April 19th, 2007 marked the sixth death anniversary of Khurshid Bano, (born with the name of Irshad Begum) the singing actress and nightingale of the sub-continental cinema of yesteryears.
The Lahore-born, octogenarian actress ruled the roost in her youthful years, in the Indian film industry during the decade of 1940s, when she rose to unparalleled heights in popularity for her mesmerising voice and superb acting talent.
At the time of her debut in the film Sitara (music by Rafiq Ghazanvi), in 1939, no one could predict the eventful future of the new actress and the wide public acclaim she would win within a short span of time. Holi was her next film, which A. R. Kardar directed for Ranjeet Movietone, the music for which was scored by Khemchand Parkash. In that film Khurshid Bano played the lead role against actor Motilal. However, it was the film Taansen, which brought her hitherto under utilised singing and histrionic talents to the fore, wherein she playacted a shepherd woman Taani against Taansen, enacted by K.L. Saigal.
From 1935 to 1945 some of the most popular musical films produced from Calcutta, Lahore and Bombay created many landmarks in the annals of filmmaking in South Asia. Among the outstanding films of that period were New Theatres' Dev Das, President, Meri Behan and Jawab (from Calcutta); Pancholi Art Pictures' Yamla Jat, Khandaan, Khazanchi and Zamindar (from Lahore) and Ranjeet Movietone's Bhagat Sur Das and Tansen (from Bombay), which propelled talented Khurshid Bano to the pinnacle of glory and fame as one of the greatest singing actresses of the time.
For a major part of her film career Khurshid Bano was associated with Ranjeet Movietone, one of the pioneering film production houses in the sub-continent. Showbiz celebrities of the likes of composers Ustad Jhandey Khan, Khemchand Prakash and Biloo C. Rani, who composed scores of popular songs for the movies produced by Ranjeet during the decade of the 1940s, were associated with this production house.
A majority of artistes of Punjabi origin, who have contributed so much to the promotion of cinematic arts in Bombay was born, bred and raised inside Bhatti Gate of Lahore. Known as the Kardar Group, it also included actor Lala Yaqoob, who later married Khurshid Bano, and also lived a few hundred yards away from the other end of Bhatti Gate. The couple remained united until August 1947 when both of them returned to Pakistan, the country of their births. Their marriage floundered on the rocks of differences, resulting in divorce.
In Karachi, Khurshid Bano was signed for a couple of films named Mandi and Fankaar, which failed to click at the box office. Thereafter, she retired and married a rich man from the local business community and 'enacted' the role of a housewife till her death on April 19, 2001.
A large majority of Khurshid Bano's film songs still are sweet to the ears of music buffs. Recorded more than half a century ago, they have retained their sonic charm. Included among those songs were Pehle jo mohabbat say inkaar keya hota (Pardesi 1940), Panchhi Baawara, Chaand Say Preet Lagaye, composed in the strand of raga Kedara by Gyan Dutt (Bhaghat Sur Das 1942); Gataa Gun Gore Gore, Roye Wainaan Dukhia Jiara, Moray balapan kay saathi and Chandani raat aur taarey khiley hoon (Tansen 1943).
A song, which continues to sooth the nerves of emotionally-disturbed listeners, recorded for the film Murti (1945) was Badaria Baras Gaye Oospar in the voices of Khurshid, Mukesh and Hameeda Bano, whose death occurred in Lahore in December 2006. It creates the nostalgic memories of the 1940s when Khurshid Bano's voice reverberated in the ears of millions of music buffs.
Khurshid Bano was perhaps the first female singing actress from Punjab, who catapulted to All-India fame. Others, who achieved this distinction subsequently, were the Kasur- born Noor Jehan and the Gujranawala-born Surriya.
Few film songs rendered by other singing actresses possessed the kind of charm that characterised Khurshid Bano's songs, which glow with a unique loveliness exclusively her's. Rendered in her somewhat bass voice, her songs have succeeded in sustaining their distinct sonic qualities.