"Mehboob sahab told my father, 'I will take her to Mumbai and give her a flat, car, conveyance and even if four to six people accompany her, it's fine. Veteran filmmaker Mehboob Khan was the one who brought Shamshad Begum into Bollywood. It opened several doors for her - she was even asked to act while singing, but her father flatly refused to permit it. She was well-known among the rich," said Ratra, who has one son and two grandchildren.Īmongst the first women playback singers in the Hindi film industry, Shamshad Begum got her first break with a radio station in December 1947. Gramophones used to come for Rs.250 and one record for around Rs.2, which was very expensive at that point of time. "Whatever she used to sing was famous only among rich people. Shamshad Begum's songs were famous among rich people. Professionally, she got her first contract with composer Ghulam Haider. One paisa was equivalent to today's Rs.50 in those days," said Ratra. Her chacha used to encourage her and she used to sing during Muharram.
The singer's talent was first spotted by her school principal but "in those days, a girl singing a song was not really a good thing", said Ratra, adding: "My nani (maternal grandmother) was very conservative." It was Shamshad Begum's uncle who used to encourage her talent. A widow since 1955, she lived with her daughter here. Shamshad Begum, the voice behind evergreen numbers like "Mere piya gaye Rangoon" and "Kajra mohabbat wala", died here April 23. They were seven to eight siblings and her family was very conservative," Ratra told IANS in an interview. She comes from a Muslim family and her father was a 'mistry' (mechanic). But please rectify she was born in Lahore. "She was born in Lahore but on each website they say she was born in Amritsar.
#Shamshad begum chhod babul ka ghar professional#
Shamshad Begum was born in Lahore, not in Amritsar, the legendary singer's only daughter, Usha Ratra, has clarified, also opening up about her mother's shy nature, personal struggles and professional achievements.
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