Baby Tabassum, fans will miss your charm

MUMBAI: Just 78 but the indefatigable one always, she appeared to have been on the scene for a century: her presence was ubiquitous and to put it mildly, sparky and spunky.

Tabassum, born Kiran Bala, possesses the distinction of hosting the longestrunning show – Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan -1972-’93; the delightful conversations on Doordarshan during the black-and-white era with film celebrities.

So how did she derive the catchy name, Tabassum? Her father was the freedom fighter, Ayodyanath Sachdev, her mother Ashghari

Begum. Her screen name, it is lored, was coined by Dilip Kumar, who was extremely fond of the actress, who was called Baby Tabassum. Others claim it was her mother who equated her daughter with the aphorism, “Be Happy, Keep Smiling.”

HT PHOTO Tabassum hosted longestshow – Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan