Cinemaazi remembers Shamshad Begum on her birth anniversary
14 Apr 1919
Cinemaazi celebrates Shamshad Begum, one of the first female playback singers in Hindi cinema, on her birth anniversary. She was in great demand throughout the 1940s and remained popular even as Lata Mangeshkar became the dominant playback singer 1950s onwards.
Shamshad Begum was born on April 14, 1919 in Lahore. One of 12 children of orthodox Muslim parents, she displayed a talent for singing at an early age. Ghulam Haider gave her a break in films with the Punjabi film Yamla Jatt (1940), although it was Khazanchi (1941) that accelerated her career. There was no looking back after that. It is stated that she charged (what was then considered an astronomical) Rs. 1000 for one song in the 1940s!
Shamshad Begum was born on April 14, 1919 in Lahore. One of 12 children of orthodox Muslim parents, she displayed a talent for singing at an early age. Ghulam Haider gave her a break in films with the Punjabi film Yamla Jatt (1940), although it was Khazanchi (1941) that accelerated her career. There was no looking back after that. It is stated that she charged (what was then considered an astronomical) Rs. 1000 for one song in the 1940s!
