When one ventures into times decades back into the infancy of Indian talkies, there are many artists which can leave the mind falbbergasted. My fascination for the gigantic singer K.L. Saigal once motivated me to buy the videotape of Tansen(1943). The singer-actress Khursheed starred with him in the magnum opus. By the end of the movie I guess I became a bigger fan of Khursheed than Saigal. She was obviously nor an acting genius like Shanta Apte or a singing diva like Noor Jehan and yet she had a unique beauty that was her own. Her acting was more life-like, untamed, and less artificial. Though an untrained singer, her voice had power and brilliance to make a lasting effect upon one's musical memory. I felt like playing the song "ghaTaa ghanaghor" again and again. Similarly, she created amazing effects in the song "baraso re kaare baadaravaa", starting from a faint cry and helpless note in the beginning to energatic and stormy commands toward the end.
A few years later I heard the news of her death and saw an old television interview of hers probably recorded in early 1970s. She still was a gorgeous beauty, although seemed more inhibited as she was continuosly adjusting the dupatta on her head. She recalled her early days with great passion and innocence of a child, "I was so popular that I simply could not go anywhere to enjoy my vacations. Once I went to Simla, hidden in a burqaa, but my fans got to knew, When I reached the railway station there was a stampede. Then a well wisher requested me to at least show my face to the fans. My fans assured me that they wanted only to have a glimpse, they would let me go there upon to enjoy my trip. As I showed my face they were overwhelmed with joy." She mentioned about her colleagues- Saigal as her favorite hero and Khemchand Prakash as the best composer. Amazingly, she remained silent about any female friends and contemporaries.
After this nostalgia, she felt a pain as she went on to say that- "I was at the top in India, but my affection for the country brought me to Karachi." Well, this statement seemed both true and false. Her feelings of loss and emptiness were deep and genuine, but her defenses and explanations for them seemed false. Firstly, because she was already going downhill before partition, both her songs and movies diminished in terms of poularity. In the book "100 luminaries of Hindi Cinema", the authors claim that the arrival of Noor Jehan had dethroned Khursheed. And after partition Khursheed worked in two films which were flops- "Fankar" and "Mandi." However, in citing false reasons and intellectualizing her loss Khursheed was just being human as we all are.
After this she talked about her marriage and her loving husband who always urged Khursheed to undergo classical training in music. However, Khursheed always maintained that she was primarily an actress and then a singer. She resisted her husbands attempts toward her training- "unhonne kai ustaad rakhkhe, lekin jab bhi ustaad aate the to mujhe zahar lag jaataa tha." (I felt captivated and poisoned whenever my teacher arrived to impart me training.)This attitude of hers must have been a loss for her fans and the music world. Khursheed died at the ripe age of 80, as reported in a T.V. news. On her death aniversary her fans might recall her lovely song-
"more baalaapan ke saathii Chailaa bhuul jaiyo naa".

In memory of Khursheed
-Pulkit.

Pulkit:

That was a very interesting post and, if I may say so, very well written. Thanks!

Another singer of that generation whom I would like to learn more about is Amirbai Karnataki --- her song "Haan kar ja, ya naa kar jaa too" is one of my favorites.

Cheers --- Unni

Nice post Pulkit bhai! It seems like, u know almost everything about every stars.. everytime i want to ask something about Madam, i always come to u. lol. ur the expert. Keep It Up Man

Here is a nice picture of Khursheed (Irshad Begum).

She's pretty!

At first I mistook her for Meena Kumari.

I agree with DesiBaba, she is very pretty

Pulkit:

I had downloaded "Haan kar ja, ya naa kar jaa tu" from the Classic Movie Club site who had erroneously listed the singer as Amirbai. And I cannot distinguish between the female voices of that era. But you are more likely to be correct --- for an odd and personal reason! Since Kanan Devi was a favourite of my late mother and this song is for me a childhood memory, maybe we had at home a record of this song, hence most likely it was sung by Kanan Devi. I don't know if that really makes sense!

Question for you: Kananbala and Kanan Devi, are they two different persons or just the maiden name and married name of the same singer?

Cheers --- Unni

C-ji:

Now show me da udder one's pix. And not Meena Kumari in the fillum by thine name!

Cheees -- Unni