Transitions: Zubaida Khanum dead, aged 78

The popular playback singer died of cardiac arrest on Saturday night.

LAHORE:

Popular playback singer of Punjabi and Urdu films Zubaida Khanum died of cardiac arrest Saturday night. She was 78.

Zubaida was born in Amritsar, East Punjab. Her family migrated to Pakistan after the 1947 partition and she stepped into the music industry in the early 50s to fulfill her dreams. Her singing talent impressed famous musician Baba GA Chisti who introduced her in film ‘Billo’ in 1951.

In 1953 actor Nazir and actress Suran Lata signed Zubaida for the film ‘Sheri Baboo’. Rashid Itray was the music director for the film and he used Zubaida’s talent for playback singing in many films. Most of her songs were picturised on Musarrat Nazir and Sabiha Khanum.

While she was very popular playback singer, she also tried her luck at acting in the film ‘Patay Khan’. Her popular songs include asan jan ke meech lai akh way; aaey mausam rangeelay suhanay and tere dar te aake sajna way. She also recited a naat Shah-e-Madina.

She married cameraman Riaz Bukhari when she was at the zenith of her career. She ended her singing career due to family engagements.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his condolences at the demise of Khanum. She was a great singer and her songs are a national asset, he said. Showbiz celebrities, including Mustafa Qureshi, Shahida Munni, Syed Noor, Ghulam Abbas, Qavi Khan, Perwaiz Kalim, Suhail Iftikha Khan and Asif Javed, described her death a great loss to the showbiz industry.

Her funeral will be held in Miami Sahab graveyard of Lahore at 10 am on Sunday (today).

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2013.