"ZIKAR UNKA ZABAN PER AYA- YEH KAHIN DASTAAN NA HOJAYE”
Death anniversary of legendary singer Malika Pukhraj
Malika Pukhraj was born in village Mirpur16 miles from Jammu and 55 miles from Akhnoor - over looking Jammu River. She was Malika with the blessings of a "Majzoob" Baba Moti Ram and named Pukhraj by her Aunt. Her father neglected family affairs but mother insisted to get her educated.
They shifted to Jammu Town where she learnt Urdu and Persian from a distant uncle Gulzar Hussain Shah. She also read Fasana-e-Azad and Ratan Nath Sarshar. She had melodious voice from childhood. She received music lessons in a Delhi sojourn from very strict Ustads. – arduous "Nirith Bhav". One of her teacher has been quoted as Ustad Mubarik Ali Khan. Father of Bare Ghulam Ali Khan Sahib also nurtured her.
At the age of 9 appointed at the Darbar of Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir. She remained there for nine years - performed at the coronation ceremony of the Maharaja. Maharaja was also an amateur singer. Once she laughed in Maharaja’s Darbar on some funny happening – This being viewed as contempt and was warned by Janak Singh. Due to some intrigues she left the Kashmir State service. She had never performed publicly before that. Afterwards she was associated with Lahore Radio Station. She has a distinct and clear style of rendering Ghazals. Her tunes matched the theme. Folk singing by her is in most natural style. Her voice is most suitable for Pahari Songs. She also occasionally sings for TV.
At the time of independence there were in all four film studio in Pakistan (all at Lahore) including two studios of Dilsukh Pancholi. One of the Pancholi Studios was initially allotted to Afzal Himaliyawala but the allotment was cancelled in 1954 and the same was re-allotted to Malika Pukhraj.(renamed as Malika Studio).
She lived in old Lahore City at that time. Shabbir Husain Shah a Government Officer very much liked her singing and actually they were in love. They were then married. She continued singing after marriage. She has six children. Malika is considered to be a very harsh teacher of music. Safiea - her eldest daughter with marvelous voice shunned singing under taunts of her schoolmates. One of her daughters (Tasleem) is an anesthesia expert (Wife of S.M Zafar- Advocate and Ex Minister). Daughter of S.M.Zafar used to occasionally sing on TV. Malika’s daughter Tahira (Law Graduate) under strict compulsion has learnt singing. .She re-sung many of her mother’s famous songs. Malika is considered to be too frank in expressing her critical observations about others –
Mr. G.N. Joshi pays tribute “Malika Pukhraj’s silvery rich voice and her superb expressive style were ideally suited for rendering romantic ghazals and dadras; she used to present them in such an arresting manner that listeners were at once held spellbound. She displayed rare virtuosity in diverse types of songs for the recordings for gramophone discs and during radio broadcasts. While the ghazals appealed most to the sensuous, her dadras had a unique charm..”
Written by : Muhammad Murtaza
Photo Courtesy : Abid Ali Baig
