Hamari Yaad Ayegi : Mubarak Begum (Another Article)
neha_desai
Hamari Yaad Ayegi
In a film industry which is inextricably interwined with music, Mubarak
Begum did not get too many opportunities to get her voice heard. Today
as she looks back at her career which did not take off in the real sense of
the term she says "I’ve done done only 25 per cent of the work I
could’ve done. My wings were cut off before I’d started flying and I’ve
never been able to understand why - since I was a niche singer and
there was no question of treading on anyone else’s corns but - just as I
was getting popular I found less and less composers called me for work
till I reached a stage where I had no work at all."
Today as she waits for some miracle to
remove her from what has become a life
of drudgery, Mubarak Begum looks
fondly on her days of struggle when
life still held out that most tempting bait
called hope.
"I loved seeing movies as a child. We
lived in a place called Sahrangpur
darwaza in Ahmedabad, though we’re
originally from Rajasthan. In
Ahmedabad whenever anyone got
ready to see a film I’d throw a tantrum
that I wanted to go too. So my taya, my
paternal uncle, would take me along.
Even though I’d promptly fall asleep
once the lights went off and the film
started! The family moved to Mumbai
and here too films were the food I lived on. At that time Suraiya was
very popular and I would see her films and imitate her voice and sing all
her numbers to perfection. I started learning music from the neplew of
Abdul Karim Khan, Riyazuddin Khan. I learn’t just enough of classical
music to be able to do riyaz because I was told that too much classical
training spoilt one for light singing. I started singing on AIR and a lot of
people heard me. Among these was Rafique Ghaznavi Khansa'ab. He is
remembered as the man who has voiced those famous lines which go
with the Mehboob Khan films logo: Mudayi lakh bura chahe to kya
hota hai, wohi hota hai jo manzoore khuda hota hai. He had composed
music for Taqdeer which was Nargis’s debut film. He liked my voice and
called me to sing. But I was completely raw. My father took me to him
and I was made to rehearse at a recording studio in Tardeo which then
belonged to Modisa'ab. When I stood before the mike I just couldn’t
sing. I remember there was Agajani Kashmiri a well known writer. He
kept saying ‘Go for a take’ and they told him, `What take? She can’t
sing'. And we returned home. But honestly I felt nothing, I was too
naïve to really understand the importance of it all then.
My father wanted very much that I enter the music world and he’d go
and visit producers. That’s how I met Shyamsunder a popular composer
of those days. He introduced me to Ram Daryani who was making Bhai
Behen at that time. He promised to give me two songs in the film. Here
again I was made to rehearse in Shree sound studios and I got
frightened and couldn’t sing! The struggle continued till I met Yakub
who was making a film Aayiye - the composer was Nashaad or Shaukat
Dehlvi who’s film Nagma is still remembered today. I remember going to
Eastern studios in Worli where the recordist was Allaudin, who was
Yakub’s brother and part of the RK team. Here we recorded a solo song
of mine: Mohe aane lagi angrayi aaja aaja balam. This was
accomplished without any hitches. After this I sang a duet with Lata
Mangeshkar for the same film-the number was Aao chalein, chalein
sakhi wahan. The heroine of the film was Sulochna Chatterji.
I continued doing the rounds of composer’s offices. I remember when I
went to see SD Burmun he didn’t even hear me he just said, `Polish your
voice, polish your voice’. The next film I got after Aayiye was Phoolaon
ke haar - the composer was Hansari Behl and the lyricists were DN
Madhok, Verma Malik, Indeevar with Geeta Bali and Nigar Sultan in lead
roles. I songs in this film for both the ladies. I did a few small films in
between before I got my biggest project Daayra. In the smaller films I
was paid as little as Rs 150/-. How I happened to get Daayra was I’d just
recorded a song for Jamaal Sen the father of today’s composers Dilip/
Sameer Sen. Harishchandra Rao was making a film Pati Patni with
Bhagwandada. I sang the song Raat kaisi kati bataa na sake-haale dil
bhi unhein na suna na sake… After this he was appointed composer of
Daayra. I believed he tried to get different singers but they played him
up and so he took me to meet Kamal Amrohi. I remember clearly Meenu
Katrak was recording and Kamal Amrohi sent his representative to hear
me. This man liked my singing and reported this to Kamalsa'ab and
that’s how I got to sing for Daayra - the songs from that film are still
remembered today Devta tum ho mera sahara-maine thaama hai
daaman tumhara. This was the theme song, a duet between Rafi and
myself. I sang other numbers too - Jali jo shama, deep ke sang jaloon - I
had about 7 songs in this film which had Meens Kumari and Nasir Khan
in the lead.
Unfortunately for me the film Daayra was an utter flop. I was extremely
disappointed.
Around this time I was called to sing for Naushad sa'ab for the film
Shabab when I got there I found that all I had to sing was a few lines in
a child’s chorus. The song was Mehelon mein rehene wale, hame in
tere dar se kya. It was Rafi’s song. I was assured that I’d be given a full
song and I should sing this. So I agreed. After that suddenly
Burmansa'ab called me to visit him at Dev Anand’s office in Juhu - he
was composing for the film Devdas and it was then that I got the number
Woh na aayenge palatkar, unhein lakh hum bulaayein. This song had
just about two lines which had antara and asthayi Burmanda was very
pleased and praised me and all I could remember at the time was how
he’d refused to even listen to me when I’d gone to him earlier..
I had the opportunity of singing in every film made by Bimal Roy.
Madhumati’s Hal-e dil sunayenge was very popular. This too was
given to me only as one stanza initially till Shailendrasa'ab told me he’d
write the full lyrics and the song grew in length. I recall that for this
number there were only 3 musicians Ram Narain the sarangi player, a
tabalchi and a harmonium player. That’s how this song was recorded.
Salil Choudhry heard it as he was entering the room and he was very
thrilled with it.
I came in touch with Kidar Sharma and I sang in pracrically all his films.
For one film a Kidar Sharma production composer Snehal Bhatkar got me
to sing Kabhi tanhayion mein yoon hamari yaad aayegi. At the
recording Kidar Sharma sat with his eyes closed till the song was done
and then got up and gave me some money. I was hestinating when
Snehal Bhatkar told me ‘Take it, whoever he gives money to makes a
name’. The film was Hamari Yaad Aayegi with Tanuja. I was told that
this was a background number and those days records were not made
for these. I was called to Pakistan and there people kept talking about
this song - there I realised that people knew it because he’d got a record
made after all. This song has been one of my most popular numbers.
Shankar-Jaikishen were becoming very popular at this time. And I’ve
always been a very ardent fan of theirs. I’ve always felt that whatever
they did was their own individual work - they were like no one else.. I
was called by them to sing for Hamrahi - the song was a duet with
Rafisa'ab - Mujhko apne gale lagalo ai mere Hamrahi. For them I sang
again in Around the World a duet with Sharda Yeh muh aur masoor ki
dal and again in Aarzoo, Jab ishk kahin ho jaata hai - this was a
qawaali. For Kalyanji Anandji I sang in Juari - neend ud jaye teri
chainnse sone wale. Again in Yeh Dil Kisko Doon I sang Hume dum
daike sautan ghar jaane with Asha Bhosle a song which scaled the
heights of popularity. Madan Mohan had me sing in Neend Hamari
Khwab Tumhare Sakiya ek bhi to de in Saraswatichandra I had the
number Vada humse kiya dil kisike diya and in Kajal I sang Agar tum
na miloge to main yeh samjhoongi.
Suddenly now as I started getting more and more work - my life did an
about turn. For no reason my songs would be recorded and then cut off.
I sang for Jab Jab Phool Khile but the number was cut off, then Bappi
Lahiri got me to record a number with Shobha Gurtu this was also cut
off. Slowly I realised that I was being edged out of the industry.
By this time Mubarak Begum had sung with almost every composer and
singer - she had this duets with Lata Mangeshkar, Asha bhosle, Geeta
Dutt, Rafi, Mukesh, Talat Mehmood. Manna Dey. She’d sung for
regional language films like Sindhi "it was ever so difficult" she laughs
today, 'to get the pronounciation right and concentrate on the singing
too but I found that my co-singer Talat Mahmood was struggling too
that made me to my best."
Today as she looks for work she takes up offers for stage shows "I have
to survive" she says but listeners will never forget what she has sung.
Even if her repertoire has not been very large.. she has some memorable
numbers to her credit for e.g. Jan Nissar Akhtar’s number from Shagoon
with Talat Mahmood Kuch ajnabi se aap hain kuch ajnabi se hum or
the one from Dagbabu, Ghir ghir aaye badarva kare, Rang bhare ras
bhare pyare pyare.
In this industry where awards are two a penny, Mubarak Begum has
received no recognition of any kind from any institution - forget getting
an award. "We’re not even invited for the functions today - so
completely have we been forgotten," says she sadly.
Lata Khunchandani