Amazing Grace

Pankaj Udhas on Begum Akhtars Ae mohabbat tere anjaam pe rona aaya

Pankaj Udhas on Begum Akhtars Ae mohabbat tere anjaam pe rona aaya
Nothing can take away the magic of Begum Akhtars ghazal Ae mohabbat tere anjaam pe rona aaya which she sang in her unique dadra style. She first rendered this ghazal before former Pakistan President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto when he had come down to India for the Simla agreement in 1972,thus giving the important political event an apt overture.

Two years later,I heard this ghazal on an LP,and what followed that was the Pankaj Udhas who emerged in Eighties. The ghazal,which is grace personified,influenced me a lot in my singing career. Right from the control of the poem to delving into its delicate notes,Begum weaved a complicated web with her voice. I was always inspired by this unique quality of hers.

Composed in raag Bhairavithe queen of ragas in a typical UP style of courtesan singingthis ghazal could only be sung by a melody queen of Begums stature. A style that comes very close to thumri,this one was a sorrowful ghazal that has always given me goose bumps.
The melody embroiders the poetry in a beautiful manner with lyrics that go Yun to har shaam ummeedon me guzar jaati thi/ Aaj kuch baat hai,jo shaam pe rona aaya. To top it all,Begums voice is so soothing that when I listen to it when I am alone,I am transported to a completely different world. Such is its aura.

I have sung it a number of times in my own concerts including an annual concert series called Khazana where all the ghazal singers of the country offered a tribute to Begum last year. But no singer can generate the mystical aura that just an old LP of hers can create. She will always remain a true Mallika-e-Ghazal for me.u

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