A few years after that, she got married to Ganpal Lal Bhatto, a Hindu lawyer. Ghulam Haider helped her fine-tune her vocal skills and referred to her as his chaumukhiya, meaning an all-round artist who could sing any song. I was offered a contract to sing twelve songs at a rate of Rs 12.50 each which was a big amount in those times.” Master sahab was impressed by my voice and told me to sign the contract the same day. During the audition, I sang a Bahadur Shah Zafar ghazal, ‘Mera Yaar Gar Mile Mujhe Jaan Dil Fida Karoon’ and some marsiya. She said, “Uncle took me to the audition which was taken by the company’s composer, Master Ghulam Haider. In a conversation with Gajendra Khanna, she mentioned how Amiruddin told her father that her voice was God’s gift. He not only rewarded her for a good song, but also took her for auditions and convinced her father to let her be a professional singer.
There were no means to go viral in those days, but her vocal skills were appreciated by her listeners, none more than her uncle Amiruddin. Growing up, Shamshad sang at weddings as well as at religious events and parties, though she had no musical training. Her father was a mechanic and her mother a homemaker. However, the singer and her daughter have clarified this stating that her birthplace was actually Lahore, then a part of undivided India. In recent years, many reports have stated that she was born in Amritsar.
Shamshad was born on Apin a Muslim Jatt family. One of the first major playback singers in Hindi films and a Padma Bhushan awardee, Shamshad is often hailed as India’s original nightingale.
Behind these and many other hits songs of Hindi cinema’s ‘Golden Age’ is the voice of a reclusive yet powerful singer, Shamshad Begum. Decades may have passed, but these songs continue to flourish both in their original versions and as remixes. Those who have a soft spot for old Hindi songs will immediately recognise yesteryear hits like ‘ Le Ke Pehla Pehla Pyaar’, ‘ Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon’ and ‘ Kajra Mohabbat Wala’.
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