Birthday Special: Happy Birthday Shamshad Begum- the ruling queen of 1940-1950 when Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Madan Mohan used to sing as chorus singers during her song recordings as lead singer.

Today, 14 April, 2022 is 103rd birth anniversary of Shamshad Begum who was born in Lahore on 14 Apr, 1919 and died on 23rd April, 2013 in Mumbai.

The picture shows myself paying tribute to her in a function organised by me under banner of two Societies PECOBA Punjab Engineering College Chandigarh Old Boys Association- founded by me 55 years ago in 1967 and SAKHA - founded by me 35 years ago. In 1987.

The Homage Function was held in Gurgaon about 3 months after her death on 6 Aug, 2013 and was compered by Mamta Vani of Mumbai. All the 22 songs were sung by Simrat Chhabra now settled in Toronto, Canada.

Chief Guest late Padmashri Shanti Hiranand bestowed the prestigious Sakha Award to both Simrat Chhabra and Mamta Vani.

Would you believe that Shamshad Begum was the most popular and the highest paid singer of her time in the period 1940 to 1955. Her fees was several times higher than other singer.

After the death of her Hindu husband Ganpat Lal Batto in 1955 whom she had married in 1934 in Lahore despite severe opposition by her father Miyan Hussain Baksh, the shocked Shamshad Begum stopped singing at the peak of her singing career for a few years.

This was a boon to many female playback singers which further boosted the singing career of Lata Mangeshkar and others.

Such was the aura of Shamshad Begum in those days that Raj Kapoor who was making his first film Aag (1948), went to her house and said " You do not know me but I am the son of Prithviraj Kapoor.

I need your blessings. I have come here to request you to sing songs of my first film Aag. Your name and reputation will give a boost to my future film career.

Shamshad agreed and out of 10 songs of film she sang 8 songs including " Kahe koyal shor machaye re" and Na aankhon mein aansoo na hothon pe haye.

It was in this film that Mukesh sang for the first time for Raj Kapoor Zinda hoon is tareh ki gamme zindagi nahin.

Many of you may be wondering that if she was such top class reputed playback singer of her time, why there no photos of her were available anywhere for full 37 years in the period 1933 to 1970.

The reason was that her father Miyan Hussain Baksh who was very orthodox, had allowed her to sing on the strict condition that she will not allow herself to be ever photographed. So she used to record her songs wearing a burka.

It was music director Ghulam Haider of Lahore who shaped the singing career of Shamshad in Lahore since 1931 when she was only 12 years old, and composed for her hit nos " Cheechi which paake chhalla" (Punjabi film Yamla Jatt, 1940). Shamshad also sang all the 8 songs of Mehboob Khan's film Taqdeer (1943) including babu daroga ji kaun kasoor par.This was first film of Nargis.

Many music directors, including Naushad and C Ramchandra have admitted that Shamshad was already well known before them and her singing of their compositions was a big boost to their musical careers.

Some of her popular numbers are Yeh duniya roop ki chor, Teri mehfil mein kismat aazma ke hum bhi dekhenge, Saiyan dil mein aana re; Milte hi aankhe dil huya diwana kissi ka; Pee ke ghar aaj pyari dulhaniya chali; chhod babul ka ghar.

Shamshad had first met OP Nayyar during her radio stint in A.I.R in Lahore where OP Nayyar worked as an office boy delivering tea, snacks to the lead singers like her.

Later on when OP Nayyar became music director he used her voice in many films yielding songs like Main jaan gayi tohe sayyan; bhooj mera kya naam re, kahin pe nigahen kahin pe nishana, thoda sa dil lagake, and duets such as O leke pehla pehla pyar, piya piya piya mera jiya pukare, meri needon mein tum and countless more.

Shamshad used to live with her daughter Usha Ratra in Mumbai. She always wanted to live incognito with no touch with anyone. Even her residential address C-603 Lake Castle Cliff Avenue, Hiranandani Gardens, Mumbai was kept a secret and it took me years to trace it, thanks to my Mumbai friend Kushal Gopalka who had access to her house.

I used to regularly talk to Usha Ratra and wanted to talk to Shamshad or meet her. But Shamshad never used to meet anyone. During my talks with Usha Ratra many years ago, she used to reveal so many unknown facets of her life- her simplicity, exclusivity and her nature never to talk ill-will of others despite the great injustices done to her by many.

She never rehearsed in house and did not keep any musical instrument at home. Shamshad was shy of interviews till the end of her life.

No wonder despite her magnanimous and topmost past singing career, nothing much is known about her personal life.

All said and done hers was a great graceful life full of achievements and contentment. I bow with respect to her glorious past and her magnanimous nature.

I request film historians to write books on her and appeal to film producers to produce documentaries on her so that the world knows what a glorious past she had and what a great person she was. One thing more.

She has sung a very large number of Punjabi songs and even today it is said that there has been not a single Punjabi singer after her death who could captivate the pulse of Punjabi music lovers as well as she did with her real rustic Punjabi touch like "ambian de bootiaan nu lag gaya boor ni, rut hai baharan wali chan mera dur ni.

Let us all wish Shamshad Begum a Happy Birthday in heaven and let us bow to this great singer who ruled once both hindi and punjabi film worlds and so gracefully retired from public life.

I have listed few of her songs. Please comment on this Facebook Page your favourites. Also a quiz for you all - Mention the names of films whose songs I have listed above.

Have a Look at the Link

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1426449434493228&id=100013845548243&sfnsn=wiwspwa