Mehdi Hassan, the legendary Pakistani
ghazal singer, passed away on June 13, 2012 at Karachi following a prolonged
illness. Born on 18 July, 1927 in Rajasthan, India, he belonged to the Kalawant
clan of musicians, who were primarily Dhrupad singers. He started performing at
a young age and mastered both the art forms, Dhrupad and Khayal.
After partition, he shifted to Pakistan and
had to face acute financial hardships. He worked in a bicycle repair shop and
then was a diesel engine mechanic for some time. However, his love for music
was such that he never forgot to practise. In 1957, he got an opportunity to
sing on Radio Pakistan, as a thumri singer. His talent was recognised. His
passion for Urdu led him to explore the world of ghazals. His ghazals were a
blend of romance, the pain of separation and the nature of human behaviour.
‘Patta Patta Boota Boota’ was a huge hit in both India and Pakistan.
Like
several other Pakistani ghazal singers, he was popular among select listeners
in India also. Some of his other ghazals were ‘Zulf ko teri ghataon ka payam aaya
hai’, ‘Ek bar chale aao’ , ‘Dil-e-naadan tujhe hua kya hai (originally written
by Mirza Ghalib)’ and others. In 2010, HMV released a landmark album called
Sarhadein, in which he sang a duet with Lata Mangeshkar. The song, ‘Tera Milna’
was recorded in Pakistan and India. Mehdi Hassan sang his version in Pakistan
and Lata Mangeshkar, hers, in India. It was combined later.
Mehdi Hassan was awarded ‘Tamgha-e-Imtiaz’
by Gen. Ayub Khan, the ‘Pride of Performance’ by Gen. Zia Ul Haq and
‘Hilal-e-Imtiaz’ by Gen. Pervez Musharraf. He was also given the prestigious
Saigal award at Jallandhar, India and the ‘Gorkha Dakshina Bahu’ award in
Nepal. He also sang Persian/dari ghazals in Kabul, Afghanistan in the 1970s.
The legacy of Mehdi Hassan will remain forever. As they say, “Legends never
die, they remain in the hearts of the people forever”.
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