Deepa Gahlot
  • Cinemaah
  • Dramaah
    • Review
    • Interview
  • Literataah
  • Feministaah
  • Nostalgiaah
  • Miscellaniaah
  • Contact Me

Deepa Gahlot

  • Cinemaah
  • Dramaah
    • Review
    • Interview
  • Literataah
  • Feministaah
  • Nostalgiaah
  • Miscellaniaah
  • Contact Me
DramaahReview

Akhtari: Dastan Bai Se Begum Tak – Drama Review

by Deepa Gahlot April 17, 2019
written by Deepa Gahlot April 17, 2019
Akhtari: Dastan Bai Se Begum Tak – Drama Review

When Danish Husain introduces his stage production of Akhtari: Dastan Bai Se Begum Tak, he says the storytelling and music format was chosen as a tribute to Begum Akhtar, because the one whose life is a dastaan (saga/story/legend) should not be turned into drama.

So, Husain in his inimitable qissebaaz style, tells of the rise of Akhtaribai Faizabadi and her transformation to the celebrated singer, Begum Akhtar, with some amusing anecdotes added by musician Badlu Khan, who accompanied singer Vidya Shah on the harmonium. Shah, a pupil of Begum Akhtar’s disciple Shanti Hiranand, sang some memorable numbers, and had the theatre humming along.

Her early life duplicated that of many female singers of that era, who were admired and idolized but still remained lower down on the social ladder and referred to as baijis. Her mother, Mushtaribai, formidable as single mothers of the time, had the young girl trained with the best ustaads, and by the time Akhtari was in her teens, her fame as a singer of ghazals, thumris, dadras and classical music spread. She gave her first public performance at fifteen, and was among the early singers to cut gramophone records. It was believed by singers then, then recording their voices would ruin them, and the story goes that young Akhtari came of the studio in tears, believing she would never be able to sing again.

Not only did she have a magnificent career as a singer and composer, she also had a brief stint in the movies, including Mehboob Khan’s classic Roti.

In 1945, she married Lucknow-based barrister, Ishtiaq Ahmed Abbasi, and, because she could no longer sing in public, she fell ill. The cure was, of course, a return to music and she made a comeback on All India Radio, going on to become a regular performer on radio.

Husain came up with several wonderful anecdotes; one involved a besotted rich suitor, who gifted her a silver chair. But he annoyed her no end with his insistent attentions and when a friend asked her why she didn’t get rid of him, Begum Akhtar is said to have replied, “I will as soon as I get from him a table to match.”

Then, there’s the story about poet Shakeel Badayuni, who ran after her at the station, when she was about to embark on a journey to Lucknow, to give her his latest ghazal—Begum Akhtar singing a poet’s work gave his name some of the glitter too. She glanced at it, then asked her travelling companion to take out her harmonium, and by the time she reached Lucknow, she had a new song, that she went right away and recorded on Lucknow AIR; it became one of her most iconic ghazals—Aye mohabbat tere anjaam pe rona aaya.

Those who have written about Begum Akhtar say that she took music out of the mehfils and kothas and made the baiji respectable. Her story and her music make for an engaging evening at the theatre; in this age of biopics, someone should make a movie on her too. Apart from the gripping plot, what a soundtrack it would have!

FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
Deepa Gahlot

I listened to film stories as bedtime tales, got a library card as soon as I could read, and was taken to the theatre when I was old enough to stay awake. So, I grew up to love books, movies and plays. I have been writing about them for the better part of a quarter century, won a National Award for film criticism, wrote several books, edited magazines, had writings included in anthologies... work has been fun!

previous post
Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Aata Hai? – Movie Review
next post
The Lost Man – Literataah

You may also like

Aaeen – Play Review

May 13, 2022

Tape – Play Review

April 24, 2022

Ulka Mayur – Theatre Interview

April 18, 2022

Avneesh Mishra – Theatre Interview

January 11, 2022

Miracle On Matunga Street – Play Review

December 13, 2021

Lockdown Lisaisons – Play Review

December 8, 2021

With Love, Aap Ki Saiyaara – Play Review

November 10, 2021

Buddha – Play Review

November 10, 2021

Jo Dooba So Paar – Play Review

March 13, 2021

Bandish 20-20,000Hz – Play Review

January 30, 2021

About Me

About Me

I listened to film stories as bedtime tales, got a library card as soon as I could read, and was taken to the theatre when I was old enough to stay awake. So, I grew up to love books, movies and plays. I have been writing about them for the better part of a quarter century, won a National Award for film criticism, wrote several books, edited magazines, had writings included in anthologies... work has been fun!

Subscribe To My Newsletter And Stay Updated With My New Posts

Recent Posts

  • Bosch: Legacy – Web Series Review

    May 24, 2022
  • Run Viola Run : Feministaah

    May 24, 2022
  • Modern Love Mumbai – Web Series Review

    May 24, 2022

Keep in touch

Facebook Twitter Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Copyright 2020. All Rights Reserved by Deepa Gahlot. Designed by FQI


Back To Top