Blast from the Past…!!

I happened to be watching Times Now on this fine Sunday afternoon and the program Total Recall.. And this week it was Shamshad Begum… For all those who do not remember her… she’s the one whose songs have been remixed and remixed and we still love them all..

Err… still wondering.. remember Dimple Shaw’s Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar from the Guru Dutt super hit Aar Paar or the more comic caper in Kajra Mohabbat wala from the Biswajeet starrer – Kismet

I knew she existed but I never she bloomed and ruled the Tinsel Town for sooo long… her winning streak was by and large in the 40-60s and then she took a sabbatical from the industry and came back with a bang in Kajra Mohabbat wala… when OP Nayyar weaved his charm with his then fave muse  Asha Bhosle…. The Asha Bhosle OP Nayyar Duo have given us memorable melodies and Shamshad Begum too had a special role to play in his career… each and every number of this elusive nightingale as they called her has been a winner…

When they played most of her famous songs I realized… those are the songs with which we have grown up with only that I never realized it was SHE who splayed those songs with her magic… she had a peculiar voice that stood out far above the rest.

Her best super hits chartbuster songs were with OP Nayyar.. There was an era where every song she sang for OP sir was a hit.. and having experienced his songs I can say they are a wonderful refresher even today amidst all the current shoo-shaa of music which are as dad puts it “shor sharaba music” well I won’t admonish wat he says… with the advancement of technology music too has taken a revolution of sorts.. There’s not much sitar or sarangi use in music today… the flute too is slowly diminishing…but with OP sir’s music you can never get tired.. He’s a true genius…

With a career graph of more than 100 songs to her kitty… she has been captivating one and all with her lovely mellifluous voice… with the advent of the item numbers and remixes her numbers along with Ashaji’s numbers were the most vied after for recreating…

Her best songs to me were all those that were later remixed ~

Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar – Aar Paar

Mere Piya gaye  Rangoon – Patanga

Leke Pehla Pehla Pyar – CID

Kahin pe Nigahein Kahin pe Nishana – CID

Bhooj mera kyaa naam re, nadi kinare gaav re – CID

Saiyaan Dil mein aana re – Bahaar

Kajra Mohabbat Wala – kismet

And ofcourse who can forget the romantic musical saga Mughal–e–Azam with the spectacular stunning breathtaking beauty MadhuBala and the dashing prince Dilip saab (ah yes he was the heart-throb of many in those days), yes Shamshad Begum has sung a duet with Lata Mangeshkar –  teri mehfil mein kismet aazmake hum bhi dekhenge…

Remember the NECC ad on “Sunday ho ya Monday roz khao ande” well it so happens that indeed there was an old song which goes “aana meri jaan meri jaan Sunday ke Sunday” and yes Shamshad begum was one of those first singers to have adapted to the western music inspite of her nasal twang voice..

She truly was a wonderful singer… and yes hats off to her for giving us such memorable melodies…

She was honored with the Padma Bhushan earlier this year… I wonder why all maestros are always recognized for their efforts late in life 🙄
Thank you Shamshad ji for all those lovely numbers 🙂