Today is ghazal queen Begum Akhtar’s birth anniversary. Her disciple Rita Ganguly talks to Karan Bhardwaj about the legend’s contribution to music and how she inspired several leading voices of her time
Did you know Hamri Atariya from Madhuri Dixit starrer Dedh Ishqiya was originally sung by none other than Begum AkhtarIJ Not only this, among her several hits, Ab Ke Saawan Ghar Aaja, set in raga Tilak Kamod, was used in Kiran Rao’s Dhobi Ghat. Akhtar, the quintessential queen of ghazal and thumri, crooned several hits for decades and played a pivotal role in Indian classic music. Her life and contribution will now be discussed at length at Jamal-e-Begum, a two-day festival to mark her centenary birth year, jointly organised by Teamwork Arts and Kaladharmi.
“For the first time, Pankaj Udhas, Talat Aziz, Anup Jalota, Chandan Das and Penaz Masani will sit in a row to hymn ghazals. The second evening will have shayaari recitals besides Amjad Islam Amjad, Sheen Kaf Nizam and Rajesh Reddy. They will be joined by two young people, Madan Mohan ‘Danish’ and Manzar Bhopali,” shares Rita Ganguly, who will also be singing along with other legends.
Ganguly, who is the only direct disciple of Akhtar, has been organising several fests and session on her guru. She also made the first documentary on the legend’s life after her death. “She was not only an extraordinary artist who shaped the Indian classical music but also an amazing human being. She always encouraged me to establish an unique identity. She used to tell me, ‘Nakal ko koi pasand nahi karta. (No one values the mimicry). So always be original, carve your own style and rule the world,” she says.
It’s shocking to learn that Ganguly, who has upheld the legacy of her guru for almost four decades, was once rude to her. “I started my training under the tutelage of Siddheswari Devi. When Begum Akhtar saw me singing with my guru, she was astonished. Once I met her at some event so she asked me to sing along with her on stage. I refused her and told her that I was not her disciple. She got shocked and said, ‘Bhai tumhara guru kaun hai jiske liye tum Begum Akhtar se lad gai. Agar tum meri shishya banogi, to mere liye kya karogi.’ Then she picked me up from Siddhesari Devi for further training. Today, I recall that moment and keep doing something for her,” Ganguly says.
Akhtar’s songs especially ghazals are still loved. Few ghazals like Aye Mohabbat Tere Anjaam Pe Rona Aaya, Mere Mumnafas Mere Humnawa, Woh Jo Hum Mein Tum Mein Qaraar Tha and Kuchh Toh Duniya Ki Inaayaat Ne Dil Tod Diya, and dadras such as Hamri Atariya and Koyaliya Mat Kar Pukaar are still immensely popular. “What makes her unique is her simplicity. Though there were brilliant voices like Rasoolan Bai, Amirbai Karnatiki, Kesarbai Kerkar and Roshanara Begum, no body could match up to her. She gave new identity to Indian classical music post Independence. So she married ghazals with classical music. She was also the first conscious communicator who got people engaged. She was a pioneer communicator,” she says.
For years now, the Begum Akhtar Academy of Ghazal (BAAG) — founded by Ganguly to promote Urdu and the art of ghazal — has been honouring artistes on the legend’s birth anniversary. This year, Pankaj Udhas will be bestowed with BAAG’s lifetime Achievement Award while the BAAG Award will be given to Pakistani poet Amjad Islam Amjad.
While many maestros have expressed their disappointment over the diminishing quality of ghazals and classical music, Ganguly is quite hopeful of a better future. “The present scene of music is really amazing. We are getting scared by what’s happening in five metropolitan cities while ignoring the rest of India which is still in awe of classical music. There’s no danger to genuine performing art to our country. Our classical music will always survive. It’s stupid that our music is dying. The music that we do is like perennial flower, whose fragrance will always linger on us. I still remember the amount of struggle we had to go make to be heard and seen. There was just All India Radio. Today there are many platforms and organisations supporting performing arts. I believe that if you have talent and work hard and above all, if you have a guru, then nobody can stop you,” she says.