Legendary playback singer Mubarak Begum dies at 80

Legendary singer Mubarak Begum, best known for crooning the title track of 1961 romantic-drama

Hamari Yaad Aayegi, has passed away after prolonged illness.

She was 80. She died on Monday at her residence in suburban Jogeshwari here.

“Mubarak Begum is no more with us. She passed away at 9.30 pm at her residence in Jogeshwari. She was unwell from quite sometime,” a family member told PTI.

Begum, who gave scores of Hindi film songs and ghazals, mainly between the 1950s and 70s, had not been keeping well for the last few years.

She made her Bollywood singing debut with 1949 film Aiye in which she had a solo track, Mohe Aane Lagi Angdai Aaja Aaja, and Aao Chale Sakhi Wahan with melody queen Lata Mangeshkar.

Through the 1950s and 1960s, Begum worked with the best music directors in the film industry — S D Burman, Shankar Jaikishan and Khayyam— on movies that starred screen legends like Sunil Dutt, Nargis and Rajendra Kumar.

She sang Woh Na Aayenge Palat Kar in Bimal Roy’s Devdas with music by Burman. Roy used her voice once again in Madhumati (1958), where she sangHum Haal E Dil Sunaenge for music composer Salil Choudhury.

Kabhi Tanhaiyon Mein Hamari Yaad Aayegi, the title song of Tanuja-starrer Hamari Yaad Aayegi, remains one of Begum’s most remembered tracks.

Neend Ud Jaaye Teri, Mujh ko Apne Gale Lagalo and Humein Dum Daike with Asha Bhosle are among her other known songs.

Saanwariya Teri Yaad Mein from 1980 comedy Ramu To Diwana Hai was one of her last tracks.

In 2011, the Maharashtra government had sanctioned financial aid of one lakh for treatment of the singer.

Her last rites will take place on Tuesday, family sources said.