"Nothing spurs the creative mind more than a tragedy
that breaks the heart..." - Raheel Shah, Writer
It
is often said that great pain leads to great beauty in the expression of an
artist. Begum Akhtar, The Mallika-e-Ghazal of India is am embodiment of this
thought. Though trained in
classical music by the greatest exponents, she chose ghazal, thumri, daadra and
light classical for her expression, because these forms gave her the
opportunity to explore the poetry and the words and convey emotions. Her
training and inner empathy elevated her ghazal singing to the level of high art
at par with classical concerts. Besides the renowned poets, the lesser known
poets became famous when she chose their ghazal to sing. She gave joy to millions of
listeners of many generations, including doyens like Mehdi Hasan, Talat
Mahmood, Madan Mohan, Pt. Jasraj and Pt. Ravi Shankar, Begum Akhtar’s own life
seems to be full of sorrow, pain, abusive relationships, betrayal by people she
loved and a deep melancholy. Her voice had an
unmatched pathos, and her perfect enunciation of chaste Urdu poetry made her a
role model. In fact, even Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj says he
decided to become a singer as a six-year-old only after hearing her sing
“Deewana banana hai toh” on a gramophone at a tea shop.
The ghazal "Mere hamnafas mere humnawaan mere dost banke dagaa na de " , which is popular even today, may be reflective of her marriage in 1945
to a reputed Barrister of Lucknow, Ishtiaq Ahmed Abbasi, Nawab of Kakoli. Though, this transformed her from Akhtaribai to Begum Akhtar, it came at a great price
to her. Whether it was on her own volition to lead a life of quiet domesticity,
or demanded by the barrister, or implicitly expected by his aristocratic
family, her singing career stopped completely. In five years, she felt stifled
and suffered serious bouts of depression. Doctors convinced the family that
only music could cure her. When she returned to AIR for a recording she could
not hold back her tears.
Music remained in
her life till her very end, even when she was in poor health. The lonely Ghazal queen had a third heart attack while in concert in Ahmedabad in Oct 1974 and passed away a few days later. Born on Oct 7 1914, this is her centennial year.
Leaving you with my favourite Begum Thumri -"Hamari Atariya Pe ...
Prem Ki Bhiksha Maange Bhikaran, Laaj Hamari Rakhiyo Saajan, Aao Sajan Tum Hamare Dware saara jhagada khatam hui jaave"...a thumri in Raag Bhairavi that takes us into the sufi realm....
