Posted:
Powai is a scenic suburb of Mumbai with surrounding lakes and modern residential development. This is where Retd. Col. Yogesh Ratra lives alongwith his wife and mother-in-law - SHAMSHAD BEGUM, the singer of yester years who sang the super hit songs like "leke pehela pehela pyar", kabhi aar kabhi paar", "kajara mohabbatwala", "saiya dhire aana re".
The residents of Powai publish a weekly newspaper called Planet Powai. A resident of this area recently (in Oct 2006) met Shamshad Begum and wrote a report in Planet Powai. Below is the link and the actual story.
http://www.planetpowai.com/news/2910200608.htm
Kumar's Kafitime Kissey
Powai- 29 Oct-06 Some years back, we got an email from a music aficionado and neighbor of the legendary singer 'Shamshad Begum' saying that this ageing singer of the silver screen stays next door to her. This good neighbor desired that PP should cover her on its pages. In the first instance it occurred as a hoax to us, but we got into action and started researching about this singer on the internet resource. The internet and the PC revolution have changed the rules of publishing. We owe our existence and survival to this technical leap. We could gather some information on the net, but it was misleading which stated that 'Shamshad Begum' has died few years back. On further research we also gathered, this Shamshad Begum who had passed away, was the mother of Saira Banu, a renowned actress and wife of another legendary filmstar Dilip Kumar. She too was a singer of lesser repute compared to the legendry personality living-in-Powai - Shamshad Begum. It was quite some task coming to terms with this dichotomy. We felt quite hesitant to confront them on the phone to check this piece of information, but then we decided to meet the living legend right here in Powai. Meanwhile, we requested this neighbor to email the telephone number of Shamshad Begum, which we promptly received. Our office started contacting this number and we were attended by her daughter. She was initially very hesitant to meet any sort of media, submitting she is very old and a very private person. Shamshad has been living a quite peaceful life away from the preening eyes of media. She has been leading a wholesome life with her daughter, son-in-law and grandchild in Lake Castle . It took some effort and fine salesmanship cajoling her to meet us in the interest of local media to bring her existence to the people of Powai at least. Yes, finally we were given ten minutes for a quick tte--tte in the morning hours. We were duly instructed to keep it short and simple. We were also informed that once a BBC team had come to her house for an interview, despite proper instructions they started erecting arc lights and took unusually long to prepare, were asked to pack-off even before the start. Nonetheless, the D-day arrived and I personally took the onus on me to single-handedly meet the legend herself. It was a mixed feeling of anxiety and curiosity for me to meet this singing legend and a craze in her era. I had duly gone thru the list of movies she had sung for, her famous songs so popular in the golden era, her personal relationships with music directors etc. I also got a CD of hers and checked her numbers. Today's youth and generation could connect to her by one of the remix doing rounds gyrating on "Saiyyan dil mein aana rey………" I had saturated my mind completely with all available information before meeting her. I did meet her at the appointed hour in her Spartan home greeted by her son-in-law and daughter. I could strike a good rapport with her son-in-law who was a retired Army colonel and an active member of Senior Citizen's Assoc.of Powai. Well, her daughter did the initial screening of my objective to meet her mother, Shamshad Begum. I was anxiously waiting to meet the octogenarian lady. I was told she is performing her prayers and would soon join us. In the meantime, I was contemplating that songs, music and films are so intrinsic to one's psyche that it leaves an everlasting impression on our way of thinking and living. The power of cinema is so magnetic that it has become a bane of our civilization's milestone. It reflects the aspirations, attitudes, fashion trends and conflict of times; connecting millions in a social milieu. You may not remember the story, scenes or actors but what the majority remember is the tune, music and songs; generally, we all hum a song close to our heart or a lyrical tune, which the older songs appeal to many. Enter the Singing Legend, Shamshad Begum – I was face-to-face with this persona who was an enigma a few moments back to me. Her bright shining face, glistening wrinkles, a calculated gait and the spectacle perched on her shapely nose really struck me. I said to myself, Wow! So this is the singer who gave the hits of yesteryears on the silver screen. I greeted in awe, she said, "Baitho Beta". Then started the tte--tte with the living legend; recollecting her times, songs, directors and memories all in a flashback. The one remarkable thing that struck me was her poignant reference to the cut throat competition and groupism that existed in her times between the choice of singers and directors when doing movies. Though, music is art but the element of commercialism attached to it whips human weakness and politics. Well in those days, media was not that preening, these nuances did not have come to the fore at all. In today's Bollywood, every aspect from shooting, behind the curtains drama, idiosyncrasies and private lives of directors, singers and actors are public issues open to scrutiny and ridicule. The grand old lady had her share of take on the contemporary trend in music. Particularly, with the new genre of loud decibel music and lurid lyrics, raging the industry, she felt disenchanted and harbored a deep pain of the music industry's evolving trend. She has not kept in touch with her counter-parts either choosing to remain cocooned in the confines of her daughter's care. Looking at it from the point of view of ageing gracefully, she indeed is having the best of days, deriving strength from her glory days and having resigned to anonymity. Today at this juncture of life, residing in the peaceful, serene and beautiful environ of this suburb called Powai she has the luxury of looking back and basking in the glory of the by gone days and taking each day and each moment as it comes. We, that is all her ardent fans, should respect and help her in maintaining and being able to exist in the peaceful world of anonymity which she has built around her self and treasures so dearly.I wonder, what a perfect way of having lived fulfilling life. How many celebrities have mastered to blend peace, happiness to living such a perfect lives. She conveyed a lesson in her conduct, after all, you live once, why not be at peace with your inner-self. Now, whenever I listen to her voice on the radio, cassettes or the TV, I get inspired to detach my work tension with my private life. It reminds me of a childhood poem which said, 'The good God made us…….'
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Shamshad Begum a.k.a Ragini, the actress, who was living in Lahore, was a different person. She (Ragini) passed away on 27th February and NOT the singer Shamshad Begum.
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