A string of memories: For those who knew her, and those who did not

Film personalities remember Zubaida Khanum’s contribution to Pakistani music, film

LAHORE: A popular name in Lollywood and the much-loved voice behind Shaah-e-Madinah, Zubaida Khanum, belted out a series of hits in Punjabi and Urdu during her lifetime. While she passed away of a cardiac arrest on October 19, three years ago, her memory still remains amongst her loved ones and contemporaries alike. A number of film personalities spoke about her legendary career while recalling fond memories.

Khanum has 250 songs to her credit and worked for 147 films during her singing career. Asan Jaan Ke Meet Le, Aay Mausam Rangeely Suhanay and Kya Hua Dil Par Sitam are amongst her few notable songs. While she also acted in films such as Patay Khan and Dulla Bhatti, she preferred singing over acting.

“Zubaida Khanum was popularly known as the queen of singing. She was a great part of our film industry and earned fame at a wonderful time for Pakistani cinema,” said folk Singer Shoukat Ali. Khanum made her debut in the industry in 1951 with director Ghulam Ahmed Chishti’s Billo. “A number of films became successful because her songs were a part of them. She was no doubt a big name of music industry,” shared Ali.

Khanum particularly became famous after lending her voice to the 1953 film Shehri Babu. Following this achievement, she went on to feature in the soundtrack of most block busters of the 1950s and 1960s.



Singing praises about the quality of work Khanum produced, film director Altaf Hussain said, “No one can forget her singing, especially her amazing performances in films such as Kartar Singh, Guddi Gudda, Mukhra, Heer and Mahi Munda.” While Khanum’s work was appreciated by many, her singing career was rather short-lived. “She was only in the industry for around 10 years but produced quality work that will be remembered forever,” Hussain added.

Concurring with him, film writer and director Pervaiz Kaleem shared, “Zubaida Khanum became popular during the time Madam Noor Jahan was ruling the industry. And she made a place for herself regardless of the reign of the melody queen. Her songs are an asset to our film industry.”

Khanum was not from a family of artists, nor did she receive education in music. During the peak of her career, she got married to Riaz Bukhari and was soon forced to leave singing to look after her two daughters and two sons. Her son, Faisal Bukhari, is now a film director.

“I knew her for four decades and I have witnessed her hard work and desire to sing. It was her greatness that she decided to take the role of a housewife and leave the film industry at such a great time. After she left, she was never seen in the industry. Her work is a library for singers and no doubt she will always be an idol for new comers,” stated Kaleem.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2016.

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