Begum Akhtar: Empress of ghazal
Saturday’s Google doodle is a unique tribute to the doyenne of ghazals, dadras and thumris—Begum Akhtar on her 103rd birth anniversary.
“Jaane kyon aaj tere naam pe rona aaya” says the second line of Shakeel Badayuni’s Ghazal, “ai mohabbat tere anjaam pe rona aaya” immortalised by the inimitable singer. It is not merely as a tribute to the unparalleled legend of Ghazals and Thumris that one recalls this line, for it also underscores the state of the classical Urdu ghazal which is in a state of complete decline today. Where are the connoisseurs who would appreciate Begum Akhtar’s rendition of Meer Taqui Meer’s “ulti hogayiin sab tadbeerein”? Where are the performers who can glean through the finest works of the best of Urdu poets and present them with such crystalline clarity and elegance?
With her insistence on uncompromising quality of poetry, she raised the bar very high and probably paved the way for a generation of ghazal singers in the sub-continent, including Farida Khanum and Iqbal Bano.
Begum Akhtar’s selection of ghazals was impeccable. With effortless ease, she rendered the best works of the greatest Urdu poets, Meer (ulti ho gayiin sab tadbeerein), Mirza Ghalib (yeh na thi hamari qismat), Momin Khan ‘Momin’ (woh jo hum mein tum mein qaraar tha), Ibrahim ‘Zauq’ (laayi hayat aayi qaza), Hyder Ali ‘Aatish’ (sun to saheeh), Daagh Dehlavi (uzr aane mein bhi hai aur bulaate bhi nahin), and Jigar Moradabadi (tabiyat in dinon begana-e-gham hoti jaati hai), and a selection of Shakeel Badayuni and Faiz Ahmed Faiz, among others. With her insistence on uncompromising quality of poetry, she raised the bar very high and probably paved the way for a generation of ghazal singers in the sub-continent, including Farida Khanum and Iqbal Bano. Popularly known as Akhtaribai Faizabadi, she also introduced poets like Shamim Jaipuri and Sudarshan ‘Faakir’ to legions of fans everywhere.
Where are the performers who can glean through the finest works of the best of Urdu poets and present them with such crystalline clarity and elegance?
Born in Faizabad in 1914, her mastery over Hindustani classical music shone through in her singing. Begum Akhtar enriched the world of thumris and dadras in a way that no artiste ever has. Her demise in 1974 truly marked the end of an epoch. A recipient of several awards, venerated by her admirers to this day, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan posthumously. She was truly maleka-e-ghazal (queen of the ghazal).
Listen to some of her soulful ghazals here:
