To know that voice
A passionate effort to reintroduce Talat Mahmood to the youth will culminate in a musical evening in Delhi, writes
One Saturday in the December gone by, the Mall of India in Noida suddenly reverberated with an old and, for many, forgotten melody. As the Christmas shoppers stopped to see what was going on, a flash mob took centre stage and broke into a jig. Flash mobs are always fun to watch. And this one was even more so, because the dancers were performing to an unusual number.
The song they had chosen was from a 1961 film, Chhaya. It was a playful duet — “Itna na mujhse tu pyaar badha” — between Lata Mangeshkar and Talat Mahmood, an artiste whose name seldom comes up today but who was, in an era gone by, considered an astounding singer with one of the most soulful male voices ever heard in this part of the world. Three other songs of his followed.
Mahmood’s grand-niece, Sahar Zaman, who curated the show, chose this offbeat way to reintroduce today’s youth to the voice that Indian cinema of the 1950s and ’60 s revelled in. Ghazal was considered his primary genre and, with his nonclassical and semi-classical style, Mahmood is said to have played a significant part in shaping the style and tenor of modern ghazal singing. His film songs, too, were rated as critically flawless — even outstanding. Few today know that he was one of the first Indian singers to perform to packed auditoriums at foreign concerts — at London’s Royal Albert Hall, New York City’s Madison Square Garden or the Jean Pierre Complex in the West Indies.
So, it is a pity that his name now lies forgotten, even though some of his songs remain recognisable and are heard every now and then on radio shows dedicated to retro music.
It is this anomaly that Zaman is determined to correct. Jashn-eTalat (celebration of Talat) to be held in Delhi this Sunday evening is an attempt in this direction. The musical night is a culmination of a serious, months’-long attempt to familiarise the young generation with Mahmood and his music.
It started with competitions of Mahmood’s private ghazals and film songs in Delhi University colleges. Most of the youngsters who opted to participate had hardly ever heard his songs. To sing them, they needed to first listen to them, and then to experience them. It wasn’t long before many of them found themselves getting hooked to his velvety voice. “I wasn’t at all interested in ghazals, but his were very organic and they pulled me into his music,” says Shritama Jha, a BCom second-year student at Sri Aurobindo College. “I wouldn’t even listen to songs from the 1990s and now I am listening to music from the ‘50s.” Jha met with an accident in midFebruary and tore her ligament. “I am in pain, but there is no way I am going to miss performing his song,” she says.
Jashn-e-Talat will witness a coming together of different art forms — song, dance, art and literature. There will be a dance performance on one of his old songs, which will include Bollywood and contemporary moves as well as, believe it or not, salsa. Dipashree Chaterjee and Ravi Rastogi, of Delhi-based dance academy called Moving Souls, say that while putting the act together was a challenge, they have worked hard to retain the flavour and essence of the song as a tribute to Mahmood. Similarly, two live portrait artists, Faizan Khan and Amit Srivastav, will create Mahmood’s images to his songs during the show. And, a book, The Velvet Voice — Talat Mahmood, by historian and musicologist Manek Premchand will be on offer.
Apart from this, kathak exponent Vidha Lal will perform to one of his classical tracks. The other seasoned artistes who will perform in Mahmood’s memory include ghazal singers Talat Aziz and Radhika Chopra.
Zaman, who has been funding these events out of her pocket and with help from people who want to bring the melodious voice back into public memory, hopes that Jashn-e-Talat can become an annual event. Her personal favourite is a song picturised on Dilip Kumar — “Shaam-e-gham ki qasam”. It’s a melancholic melody, immortalised by Khayyam’s music, Dilip Kumar’s acting and Mahmood’s voice. This voice, believes Zaman, is a legacy that should live on.
Mahmood’s grand-niece, Sahar Zaman ( below), hopes to turn Jashn-e-Talat into an annual event