Talat Mahmood

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Talat Mahmood was born on 24th February 1924 in Lucknow in an urbane Bengali Muslim family where music was regarded as a derogatory profession. However, Talat Mehmood was blessed with inborn talent hence he was drawn to music at a tender age. His father Manzoor Mahmood was against Talat taking singing as his career but Talat's elder brother Shah Hayat Mahmood encouraged his younger brother. He helped young Talat learn classical music. He brought home music records of legendary singers like Bare Ghulam Ali Khan Sahib, Ustad Faiyaz Khan Sahib, and Roshan Ara Begum. Little Talat spent most of his time listening to ample music which gradually drew him closer to the art. Instead of chasing formal education, a rebellious Talat joined Morris Music College (presently called Bhatkhande Music Institute) in the 1930s and under Pandit S.C.R. Bhat he studied classical music.

He was married on 20th Feb 1951 with Nasreen. The couple had 2 children, Sabina Mehmood (Daughter) and Khalid Mehmood (son). 

1939

Talat Mahmood began his singing career at the age of 16

Talat Mahmood began his singing career at the age of 16 in 1939 when he began singing the Ghazals of renowned poets of that time Daag, Mir, Jigar, etc. on All India Radio, Lucknow. His voice had a quality distinct from all the other singers. HMV was quick to notice this and offered Talat his first disc in 1941 Sab din ek samaan nahin tha… The album was hit. However, Talat won stardom three years later with the HMV - Tasveer Teri Dil Mera Behela Na Sakegi…….. The album was a bumper hit and sold over 100,000 copies; that made Talat Mahmood a national icon. 

Talat Mahmood as Tapan Kumar became a star in Kolkata

Pankaj Mullick, a celebrated singer-cum-music composer was impressed by Talat's majestic voice and invited Talat to sing songs in Bengali films. However, he advised Talat to change his name to Tapan Kumar Due to Indo-Pak communal tensions). As Tapan Kumar he had a lucrative career as a singer and sung many Bengla hit songs like Du'ti paakhi du'ti teere... Ei rimjhimjhim barosha... , Chander eto aalo... E Jodi aakash hoy...  Tumi sundar jodi nahi... The list is long. Even today, Tapan Kumar songs are popular on AIR in Kolkata. He ruled the 50's and 60's as a melodious singer. He also acted in a few films viz. Rajlaxmi (1945), Tum Aur Main (1947) and Samapti (1949).

1950

Music legend Anil Biswas made Talat Mahmood a Star in Bollywood

Music legend Anil Biswas was the first composer in Bollywood who gave Talat Mahmood his First and the most successful song of his career. Even today the song Ae dil mujhe aisi jagah le chal jahaan koi na ho…. (Arzoo, 1950) starring Dilip Kumar is like a gentle breeze of fresh air in today's jazzy high voltage music. The quality of Anil Biswas is that he sharpened Talat Mehmood's velvety voice to a different level of class. The Jodi of Talat Mehmood and Anil Biswas became so famous as the combination of Mohd. Rafi and Naushad.

Talat Mehmood and Anil Biswas together gave some of the peerless melodies in Indian cinema like Ae Dil Mujhe Aisi Jagah Le Chal…. (Arzoo, 1950); Seene mein sulagate hain armaan … (Taraana); Door hote nahi jo dil mein raha karte hain (Waaris 1954), Shukriya ae pyar tera shukriya……… (Aaraam  - 1951) etc.

Talat Mehmood became the voice of Dilip Kumar

After the huge successes of Aie dil mujhe aise jagah le chal...  (Aarzoo), film star Dilip Kumar was so obsessed with Talat's voice that when music director Naushad tried to experiment Mohd. Rafi's voice on him in the movie Babul Dilip Kumar declined. Dilip forced Naushad to use Talat Mehmood. Naushad had to bow and record songs on Talat Mehmood. The songs Duniya Badal Gayi…. Mera Jeevan Saathi Bichhad Gaya… Husn Walon Ko Na Dil Do….all the songs were hit. Thus Talat became the voice for Dilip Kumar. Thus duo gave many hit films like Sham-e-gham ki kasam... (Footpath), Aie mere dil kahin….(Daag), Ye hawa ye raat...( Sangdil). Nain Mile Nain Hue Baanware ...Tarana (1951), Sapnon ki suhanee duniya ko…( Shikast 1953), Mitwa Lagi Yeh Kaisi……Devdas (1955).

Talat Mehmood became a voice of top stars

Besides Dilip Kumar, Talat Mehmood became a hot favorite of other stars too. For instance, SD Burman won the Filmfare Award for his film Taxi Driver by using Talat Mehmood's voice for Dev Anand. The song Jayen To Jayen Kahan…. Not only became hit but was on number one position in the hit Binaca Geetmala hit pared 1954. Besides for the film Patita (1953), music director Shankar Jaikishan used Talat Mehmood for De Anand for the hit song Andhe Jahan Ke Andhe Raste…, Jaayein To Jaayein Kahan…and Hain sabse madhur wo geet……Like Dev Anand, even Raj Kapoor used Talat Mehmood in the film (Ashiana (1952). The song Main Paagal Meraa Manavaa Paagal…was super hit. Similarly, Tala Mehmood sang his career's most hit song Main Dil Hoon Ek Armaan Bhara…..fro Raj Kapoor in his film Anhonee (1952).

Talat Mehmood became King of Ghazal after Mirza Galib

In the 50's filmmaker, Sohrab Modi made a musical blockbuster Mirza Galib, a bio-picture on the life of legendary Urdu poet of 17th century Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan Bin Galib. Music director Ghulam Mohammed put his heart and soul in the music and used Talat Mehmood's voice at his Best! All the ghazals were chartbusters like the super hit Dil - E - Nadan Tujhe…. Wahshat Hi Sahi…….Phir Mujhe Deeda-E-Tar……

The huge success of the ghazals opened doors for other music directors using Talat Mehmood's vice for ghazals like Jalte hain jiske liye …. (Sujata -1959); Humse aaya na gaya…. (Dekh Kabira Roya -1957); Zindagi dene wale sun…..(Dil-e-Nadaan- 1953); Tasveer banata hoon…. (Baradari- 1955); Aansoo samajh ke kyon mujhe (Chhaya- 1961); Phir wohi sham wohi gam…. (Jahan Aara -1964) etc.

Talat Mehmood became First-ever playback singer to go abroad

During the '50s Talat's popularity reached such a zenith that invitation request of his ‘live concert' throughout the world started pouring in. Thus, in 1956 Talat Mahmood became the First ever playback singer to go abroad. During his first show to East Africa, he was booked for six shows; however, the demand was so great that he had to perform 25 shows! Similarly, in 1961 he gave a jam-packed show in Pakistan's Karachi stadium the success of which earned him a Silver Disc from EMI, Karachi, thus making him the subcontinent's First-ever singer to receive a Disc abroad. He also became the second Indian after Lata Mangeshkar to have the privilege of singing at the world-renowned Royal Albert Hall, London in 1979.

1960

Talat Mehmood witnessed a downfall in the ‘60s

Talat Mahmood whose singing was limited to Ghazals and sensuous songs started losing ground to upcoming singers like Mohd Rafi, who could change the tempo of his voice. Further, with ‘Yahoo' Shammi Kapoor becoming the 60's sensation, Jazz and western music overtook the Ghazals and classical music. Hence Talat Mehmood's popularity dropped. What was shocking was that producers who had recorded songs in his voice started re-recording his songs from more salable singers. For instance, Music director Naushad had recorded the Ghazal – "Kal raat zindagi se mulakat ho gayee... in the movie ‘Palki', starring Rajendra Kumar in Talat's voice but the producer discarded and urged to employ Mohd. Rafi. Similarly, for the movie Aadmi starring Dilip Kumar and Manoj Kumar, Naushad and recorded a song "Ek chand aasmaan pe hai....Naushad had used Mohd Rafi for Dilip Sahab and Talat Mehmood for Manoj but the producer forced to replace  Talat's voice with Mahender Kapoor as it had become synonymous with his Manoj Kumar.

Talat Mehmood brief stint as an actor proved disastrous to his playback singing

Besides being a competent singer Talat Mehmood was quite handsome and dashing. In addition, he had already worked as an actor in Bengali cinema at the start of his career. Hence when he was dominating Bollywood in the '50s, he was lured by filmmakers to act and this proved disastrous to his singing career. Though Talat Mahmood worked in over a dozen films with top actresses of the time like Suraiya (Waris), Nutan (Sone ki Chidiya), Mala Sinha (Ek Gaon ki Kahani), etc. but most of the films were a big flop. The failures of his movies put brakes to his acting career! However, besides failure as an actor, Talat Mehmood's singing career was also adversely affected. Talat Mehmood quit singing in the late '60s

1990

Towards his end, Talat Mehmood ‘lost’ his golden voice!

Readers will be shocked to know that the ‘golden' voice which blessed Talat Mehmood all the name, fame and money surprisingly turned reclusive towards the end, leaving Talat Mahmood almost dumb! According to his son Khalid Mahmood, his father was infected with the dreadful Parkison's disease which slowly and gradually crippled his speaking potential. Having lost his voice, Talat Mahmood was a dejected man.

 On 9th May 1998, the silken voice went into a symphony of silence, Due to cardiac arrest!!