noor Jehan and Suraiya. Mubarak Begum’s journey was full of hardships as she belonged to a conservative family where girls were not allowed to education. She developed her love for music during childhood days, when Begum’s father would play ‘Tabla’ as a part of hobby. Mubarak Begum, the forgotten singer of 50’s and 70’s started her journey of music with light music recitals which was performed for All India Radio, the Indian Government In 1949, an Indo-Pakistani music composer Nashad had introduced Begum when she was just 13 year old as a playback singer for the film ‘Aaiye’. She had sung 178 songs in her entire career and due to unfortunate fate only 115 films were appeared to have her songs. The first song she recorded for films was "Mohe Aane Lagi Angrayi, Aja Aja Balam" (Aaiye, 1949). She also sang a duet with her contemporary singer Lata Mangeshkar in the same film. A major hit in her career was the song "Kabhi Tanhaiyon Mein Yun" for composer Snehal Bhatkar in Kidar Sharma's film Hamari Yaad Aayegi. After showing constant results of popularity in her forte, conspiracies started to come up against her and gained steam. As a result, the songs like “Pardesiyon Se Na Ankhiyaan Milaana” (Jab Jab Phool Khile) and “Agar Mujhe Na Mile Tum” (Kajal) which had been recorded by her entered the market without her voice. Mubarak Begum withdrawn the industry in the beginning of 1970’s because of threats and certain disturbances in life, which brought her to take this extreme decision. Many of her songs which she sung were never released in the market. After some years, Mubarak Begum lived with her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren in the Suburb Mumbai in Jogeshwari with a small accommodation. After her daughter’s death in October 2015, who had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease, had deteriorated Begum’s health to a greater extent. A press reported that Mubarak Begum was in hospital and that her family were not able to pay her medical bills. Begum lived a terrible life despite of being a legendary singer of her times. Her only income, it was reported, was a pension which she received from her late husband's employer. This pension was reported by NDTV news channel to be Rs.800 ($12) per month and by DNA (an Indian newspaper) to be Rs.3000/- ($45) per month, both of which figures are extremely paltry by Indian standards and utterly inadequate for a person's sustenance. Mubarak Begum was dependent on her son, Hussain Shaikh, who earns an uncertain income by freelancing as a chauffeur, and was cared for by her daughter-in-law. A documentary film was made based on her life and was premiered by the Film division in Goa Film Festival. Many music lovers even remember her today and cherish the songs which were sung by her. She also voiced song like “Woh Na Aayenge Palat Kar” in Bimal Roy’s Devdas with music by Burman. Roy used her voice once again in Madhumati (1958), where she sang “Hum Haal E Dil Sunaenge” for music composer Salil Choudhury. “Kabhi Tanhaiyon Mein Hamari Yaad Aayegi”, the title song of Tanuja-starrer Hamari Yaad Aayegi, remains one of Begum’s most remembered tracks.

Preet Parashar

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