LEGEND: TALAT MAHMOOD
SINGING CAREER:
Talat apprenticed classical music under Pandit S.C.R. Bhat at Morris Music College some time in the 30s. He started his career purely as a ghazal singer in 1939. Talat Mahmood began his singing career at the age of 16 in 1939 when he began singing the Ghazals of Daag, Mir, Jigar etc. on All India Radio, Lucknow. his voice had a quality distinct from all the other singers. HMV was quick to notice this and offered talat his first disc in 1941 "sab din ek samaan nahin tha, ban jaoonga kya se kya main, iska to kuch dhyan nahin tha". indeed how prophetic were these words. little did talat know that he was soon to rise to become the greatest names in Ghazals on the Indian Sub-continent!.
His reputation as a fine and promising ghazal singer was not limited to his hometown of Lucknow, but it reached the city that proved to shape his destiny - Calcutta. The then famous ghazal singers were Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, K.L. Saigal and M.A. Rauf. The classical songs he sang were " Sapnon Ki Suhaani Duniyaa Ko " for film Shiqast and " Laage Tose Naina " for Chaandi Ki Deewar.
In 1944 came the hit "Tasveer teri dil mera behela na sakegi". The song was an overnight sensation. It's popularity was so phenomenal and unrivalled that even today it remains one of the top selling non-film discs. This disc brought talat fame throughout India and soon he was beckoned by the Calcutta film industry. Talat made cameo appearances and starred in about 16 movies, for both the Calcutta Film Industry (hub of the 1940s) and Bollywood. The 3 movies in which he starred were regional hits in Calcutta.
But fate had even bigger things in store for talat and in 1949 talat came to the Hollywood of India - Bombay/Bollywood. His name and fame had already preceded him and people in the bombay film industry were already aware of this talented singer and soon he was offered the song. His big break came with the song "Ae dil mujhe aisi jagha le chal jahan koi na ho" composed by music-composer Anil Biswas for the soundtrack of the movie "Arzoo". The song was a smash-hit and ensured the box-office success of the movie.
In talat, the music directors had found the perfect voice for the Ghazals. His diction and intonation were word perfect. his expressive style and emotional nuances were unparalleled. the mellowness, sweetness and pathos in his voice set him apart from all the other singers. Soon he was unanimously hailed as "King of Ghazals". His romantic duets and solos numbered in hundreds and hit after hit followed and Talat grew into a legend.
Talat is survived by his son Khalid Mahmood, a reputed singer in his own right.
Courtesy: Wikipedia:
