Begum Akhtar
Encyclopedia
Akhtari Bai Faizabadi or Begum Akhtar (October 7, 1914–1974) was a well known India
n singer of Ghazal
, Dadra
and Thumri
.
She received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
for vocal music, and was awarded Padma Shri
and Padma Bhushan
(posthumously) by Govt. of India. She was given the title of Mallika-e-Ghazal (Queen of Ghazals).
, Uttar Pradesh
. Her father Asghar Hussain, a young lawyer who fell in love with her mother Mushtari and made her his second wife, subsequently disowned her and his twin daughters Zohra and Bibbi (Akhtar).
, and later under Ata Mohammed Khan of Patiala. Later, she travelled to Calcutta with her mother and learnt music from classical stalwarts like Mohammad Khan, Abdul Waheed Khan
of Lahore
, and finally she became the disciple of Ustad Jhande Khan.
Her first public performance was at the age of fifteen. The famous poetess, Sarojini Naidu
, appreciated her singing during a concert which was organised in the aid of victims of a Bihar earthquake of 1934
. This encouraged her to continue singing ghazals with more enthusiasm. She cut her first disc for the Megaphone Record Company, at that time. A number of gramophone records were released carrying her ghazals, dadras, thumris, etc.
Begum Akhtar's good looks and sensitive voice made her an ideal candidate for a film career in her early years. When she heard great musicians like Gauhar Jan and Malak Jan, however, she decided to forsake the glamour of the film world for a career in Indian classical music
. Her supreme artistry in light classical music had its moorings in the tradition of pure classicism. She chose her repertoire in primarily classical modes: a variety of raag
s, ranging from simple to complex. After the advent of talkie era in India, Beghum Akhtar acted in a few Hindi movies in thirties. East India Film Company
of Calcutta approached her to act in "King for a Day" (alias Ek Din Ka Badshah) and Nal Damayanti in 1933.
Like others of that era, she sang her songs herself in all her films. She continued acting in the following years. Subsequently Beghum Akhtar moved back to Lucknow where she was approached by the famous producer-director Mehboob Khan, as a result of which she acted in "Roti" which was released in 1942 and whose music was composed by maestro Anil Biswas
. "Roti" contained six of her ghazals but unfortunately due to some trouble between producer and director, Mehboob Khan subsequently deleted 3-4 ghazals from the film. All the ghazals are available on Megaphone gramophone records. Beghum Akhtar, meanwhile, left Bombay and returned to Lucknow.
In 1945, Akhtaribai married a barrister, Ishtiaq Ahmed Abbasi, and became known as Begum Akhtar. However, after marriage, due to her husband's restrictions, she could not sing for almost five years and subsequently, she fell ill, that is when her return to music was prescribed as a befitting remedy, and in 1949 she returned to the recording studios. She sang three ghazals and a dadra at Lucknow Radio Station. She wept afterwards and returned to singing in concerts, a practice that lasted until her death.
Her voice matured with time, adding richness and depth. She sang ghazals and other light classical pieces, singing them in her inimitable style. She has nearly four hundred songs to her credit. She was a regular performer on All India Radio
. She usually composed her own ghazals and most of her compositions were raag
based.
She died on October 30, 1974 in the arms of Nilam Gamadia, her friend, who invited her to Ahmedabad, which has become her final performance.
Video links
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n singer of Ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
, Dadra
Dadra
Dadra refers to two separate but originally linked concepts in Hindustani classical music.-Dadra tala:This is a Hindustani classical tala , consisting of six beats in two equal divisions of three. The most commonly accepted theka or basic pattern for this tala is dha dhi na, dha tu na...
and Thumri
Thumri
Thumri is a common genre of semi-classical Indian music.The text is romantic or devotional in nature, and usually revolves around a girl's love for Krishna. The lyrics are usually in Uttar Pradesh dialects of Hindi called Poorbi and Brij Bhasha...
.
She received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
for vocal music, and was awarded Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
and Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
(posthumously) by Govt. of India. She was given the title of Mallika-e-Ghazal (Queen of Ghazals).
Early life
Begum Akhtar was born in Bada Darwaza, Town Bhadarsa, Bharatkund, Faizabad DistrictFaizabad District
See also: Faizabad Faizabad district is one of the 71 districts of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. Faizabad city is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district occupies an area of 2,764 km²...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. Her father Asghar Hussain, a young lawyer who fell in love with her mother Mushtari and made her his second wife, subsequently disowned her and his twin daughters Zohra and Bibbi (Akhtar).
Career
Akhtar was barely seven when she was captivated by the music of Chandra Bai, an artist attached to a touring theatre group. However at her uncle's insistence she was sent to train under Ustad Imdad Khan, the great sarangi exponent from PatnaPatna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
, and later under Ata Mohammed Khan of Patiala. Later, she travelled to Calcutta with her mother and learnt music from classical stalwarts like Mohammad Khan, Abdul Waheed Khan
Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan
Abdul Wahid Khan was an Indian classical singer, from the Kirana gharana.-Early life and background:Khansahib founded the Kirana gharana musical family with Abdul Karim Khan. Abdul Karim had married Abdul Wahid Khan's sister, Gafooran Bibi...
of Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, and finally she became the disciple of Ustad Jhande Khan.
Her first public performance was at the age of fifteen. The famous poetess, Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu , also known by the sobriquet The Nightingale of India, was a child prodigy, Indian independence activist and poet...
, appreciated her singing during a concert which was organised in the aid of victims of a Bihar earthquake of 1934
1934 Bihar earthquake
The 1934 Bihar earthquake was one of the worst earthquakes in India's history. Some 30,000 people were said to have died. Munger and Muzaffarpur were completely destroyed. This 8.4 magnitude earthquake occurred on January 15, 1934 at around 2:13 PM and caused widespread damage in the northern...
. This encouraged her to continue singing ghazals with more enthusiasm. She cut her first disc for the Megaphone Record Company, at that time. A number of gramophone records were released carrying her ghazals, dadras, thumris, etc.
Begum Akhtar's good looks and sensitive voice made her an ideal candidate for a film career in her early years. When she heard great musicians like Gauhar Jan and Malak Jan, however, she decided to forsake the glamour of the film world for a career in Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
. Her supreme artistry in light classical music had its moorings in the tradition of pure classicism. She chose her repertoire in primarily classical modes: a variety of raag
Raag
Raag or RAAG can have several meanings:* Radio Amateur Association of Greece* Rāga, a melodic mode in Indian classic music* Right-angled Artin groups, a class of groups studied in geometric group theory....
s, ranging from simple to complex. After the advent of talkie era in India, Beghum Akhtar acted in a few Hindi movies in thirties. East India Film Company
East India Film Company
The East India Film Company was the first Indian film company to screen a movie at an International Film Festival. Started in 1932 in Calcutta by R. L...
of Calcutta approached her to act in "King for a Day" (alias Ek Din Ka Badshah) and Nal Damayanti in 1933.
Like others of that era, she sang her songs herself in all her films. She continued acting in the following years. Subsequently Beghum Akhtar moved back to Lucknow where she was approached by the famous producer-director Mehboob Khan, as a result of which she acted in "Roti" which was released in 1942 and whose music was composed by maestro Anil Biswas
Anil Biswas
Anil Biswas was an Indian politician. He was the secretary of the West Bengal State Committee of Communist Party of India and member of the party's Polit Bureau beginning in 1998. He was the editor of Marxbadi Path the theoretical quarterly in Bengal...
. "Roti" contained six of her ghazals but unfortunately due to some trouble between producer and director, Mehboob Khan subsequently deleted 3-4 ghazals from the film. All the ghazals are available on Megaphone gramophone records. Beghum Akhtar, meanwhile, left Bombay and returned to Lucknow.
In 1945, Akhtaribai married a barrister, Ishtiaq Ahmed Abbasi, and became known as Begum Akhtar. However, after marriage, due to her husband's restrictions, she could not sing for almost five years and subsequently, she fell ill, that is when her return to music was prescribed as a befitting remedy, and in 1949 she returned to the recording studios. She sang three ghazals and a dadra at Lucknow Radio Station. She wept afterwards and returned to singing in concerts, a practice that lasted until her death.
Her voice matured with time, adding richness and depth. She sang ghazals and other light classical pieces, singing them in her inimitable style. She has nearly four hundred songs to her credit. She was a regular performer on All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
. She usually composed her own ghazals and most of her compositions were raag
Raag
Raag or RAAG can have several meanings:* Radio Amateur Association of Greece* Rāga, a melodic mode in Indian classic music* Right-angled Artin groups, a class of groups studied in geometric group theory....
based.
Death
During her last concert in Ahmedabad she raised the pitch of her voice as she felt that her singing had not been as good as she had wanted it to be and she felt unwell. The additional demand and stress that she put herself under resulted in her falling ill and was rushed to the hospital.She died on October 30, 1974 in the arms of Nilam Gamadia, her friend, who invited her to Ahmedabad, which has become her final performance.
Bollywood career
- Naseeb Ka Chakkar | -
- Kalyug Hai Jabse Aaya Maya Ne...
- Roti | Anna Sahab Mainkar
- Wo Hans Rahe Hain Aah Kiye Jaa...
- Ulajh Gaye Nayanwa Chhute Nahin...
- Char Dino Ki Jawani Matwale...
- Ai Prem Teri Balihari Ho...
- Phir Fasle Bahaar Aayi Hai...
- Rehne Laga Hai Dil Me Andhera...
- Panna DaiPanna DaiPanna Dai was a maid in the service of Rana Sanga or Sangram Singh of Chittorgarh, India.She was a Gurjar lady of Kheechi clan. She was foster-mother of his infant son Udai Singh....
| Gyan Dutt
- Hamen Yaad Teri Sataane Lagi...
- Main Raja Ko Apne Rijha Ke Rahungi...
- Dana Pani | Mohan Junior
- Ishq Mujhe Aur Kuchh To Yaad Nahi...
- Ehsaan
- (1954 - hame.n dil me.n basaa bhi lo).
Filmography
- Mumtaz Beghum(1934)
- Jawaani Ka Nasha(1935)
- King for a Day (1933, director : Raaj Hans)
- Ameena (1934, director : -)
- Roop Kumari (1934, director : Madan)
- Naseeb Ka Chakkar (1936, director : Pesi Karani)
- AnaarBala (1940, director : A M Khan)
- Roti (1942 film)Roti (1942 film)Roti is a 1942 Indian Bollywood film. It was the fifth highest grossing Indian film of 1942....
(1942, director : Maadhav Kaale) - JalsagharJalsagharJalsaghar is the fourth feature film directed by Satyajit Ray. Jalsaghar is a narration of the end days of a Zamindar in Bengal. The landlord, Roy , is a just but other-worldly man who loves to spend time listening to music and putting up spectacles rather than managing his fields ravaged by...
(1958; director: Satyajit RaySatyajit RaySatyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
)
Awards and recognition
- 1968: Padma ShriPadma ShriPadma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
- 1972: Sangeet Natak Akademi AwardSangeet Natak Akademi AwardSangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
- 1975: Padma BhushanPadma BhushanThe Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
(posthumously)
Further reading
- In Memory of Begum Akhtar, by Shahid Ali Agha. U.S. Inter Culture Associates, 1979.
- Great Masters of Hindustani Music, by Susheela Misra. Published by Hem Publishers, 1981. Chapter 26.
- Begum Akhtar: The Queen of Ghazal, by Sutapa Mukherjee. Rupa & Co, 2005, ISBN 81-7167-985-4.
- Begum Akhtar: The Story of My Ammi, by Shanti Hiranand. Published by Viva Books, 2005. ISBN 81-309-0172-2.
- Ae Mohabbat… Reminiscing Begum Akhtar, by Jyoti Sabharwal & Rita Ganguly, 2008, ISBN 978-81-904559-3-0.
- Begum Akhtar: Love’s Own Voice, by S. Kalidas . 2009.
External links
- Biography of Beghum Akhtar
- An Article of Beghum Akhtar
- Beghum Akhtar -interesting insights
- Short biography
- Begum Akhtar Resource website
- Begum Akhtar's Thumri and Ghazals in Bengali by Parag Ray (Vocalist based in Canada/India)
Video links