Talat mahmood age
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'Talat Mahmood: The Definitive Biography' is a befitting introduction to a singing genius
To encapsulate the life of a man often described the ‘King of Ghazals’, though he was much more than that, is no easy task. Just for attempting that, Sahar Zaman deserves applause.
Talat Mahmood, born in Lucknow and trained at what was then the Marris College of Music (now Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya) was a singer unlike any other. His natural velvet voice bore a slight quiver. It is a quiver which singers take years to cultivate. Musically termed vibrato, this quick and subtle change of voice between notes which are pitched very closely conveys emotions more powerfully than lyrics. When used without dedicated cultivation, a vibrato sounds contrived and the unevenness of breath can be made out by the trained ear; but when it comes naturally, it is as smooth as the wax and wane of emotion. Yet, in his early years in Mumbai, Mahmood strove to hide this unique quality, attempting often to sing
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Talat Mahmood's biography gets a new avatar in Theatre
Author Sahar Zaman’s book, the award-winning biography of legendary film star Talat Mahmood will be seen in a new avatar as a ‘theatre-documentary’ performance. This new term has been coined by theatre thespian and veteran actor Sohaila Kapur. She will be directing this theatre-documentary inspired by Sahar’s book which tracks the iconic life of the singing star to celebrate his centenary year in 2024.
The show is titled, ‘Talat Mahmood – Reluctant Hero, Superstar Singer’. In the performance, stage actors will dramatically read out passages from the book interspersed with audio snippets of Talat Mahmood’s songs along with sound-bytes of other film colleagues talking about him. It is a mix of narration,
performance, film projection and choreography.
Author Zaman will also give a small talk at the end of the show, about her experience of writing the biography of her grand uncle, whom she visited often during childhood.
“I am immensely honoured to have my book showcased in this novel manner. Sohaila and her team have dra
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It’s impossible to race through this book. On every page, a song beckons; it is as if Talat Mahmood’s beguiling voice is calling out to you, singing softly in the back of your mind. It then becomes necessary to stop reading, and give the songs a listen. And what songs they are: from the soulful Ay mere dil kahin aur chal from Daag to the rollicking Dil mein sama gaye sanam, the duet with Lata in Sangdil, and all the amazing numbers in-between and after.
For those who love the music of the Hindi films of the 1950s to 1970s, the book will open the windows of memory—to the time when they hummed along as the numbers rolled out over radio. And, for a generation that, in its own way, is seeking melody in old numbers, this book may serve as a guide to the rich songs of the past, which encompass, in the space of three-and-a-half minutes, the genius of Talat, the composer, lyricist and singer.
Sahar Zaman, therefore, has done great service to Indian film history by writing this book. It holds evidence not just of her deep admiration and love for her granduncle, but also of her thorough r
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