Singer Shamshad Begum was a pioneering Indian playback singer with a distinctive, nasal, and powerful voice, reigning in the 1940s-50s.
Described as one of the very first female playback singers, her voice set benchmarks for later legends like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, who were sometimes asked to emulate her style.
Renowned music directors like Naushad and OP Nayyar
preferred her voice for its energy and charm. She was known for hits like “Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon” and “Kajra Mohabbat Wala”.
Kishore Kumar, a stalwart himself, was known to hold her in such high regard that he would playfully offer her his chair.
Following her retirement after her husband’s death in 1955, she was requested by filmmaker Mehboob Khan to sing for Mother India (1957) due to her unique, resonant voice.
Unrivaled Success: She sang over 6,000 songs in multiple languages before her passing in 2013.
Her contribution set the foundation for the “Golden Age” of Bollywood music.
Shamshad Begum was a pioneering Indian playback singer and one …
2 Jan 2026 — She was the lead singer for many films like Taqdeer, Humayun (1945), Shahjehan (1946), Anokhi Ada, Aag (1948 film), Mela, Patanga, Babul, Bahar (1951), Jadoo.
She has also sung for Naushad Ali, Ram Ganguly, S.D. Burman, O.P. Nayyar, and Khemchand Prakash.ll
Shamshad Begum was honored with the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award, in 2009
for her immense contribution to music. She was a pioneer in playback singing, known for hits like “Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar” and “Kajra Mohabbat Wala”.
News Edit KV Raman
