Talat Mahmood

Today is the birth anniversary of Talat Mahmood, the legendary playback singer with the silken voice.He was born this day in Lucknow in 1924 in a conservative Muslim family.At s very young age he started singing ghazals at AIR . Later he shifted to Calcutta . He cut his first disc for HMV in 1941.He went to Bombay and  tried his luck with acting .

He acted in a dozen films  with heroines like Shyama, Suraiya, Mala Sinha ... but soon realized that he was not  cut for a career in acting.Singing and singing ghazals was his forte though romantic film songs - solo and duets- sung by him also became immensely popular.Apart from Hindi film songs, he also sang Bengali songs and became equally popular a singer in both. Apart from the timeless romantic and sad melodies that he sang for films in his lilting silken voice, his non film songs like ' Tasveer Teri Dil Mera Behla Na Sakegi ' became and are still a rage.
He had a class following of his own among the literary Urdu speaking gentry.Only Muhammad Rafi and Mukesh besides him enjoyed such fan following among serious music lovers.
He was a  recipient of  Padma Bhushan.
He died on May 9,1998 aged 74.

 Our humble tributes  !

माँ

स्कूल के ज़माने में रूसी लेखक पौस्तोवस्की का उपन्यास
समय के  पंख' पढ़ा था और  Time has wings एक प्रचलित कहावत है। पच्चीस वर्ष  का अरसा कम नहीं पर  इतना ज्यादा भी नहीं कि बहुत कुछ भुलाया जा सके ।
माँ को गए 25 वर्ष  हुए । 1993 में 23-24  फरवरी की रात को  हम सब को  छोड़ कर अनंत यात्रा पर निकल गयी।यों उनका जाना न  अचानक था न अप्रत्याशित क्यों कि माँ  food pipe के कैंसर जैसे असाध्य रोग से ग्रसित थी और कुछ महीनों से बहुत  कष्ट में थी। ज़ाहिर है, food pipe का कैंसर था खाने व निगलने में कठिनाई थी। माँ को  कष्ट से मुक्ति तो मिली  पर हमारे  लिए तो  असहनीय दुःख था।
वैसे माँ का स्वास्थ्य कभी अच्छा नहीं रहा पर  थोड़े बहुत  कष्ट या तकलीफ की कभी परवाह न  की और पारिवारिक दायित्वों को भली प्रकार निभाया।माँ का प्यार हम सब को बिना किसी  भेदभाव के  समान रूप से मिला।
थोड़ा और पीछे  जाऊं तो याद आता है कि  बात चीत में माँ अक्सर अपनी उम्र 40 वर्ष होना बताती थी और मुझे चिन्ता
हो जाती थी क्योंकि पास पड़ोस में स्कूल में पढ़ रहे बच्चों को मातृ सुख से  वंचित होते देख चुका था । एक बार तो  एक  पड़ोसन ने माँ की बात काटते  हुए  62 वर्ष  आयु  होने की भविष्यवाणी कर दी थी। खैर  जब माँ 41 की हुई  तो  मानो चिंता का  एक बोझ  मेरे मनमस्तिष्क से उतरा ।

हमारी  पढ़ाई लिखाई का ध्यान  रखना, कॉपी किताब से  ले कर स्कूल की वर्दी,  अन्य  वस्त्रादि  आवश्यकताओं  का ध्यान माँ बखूबी रखती  थी । पिता जी  का काम केवल धन उपलब्ध कराना था। हाँ, हम में से कोई बीमार होता तो  माँ  और पिता जी दोनों दिन रात एक कर देते।
1991 की  गर्मियों के आस पास जब मेरी  पत्नी दुबारा उम्मीद से हुईं तो प्रत्याशित प्रसव से 4-5 मास   पूर्व माँ  हमारे साथ रहने को सराहां आयी  जहां उन दिनों  मैं सेवारत था ।
 यद्यपि इस दौरान  माँ   को गले में  तकलीफ शुरू हो चुकी थी पर उसे  दरकिनार करते हुए  उन ने मेरी पत्नी का हर प्रकार से ध्यान रखा । जनवरी 1992 में  हमें पुत्र की प्राप्ति हुईं।अप्रैल मई में  माँ वापिस शिमला आयी तो परीक्षण के उपरान्त कैंसर होने की पुष्टि हुई। उसके बाद radio therapy आदि  इलाज का सिलसिला  जिससे कोई लाभ  नहीं ।अंततः 62 वर्ष पूरे  करने से   लगभग  दो  मास पूर्व ही माँ चल बसी । यों माँ की यह इच्छा थी कि मेरे पुत्र को बड़ा होते देख लेती ।
उस समय मुझे उस पड़ोस की  आंटी  की  at  random की गयी  भविष्यवाणी याद आयी ।
आज जबकि उम्र के उस पड़ाव को   मैं स्वयं पार कर चुका हूँ तो लगता  है कि माँ  वक़्त से  कुछ पहले ही चली गयी ।

Madhubala

Today is the death anniversary of  Madhubala, the very beautiful and highly talented actress  of Hindi Cinema.Born  Mumtaz  Jehan Begum Dehalavi on 14th February 1933, to a Pushtun family in Delhi, the family later shifted to Bombay. A fire accident in 1944 destroyed everything in their household though fortunately the family was saved as they had gone out to watch a movie.

At an early age , Madhubala started making the rounds of film studios  in search of work.
In 1942,when she was just nine, Kidar Sharma cast her in the film Basant which was a huge success.Thus she was launched on a film career and she became a sought after actress.
Initially she was cast with Mumtaz as her name. It was Devika Rani who gave her the name Madhubala that eventually stuck.She went on to act in films like Mahal, Amar, Mr.& Mrs.55, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Dulari, Tarana,  and Badal.Her fame as a beautiful and talented actress having travelled worldwide, the noted director Frank Capra offered  to take her to Hollywood but  her father Ataullah Khan declined, thus putting the lid on what could have been an International film career for Madhubala.
Madhubala co-starred with all  known male and female actors/ actresses of her time namely Ashok Kumar, Rehman, Rak Kapoor,Pradeep Kumar,Sunil Dutt,DilpKumar,Dev Anand as also Kamini Kaushal, Suraiya, Geeta Bali, Nalini jayant, Shyama and Nimmi .
She worked for producers/ directors like Mehboob Khan, Guru Dutt,Kamal Amroha and K. Asif.
Her filmography also includes films like  Shirin Farhad, Howrah Bridge,Faagun, Kala Pani, Barsat Ki Raat, Neel Kamal ,Beqasoor,Raj Hath, Yahudi Ki Ladki, Do Ustaad,Mughal-eAzam, Half Ticket and many many  others.
Having reached the pinnacle of fame and popularity as an actress, Madhubala was not as lucky on the personal front.
Her romantic relationship with Dilp Kumar  could not mature into matrimony due to objection fro her father. Next, tipped to marry Shammi Kapoor, the plan failed as Madhubala's father eyed it more as a business venture. Finally she married Kishore Kumar in 1960 but with disastrous results. Kishore Kumar treated her badly often giving her beating.Towards the end of 1950s her health had started declining as she had a hole in her heart. Unfortunately, the gravity of situation was not realized either by her directors or her family. Subjected to gruelling acting schedules further worsened the situation and she died  this day in 1969 aged 36.
This was a tragic end of Madhubala, who was feted as 'The Venus Of Indian Cinema'.
Our humble tributes !

Zohrabai Ambalewali

Today is the death anniversary of Zohrabai Ambalewali, an Indian Classical and playback 0 Ki Ladki, her first success came with the 1944 film Rattan, in which her songs like 'Akhiyan Mila ke Jiya Bharana ke Chale Nahin Jana..' & ' Diwali Ayi Hai ....' catapulted her to fame.She also sang in films Anmol Ghadi,Mela and Jadoo.She was a part of the group that sang ' Aahen Na Bharin, Shikwe Na Kiye Kuchh Bhi Na Zubaan see Kaam liya' for the 1945 film Zeenat, which was the first ever Qawwali recorded entirely in female voices.A contemporary of Amirbai Karnataki and Raj Kumari, between 1933 and 1952, she also sang for films like Geet, Sohni Mahiwal, Mahal, Kashmir, Usha Kiran & Parbat Par Apna Dera Hai and left a treasure of wonderful melodies.
She died this day in 1990, aged 71.
Our humble tributes !

MY ADVENTURE WITH THE JHOOLA:

A far cry from the much celebrated ‘Saawan Ke Jhoole’ and the ‘Peengh’ , the pictures of which showing young damsels,singing and smiling while swinging to and fro evoke romantic feelings, the Jhoola in Kinnaur and some other interior areas of Himachal Pradesh is altogether bereft of such romance and can at best be called a crude predecessor of the chic power driven Cable Car found at some places as a tourist attraction for those who cannot negotiate the long distances to go to the places uphill. A Jhoola is a narrow metal structure or a trolly for sitting or keeping goods to be transported across the river , where the road facility or bridges have not been available. The Jhoola is fixed with hooks and ring to a thick metal rope fixed at the both ends to the platforms made for the purpose. A long rope, strategically made to pass through a numder of metal rings runs parallel to the metal rope and is pulled by the occupant/passenger to move the trolly forward. The extra precaution is to be exercised at the either of the platforms not to get entangled with the may folds rope falling on the ground lest one should get carried away and eventually fall in the river or the khad as the case may be. 

I had heard of these Jhoolas and swings but not come face to face with a situation when I would be forced to use one. However I did not have to wait long to be a part of the ‘adventure’. I was posted at Pooh in the ‘80s .Once returning to Pooh from Shimla where had gone on official tour, we were held up at Tapri more than 80 km short of Pooh, as due to excessive rains, there were landslides at many places and buses or vehicles would not go beyond Tapri . The small PWD Rest House , being already packed , we were in a fix where to go and stay for the night. Fortunately, Narbir, an employee also stationed at Pooh, had become my co- passenger and companion from Shimla . He told me that he had some friends staying at Sholtu across the Satluj river but we had to go in a Jhoola, a there were no other means of getting there. Not an easy option for me as I was scared of sitting in a Jhoola lest some mishap should happen. We went to the starting point of the Jhoola, where a platform was there to board and disembark from the Jhoola. It was amusing to be told by some local person, ”Janaab hum to gai bakri bhi is par le jaate hain”. Was I not a better being than a gai or a bakri – I suggested to myself. However after seeing a living demo of how people went to and fro, I mustered up courage to get into the Jhoola and with closed eyes ferried across safely. Our hosts at Sholtu extended us warm hospitality and all anxiety of adventure was forgotten .We spent two nights at Sholtu in between coming to Tapri about restoration of traffic. However the third day we proceeded on further journey part on foot, part by bus and part in a Jeep that we came across just by chance .How we travelled from Tapri and reached Pooh will make the subject matter of another post.
Hard areas are called so not without reason !

Pigeons rendered homeless

Animals and birds are in love with their home, abode or place as much as we human beings are.Lately I became more confirmed in this view . A house in my locality of which the upper storey is occupied by an elderly couple used to be a regular and permanent haunt of a number of pigeons and during daytime the roof would be full of them cooing and fluttering about.

A few months back, sensing in their wisdom that they were a source of nuisance, the owners decided to close all openings between the roof and the false ceiling thereby dislodging the poor birds. Even now the pigeons can be seen during daytime though less in number. With the new types of houses coming up,very few places are left for the pigeons to nestle in.

Kavi Pradeep

Today is the birth anniversary of Kavi Pradeep,the poet and lyricist known for penning wonderful songs filled with patriotic fervour. Born Ramachandra Dwivedi this day in 1915, he made his debut in 1940 with film Bandhan when his song ' Door hato aye duniya walon hindustan hamara hai' became so popular that he had to go underground to avoid being caught and prosecuted by the British Indian Government.Another of his popular songs was ' Chal chal re naujawan'.

He wrote lyrics for films like Kismat, Jagriti, Nastik and many many others and became renowned. The songs ' De di hamen azadi bina khadag vina dhaal' , 'Ao bachcho tumhen dikhayen jhanki hindustan ki', 'Chalo chalen maa sapnon ke gaaon mein' in film Jagriti catapulted him to renown and popularity. The song 'Dekh tere sansar ki haalat kya ho gayi bhagwan is popular even to this day.The song' Aye mere watan ke logon, zara aankh mein bhar lo pani...' penned by him after the 1962 war with China drew the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to tears and made Pardeep immortal.

He also lent his voice to his songs ' Dekh tere sansaar ki haalat.. ' , 'Pinjare je panchhi re tera dard na jaane koi', & ' Ao bachcho tumhen dikhayen jhanki hindustan ki'.

In a career spanning five decades, he wrote about 1700 lyrics for 72 films.

He died on 11December, 1998: aged 83.

Our humble tributes to the great poet and lyricist !

Makhdoom Mohiuddin

Today is the 110th birth anniversary of Makhdoom Mohiuddin, a noted Urdu poet and an avowed socialist with Marxist leanings.

He taught Urdu literature at the City College in Hyderabad and founded the Progressive Writers' Union. A freedom fighter of sorts, he was in the forefront of the Telangana movement against the monarchical rule of Nizam but somehow managed to escape being prosecuted by him.

He is best known for his poetry collection that bears the title ' Bisat-e-Raks' which won him the Sahitya Academy Award for Urdu Literature in 1969.

His other earlier two poetry collections are ' Surkh Savera' & 'Gul-e-Tar' which later became a part of 'Bisat-e-Raqs'.He was a versatile poet.He wrote sn essay ' Tagore and his Poetry', a play titled 'Hosh Ke Nakhoon' - which was an adaptation of Shaw's 'Widowers' Houses' and some other essays.

Some of his notable ghazals are 'Ek Chameli ke Mandave Tale', 'Aap ki Yaad Aati Rahi' & 'Phir Chhidi Baat Baat Phoolon ki'.

An active member of the Communist Party of India, he was a member of the Legislative Council in Andhra Pradesh for many years.

On a visit to Russia he met Yuri Gagarin, the first man to go in Space and also wrote a poem about him. 

He died on 25th August,l969 aged 61.

Our humble tributes to the great poet who is also known as ' Shayar-e-Inqalaab' !