Daily Times

The film is ‘Tum Hi Ho Mehboob Mere’. One catchy but a lesser heard song is “Dil Ke Darwze Pe Dastak Si Koi Hoti Hai”.

It is a piano song. The film is ‘Afsana Zindagi Ka’. It was a Pakistani movie starring Zeba, Muhammad Ali, Reshma, Farah Jalal and Zeenat. Since it was a Zafar Shabab presentation, it had music by M Ashraf with a popular song “Zindigi Ke Safar Main Akele They Hum”.

Mala was paired with Mehdi Hassan in the film ‘Samaj’ in which they sang “Chalo Kahin Duur Ye Samaj Chor Dain” together for Nadeem and Nisho. It was a colour film with music by A Hameed. Music lovers however still remember Mala for singing “Muhabbat May Sara Jahan Jal Gya Hai” for a Shabab Productions movie ‘Insaniyat’. This song’s innovation was that it was filmed on Firdaus. A very nice tune must be mentioned which is “Allah Allah Hum Kahan Aur Aap” from the costume film ‘Hazaar Dastaan’ filmed on two unknown dancers and rendered by Mala and Irene Parveen. It leaves a pleasant impact on the listener. This movie had Muhammad Ali, Rani, Razia, Nazar, Talish, Asad Bukhari, Husna and Saqi in the cast. A mehfil-e-Milad by both these singers in the film ‘Eid Mubarak’ must not be ignored.

Nisar Bazmi made use of Mala’s voice with Runa Laila in his rich music interludes filmed on Zeba and Sabira Sultana in a court qawwali sequence “Muhabbat Jurm Hai” and slow dancing movements in the film ‘Taj Mahal. It was a black and white film. It could have been successful if made in colour. The violins and key board pieces have the same treatment as Naushad Sahib did for the song “Pyar kiya tou darna kya?” In the climax of the song, Runa touches top notes.

Deeba filmed a happy song with classical interludes in the song “Koi Mere Dil Main Dheere Dheere Aa Ke Nindiya Churaei Mujhe” by Mala; a very nice song. Director S Suleman used Mala’s voice for heroine Nisho for the song “Jane Kyun Kuch Log Paraei Tujh Ko Pyar Ke Qabil Lagte Hain” – a lovely melody for the film ‘Tera Ghum Rahe Salamat’. It was a piano number again. The other cast comprised Shahid, Nadeem and Ishrat Chaudhry. Mala and Rushdi sang a duet “Agar Koi Pooche Baharon Ka Matlab” filmed on Muhammad Ali and Zeba for the film ‘Muhabbat’. Rozina plays the piano and sings Mala’s song “Pyar Ka Haq Hai Pyar Karne Ka Sila Sab Ko Kahan Milta Hai” while Waheed Murad roams around. Mala was versatile. She sang a lullaby “Chanda Mere Tu Bhi So Ja” picturised on Shamim Ara in the film ‘Angare’.

It seemed that Mala bagged quite a few piano numbers during her career. There is no end to locating songs sung by Mala but I feel that the above sample should suffice in establishing her contributions to playback film singing.

It is reported in the media that Mala also tried her luck with film production with ‘Baharein Phir Bhi Ayengi’. She booked her sister Shamim Nazli as the music composer. Ahmed Rushdi, who had also cherished a desire for acting, played a side role in that movie. The movie was not a success. Some of the songs did become very popular but it is reported that some were plagiarised.

Khalid Asghar, a retired controller from Radio Pakistan when head of its central production unit, was approached for his comments on Mala Begum; he expressed, “Mala Begum could not read. At the end of her career, she desired to sing at Radio Pakistan. I invited her and gave her the song script. She smiled. I was amazed. She told me her position and requested to tell her each line before recording. I did the same and she was intelligent. She picked each line quickly and the song was recorded without delay.” Nadeem Ahmad, my Facebook friend commented, “She was an excellent singer as she proved with her songs in ‘Naila’ and it further proved that Malika Tarumnum Noor Jahan that she was not as indispensable as she thought she was, when she clashed with Master Inayat Hussain just before the movie ‘Naila’.” Despite being married to film producer Ashiq Bhatti, Mala’s last days were spent in loneliness. The loss of demand of her voice in films and the harsh realities of life including financial burdens were too much for her. She died on March 6, 1990.