Mubarak Begum

Mubarak Begum started her career with light music recitals performed for All India Radio, India's national public radio station. Her career as a playback singer began in 1949, with the Indian Hindi-language film Aiye. It was the Indo-Pakistani composer Nashad (not to be confused with Indian composer Naushad) who gave Begum her first break. The first song she recorded for films was "Mohe Aane Lagi Angrayi, Aaja Aaja" (Aiye (1949). She also sang a duet with the then-upcoming Lata Mangeshkar in the same film. A well-recognized song in her career was "Kabhi Tanhaiyon Mein Yun", composed by Snehal Bhatkar for Kidar Sharma's film Hamari Yaad Aayegi (1961).[2][1][4]

Mubarak Begum was born into a Muslim family at [Jhunjhunu] a district town in Rajasthan. She was married to Mr. Shaikh, a man from her own community, and she was the mother of two children, a son and a daughter. Her husband and daughter are both no longer living; in her later years, she lived with her son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter.

Although she was a well-known singer, Begum was not able to capitalize on her talents. She did not have the savvy "networking" skills that are so important in careers connected to the entertainment industry, and her career remained stilted as a result. While a competent singer, she was not as skilled in business matters. She was more interested in the music than the money, and her day-to-day expenses and generosity did not allow her to save much money. In a 2016 interview, given before she died, when asked, she said that the Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali was her favorite singer.[8]

Begum's daughter, who had been suffering from Parkinson's disease, died in October 2015, after which Begum's own health took a serious downturn. In May 2016, the press reported that Begum was in hospital and that her family were unable to pay her medical bills. She lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Behram Bagh, in the Mumbai suburb of Jogeshwari, with her family, consisting of a son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter.[5] Her sole income was a pension which she received from her late husband's employer. This pension was reported by Indian news channel NDTV to be Rs.800 ($12) per month[5] and by Indian newspaper DNA to be Rs.3000/- ($45) per month;[9] both figures are extremely paltry by Indian standards, and utterly inadequate for a person's sustenance. Begum was dependent on her son, Hussain Shaikh, who earned an uncertain income by freelancing as a chauffeur, and Begum was cared for by her daughter-in-law.[9]

Begum's daughter-in-law, Zarina Hussain Shaikh, told the press that the actor Salman Khan was virtually the only person from the Hindi film industry who was helping the family financially, on a sustained, long-term basis. He had been paying the full costs of all medicine required by the elderly Begum. The singer Lata Mangeshkar consoled Begum after the death of her daughter and grieved with her. In June 2016, Vinod Tawde, a BJP minister in the government of Maharashtra, stepped in to help the family. Tawde found that there were no government schemes under which he could release money to Begum's family, therefore he asked a charitable trust run by people close to him to help, and they provided Begum with some money.

• Aiye (1949) (her debut film, music by Shaukat Ali Nashad)[1][2][4]
• Basera (1950)
• Dolti Naiya (1950)
• Phoolon Ka Haar (1951) (music by Hansraj Behl)[1]
• Mamta (1952)
• Mordhawj (1952)
• Sheesha (1952)
• Char Chand (1953)
• Daera (1953)
• Dharma Patni (1953)
• Africa (1954)
• Aamir (1954)
• Aulad (1954)
• Chandni Chowk (1954)
• Dak Babu (1954)
• Gawaiya (1954)
• Gul Bahar (1954)
• Har Jeet (1954)
• Maan (1954)
• Rishta (1954)
• Shabaab (1954) (music by Naushad)[1]
• Sangam (1954)
• Tatar Ke Chor (1954)
• Baradari (1955)
• Devdas (1955) (music by S.D. Burman)[1][2][4]
• Jasoos (1955)
• Patit Pawan (1955)
• Khandan (1955)
• Kundan (1955)
• Rukhsana (1955)
• Sau Ka Note (1955)
• Sakhi Lutera (1955)
• Aan Baan (1956)
• Awara Shahzadi (1956)
• Badal Aur Bijli (1956)
• Baghdad Ka Jadoo (1956)
• Baghi Saudagar (1956)
• Dhola Maru (1956)
• Fighting Queen (1956)
• Harihar Bhakti (1956)
• Jungle Queen (1956)
• Lal-E-Yaman (1956)
• Rangeen Raatein (1956)
• Sultana Daku (1956)
• Fashion (1957)
• Gateway of India (1957)
• Maharani (1957)
• Paisa (1957)
• Parvin (1957)
• Patal Pari (1957)
• Chetak Rana Pratap (1958)
• Jungle Princess (1958)
• Madhumati (1958) (music by Salil Chowdhury)[1][4]
• Sim Sim Marjina (1958)
• Behram Daku (1959)
• Chini Jadugar (1959)
• Maa Ke Ansoo (1959)
• Jalim Jadugar (1960)
• Mughl-e-Azam (1960)
• Return of Mr. Superman (1960)
• Veer Durghadas (1960)
• Arab Ka Sitara (1961)
• Daku Mansoor (1961)
• Dekhi Teri Bombay (1961)
• Gypsy Girl (1961)
• Hamari Yaad Aayegi (1961) (her most popular film song, music by Snehal Bhatkar)[1][2][4]
• Piya Milan Ki Aas (1961)
• Shahi Farman (1961)
• Zindagi Aur Khwab (1961)
• Cobra Girl (1963)
• Hamrahi (1963) (music by Shankar-Jaikishan)[1]
• Sunehre Nagin (1963)
• Yeh Dil Kisko Doon (1963)
• Aandhi Aur Toofan (1964)
• Balma Bada Nadan (1964)
• Fariyad (1964)
• Hameer Haath (1964)
• Kab Ho Hain Gawana Hamaar (1964)
• Magic Carpet (1964)
• Marvel Man (1964)
• Naihar Chutal Jai (1964)
• Pahadi Nagin (1964)
• Punar Milan (1964)
• Qawwali Ki Raat (1964)
• Shagoon (1964)
• Tarzan and Captain Kishore (1964)
• Arzoo (1965)[1]
• Black Arrow (1965)
• Khooni Khazana (1965)
• Main Hoon Jadugar (1965)
• Mohabbat Isko Kehte Hain (1965)
• More Man Mitwa (1965)
• Kaajal (1965)
• Tarzan and the King Kong (1965)
• Gagola (1966)
• Neend Humari Khwab Tumhare (1966) (music by Madan Mohan)[1]
• Professor Aur Jadugar (1966)
• Sushila (1966)
• Teesri Kasam (1966)
• Zimbo Finds a Son (1966)
• Awara Ladki (1967)
• Around the World (1967)
• Mera Bhai Mera Dushman (1967)
• Poonam Ki Chand (1967)
• Juaari (1968) (music by Kalyanji-Anandji)[1]
• Saraswatichandra (1968)[1]
• Hum Ek Hain (1969)
• Chetna (1970)
• Chandan (1971)
• Annadata (1972)
• Ek Bechara (1972)
• Chattan Singh (1974)
• Subah Zaroor Ayegi (1977)
• Ramu Toh Deewana Hain (1980)[2][4]
• Sister (1980)
• Ganga Mang Rahi Balidan (1981)
• Nai Imarat (1981)

Mubarak Begum died on 18 July 2016 in Mumbai, India at age 80.[2][4]

• List of songs recorded by Mubarak Begum.

• Mubarak Begum at IMDb
• 'Leading singers stifled my voice: Mubarak Begum', The Tribune newspaper