There are many iconic stories of legendary singer Talat Mahmood’s large-heartedness and the affection his fans bestowed upon him. Once he was nearly held hostage until he sang for the villagers. “He was on his way to perform in East Africa in 1956. As his train passed through a village, news spread and the villagers gheraoed him and demanded that he leave only after he sang for them. They were upset their town wasn’t listed in his tour,” recalls senior journalist and author Sahar Zaman, who is Talat Mahmood’s grand-niece. Quick arrangements were then made for an impromptu performance and he was allowed to leave in the evening. Such was the love for his art, that at times mirrored madness.
Mahmood’s voice took him places. He was the first singer in independent India to start music tours. In another incident, in 1968 in Trinidad, the uncontrollable crowd made it impossible for him to enter the venue to perform. He also went to Ladakh to perform for the army in freezing temperatures. His velvety soft voice was literally music to the ears. Thanks to his craft, he gained fame at a young age and became the voice of many superstars like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and more.
Every artist leaves behind a legacy in the form of his art. He is no more but his songs live in the hearts of people. When hundreds of fans gathered at Delhi’s Kamani Auditorium to celebrate 100 years of Talat Mahmood, they could be seen singing along with vocalist Amrish Mishra as he sang popular songs of the singer. This was followed by a book talk by Sahar Zaman, who shared many anecdotes of her time with her ‘Bombay Nana’. She has together many such stories of the late singer and written about his journey in her book Talat Mahmood: The Definitive Biography. Zaman has also introduced a festival Jashn-E-Talat to honour Talat Mahmood and his art.
Sahar Zaman, grand-niece of Talat Mahmood, at a book talks followed by the musical night | Kritajna Naik
Sahar Zaman says, “My grandfather’s music has been the soundtrack to my life. It is a privilege to present little anecdotes from the life of a man behind the golden voice.” She recalled how on the day she resumed work after maternity leave, she didn’t feel good leaving her child at home. “But on the way, Talat Mahmood’s song played on the radio and my mood immediately lifted. I understood why people were crazy for his soft voice and knew I had to do something to keep his music alive.” That is when she conceived the idea of Jash-E-Talat. This was followed by a dance sequence by Moving Souls.
Sudesh Chawla, founder-CEO of Media net Works says, “We are incredibly honoured to present this unique tribute to the maestro Talat Mahmood. His voice continues to resonate through the ages, and we are extremely grateful to God for helping us make this event a fitting commemoration of his extraordinary contribution to Indian music.”
Retired IAS officer and ex-LG of Delhi Najeeb Jung was the chief guest for the evening. The event was organised by Media net Works in Association with Jashn-E-Talat by Sahar Zaman.
