Jagjit Kaur is an Indian singer and the wife of famous Indian music composer Mohammed Zahur Khayyam (also known as Khayyam). She passed away on August 15, 2021.
Wiki/Biography
Jagjit Kaur was born in Punjab in 1931 (aged 93; died). She has been interested in movies and music since she was a child, and often participated in cultural activities organized by the school.
family, caste and husband
She was born into an aristocratic family of Punjabi Zamindars. She married veteran music composer Mohammed Zahur Khayyam in 1954. She had a son, Pradeep Khayyam, who died of heart disease on March 25, 2012.
Khayyam with his wife and son
Profession
She made her film debut with the Punjabi film “Posti (1950)”. She made her Bollywood debut as a singer in Ghulam Mohammed’s film Dil-E-Nadaan (1953). She sang three songs in the movie – “Muhabbat Ki Dhun Bekararo Se Poochho”, “Chanda Gaye Ragni Cham Cham Barse” and “Khamosh Zindagi Ko Ek Afsana Mil Gaya”. However, this didn’t help her gain much recognition.
Ten years after marrying Khayyam, she sang the best song of her career, “Tum Apna Ranj-O-Gham” in the film “Shagoon (1964)”. The song went on to become a benchmark for her career.
famous songs
- “Kahmosh Zindagi Ko Afsaanaa Mil Gayaa” from the movie “Dil-e-Nadan (1953)”
- “Pehle To Ankh Milana” from the movie Shola Aur Shabnam (1961)
- “Tum Apna Rang–o-Gham Apni Pareshani Mujhe De Do” from the movie “Shagoon (1964)”
- “Dekho Dekho Ji Gori Sasural Chali” from the movie “Shagoon (1964)”
- “Nain Milake Pyar Jata Ke Aag Laga Dee” from the movie “Mera Bhai Mera Dushman (1967)”
- “Chale Aao Saiyan Rangeele Main Vaari Re” (with Pamela Chopra) in the movie Harper’s Bazaar (1982)
- “Dekh Lo Aaj Humko Jee Bhar Ke” from the movie “Bazaar (1982)”
- “Kaahe Ko Byahi bides” from the movie “Umrao Jaan (1981)”
- “Saada Chidiya Da Chamba Vai” from the movie “Kabhi Kabhi (1976)”
address
Dakshina Apartment 7th Floor,
juhu, mumbai
favorite thing
die
On August 15, 2021, 93-year-old Jagjit Kaur breathed his last at his residence in Mumbai. She died of age-related illnesses. She was cremated at Pawan Hans Crematorium, SV Road Vile Parle, Mumbai.
fact
- Jagjit enjoys listening to music and watching movies.
- Jagjit is known for his earthy sound and powerful presentation of folk music. Music experts believe that her voice ranges from high to low, with a soft aftertaste.
- Jagjit started his singing career with the film “Posti (1950)”. It was also the first Punjabi film to feature the voice of Asha Bhosler.
- Khayyam first discovered Jagjit’s singing talent at a concert, where she was singing a classical song. Khayyam approached her and invited her to sing for “Shola Aur Shabnam (1961)”. She sang a solo song in the film and a duet with Mohammad Rafi. Since then, Khayyam and Jagjit’s musical bond has never been broken.
- Jagjit and Khayyam first met on the flyover of Dadar railway station, where Jagjit followed her. At first, Jagjit was anxious and thought he was a stalker. She calmed down when Khayyam introduced himself to her as a music composer.
Jagjit Kaur and Khayyam
- Jagjit’s father opposed her marriage to Khayyam, but she was determined to marry only Khayyam. Despite her father’s disapproval, her marriage to Khayyam was one of the first interracial marriages in the film industry.
- Even during her short singing career, she emerged as one of the most versatile singers in Bollywood. From folk songs like “Ladi Re Ladi” in “Shola Aur Shabnam (1961)” to soft melodies like “Tum Apna Ranj-O-Gham” in “Shagoon (1964)”, Jagjit touched every aspect of singing. Her traditional wedding songs like “Kaahe Ko Byahi Bides”, “Chale Aao Saiyyan” and “Dekh Lo Aaj Humko”, all composed for Khayyam, are considered jewellery.
- However, she sang fewer songs than her contemporaries Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar; all her songs are considered gems.
Jagjit Kaur and Khayyam and Asha Bhosle
- Jagjit Kaur said in an interview that Khayyam never proposed her name to the producers even after she sang timeless classics like ‘Tum Apna Ranj-O-Gham’ from ‘Shagoon’ (1964).
- When Khayyam turned 90, Khayyam and Jagjit decided to donate all proceeds to their charitable trust “Khayyam Jagjeet Kaur KPG Charitable Trust”. Khayyam said when talking about this issue:
I have decided to donate my entire fortune to support artistes and technicians in need in the film industry. I have given everything I have to my motherland. “
Khayyam Jagjeet Kaur KPG Charitable Trust
- According to reports, Jagjit Kaul is a classmate of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In 2006, Manmohan took time out of his busy schedule to meet Jagjit Kaur and her husband Khayyam.
Jagjit Kaur and Khayyam and Manmohan Singh
- In August 2019, Khayyam fell while trying to stand up from an armchair at home and had to be admitted to Sujay Hospital in Juhu. After the incident, Jagjit’s blood sugar levels dropped alarmingly. Jagjit and Khayyam were assigned to adjacent cabins in the hospital named “Lily” and “Tulip”. Khayyam died of cardiac arrest on August 19, 2019.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education