Tag Archives: Mumtaz Begum

Waheeda Rehman’s Tamil Nadu connect

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , ,

TAMIL NADU :

Thanjavur-based Shahida Malik, the elder sister of Waheeda Rehman, talks about growing up with her ‘Chand’.

Waheeda Rehman with Shahida Malik | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Many rejoiced at the news of veteran actor Waheeda Rehman being conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award for 2021.

But quite above the fan frenzy, is 92-year-old Shahida Malik, Waheeda Rehman’s elder sister based out of Thanjavur, who has been moved to tears of joy at the recognition of her beloved sibling, nicknamed ‘Chand’ (moon and a term of endearment in Urdu), whose innate talent has been finally given its due.

It often comes as a surprise to many that Waheeda Rehman is actually from Tamil Nadu. She was born in Chengalpattu.

With a beautiful dance sequence that marked her debut at the age of 17 in the 1955 Telugu film Roju Marayi (remade as Kaalam Mari Pochu in Tamil), Waheeda Rehman’s body of work spans several decades of unusual roles. Her career in Hindi started in 1956 with the Guru Dutt production CID. 

“Waheeda’s Roju Marayi dance was so famous that people used to throw money at the screen whenever the song came on,” says Shahida. “We were amazed to see the reaction to our sister and so proud of her success.”

Trained in Bharatanatyam

Born in 1938 to district commissioner Mohamed Abdul Rehman and Mumtaz Begum, Waheeda was the youngest of four daughters. She and her sister Sayeeda trained in Bharathanatyam.

Shahida, who is seven years elder to the actor, remembers the family fearing for Waheeda’s poor health in her early childhood. They were also worried about the reaction to girls from the Muslim community taking up dance or films as a career.

She was first noticed as a performer at a Bharatanatyam recital for a cultural show organised during a visit by India’s last Governor-General C. Rajagopalachari by her father when he was posted at Vishakapatnam (in what was then the Madras Presidency).

“Father was asked to use only local artistes in the programme. Waheeda and Sayeeda were roped in for the dance,” recalls Shahida. As mentioned in the 2015 book Conversations with Waheeda Rehman by Nasreen Munni Kabir, the family went through straitened times after the death of Mohamed Abdur Rehman in 1951.

Veteran actor Waheeda Rehman at an event in New Delhi | Photo Credit: –

“Our father was transferred constantly, and this affected our studies. My elder sister Zahida and I managed to study up to Class 8, but Sayeeda and Waheeda didn’t get even that far. They worked very hard to stand on their own feet,” says Shahida. 

Foray into films

Waheeda Rehman’s success in the Roju Marayi song led to a meeting with actor-producer-director Guru Dutt, who eventually signed her up for a three-year contract with his production house in 1955, persuading Waheeda and her mother to shift to Bombay from Madras.

Their creative partnership flourished in films like Pyaasa, Twelve O’ Clock, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Chaudvin Ka Chand and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. With a ringside view on the world of films, Shahida has many memories of her sister’s heyday as a young actor, and also chaperoning her to shoots in outdoor locations. 

Waheeda Rehman in the Telugu film ‘Rojulu Maaraayi’ | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives

Shahida and Waheeda are the only two surviving sisters. Family members, irrespective of their age, refer to their star relative affectionately as ‘Chand Khala’. “I nicknamed her after the moon, because she was destined to rise high in life and shine. I am so happy, I cannot stop crying,” says Shahida.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Movies / by Nahla Nainar / September 27th, 2023

Senior Author Mumtaz Begum Passes Away at 72

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Education, Karnataka (under research project), , , ,

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA:

Mangaluru:

On Tuesday morning, a resident of Belapu Military Colony, senior author, writer, Mumtaz Begum (72) passed away in a private hospital in Mangaluru. 

Mumtaz Begum, who was engaged in the field of literature and writing for five decades has written various works including Avyakta, Paradeshi, Vartula, Bandalike, Chimpi, Sarva Rathugalu Ninagagi, Ankura Sahita Kathe, poetry, novels, and various other books. 

For her contributions to the field of literature and writing, she has won various awards and accolades including Attimabbe, Chennashri, Jilla Rajyotsava, Matrashri Ratnamma Heggade Book Prize, Meevundi Mallaari Children’s Story Prize, Kittur Rani Chennamma Award, Kannada Literature Council’s Charitable Award, Senior Citizens Literary Award, and Basava Literary Arts Forum’s Basava Jyoti Award among various others.

source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Karavali / Vartha Bharati / April 06th, 2021

‘Muslim women need to get liberatedfrom fundamentalistic shackles’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Karnataka (under research project), , , , , , , , , ,

KARNATAKA :

Dastagirsab Dinni, writer, speaking at parallel venue at the 82nd Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelan in Raichur on Sunday.
Dastagirsab Dinni, writer, speaking at parallel venue at the 82nd Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelan in Raichur on Sunday.

Terming triple talaq, restrictions on going to masjids, bigamy and other Islamic practices as shackles, Dastagirsab Dinni, a progressive writer, stressed the need for raising voices against Islamic fundamentalistic forces, for women’s liberation.

He was speaking on Muslim sensitivities in literature at a session on multiple dimensions of literature at the 82nd Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelan in Raichur on Sunday. The writer went on to point out prevalent anti-women practices which were indeed not preached by Prophet Mohammed.

“Prophet Mohammed did not oppose women offering prayers at masjids, but our fundamentalists are doing it. Muslim women are increasingly opposing the practice of triple talaq and bigamy practices. Some are even fighting against these anti-women practices in courts. Literature should voice their woes,” he said.

Pointing at the standard approach of fundamentalists towards progressive Muslim writers, Mr. Dinni went on to give a long list of Muslim writers who in one way or the other had to face the wrath of fundamentalism for their radical writing.

“Salman Rushdie, Taslima Nasreen, Sara Abubakar, Safeera, Bhanu Mushtaq and others Muslim writers were under attack from Islamic fundamentalists as they questioned the anti-women and other ill-practices of Islam.

“The attacks indeed gave rise to more resistance rather than curbing the existing opposition,” he said.

He added that Mumtaz Begum, Bolvar Mohammed Kunhi, Fakir Mohammad Katpadi, Ramzan Darga, Jameer Ulha Sharif, Rahamat Tarikere, Abdul Rashid and other Muslim writers have continued to question reactionary practices and resist the attack on freedom of expression.

He called upon young Muslim writers to continue the tradition of questioning fundamentalistic practices in Islam so that the process of emancipation of women could get quickened.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Kumar Buradikatti / Raichur – December 05th, 2016

Mumtaz Begum elected Mayor

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, ,

Bangalore,  KARNATAKA :

Lakshminarayana elected Deputy Mayor; BJP candidates lose by huge margins

______________________________________________________________

  • Mumtaz Begum is the first Muslim Mayor
  • JD(S) and JD(U) abstain from voting
  • Ms. Begum defeated Nagaratna Nagaraj by 37 votes
  • Lakshminarayana polled 58 votes as against 22 by L. Srinivas
  • ________________________________________________________

 

VICTORIOUS: Out-going Mayor Narayanaswamy (centre) with newly-elected Mayor Mumtaz Begum (right) and Deputy Mayor M. Lakshminarayana in Bangalore on Tuesday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy
VICTORIOUS: Out-going Mayor Narayanaswamy (centre) with newly-elected Mayor Mumtaz Begum (right) and Deputy Mayor M. Lakshminarayana in Bangalore on Tuesday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Bangalore :

With the Congress deciding on the candidate for the post of Mayor two days in advance, Mumtaz Begum was elected 43rd Mayor of Bangalore on Tuesday. She is the first Muslim Mayor and the fourth woman Mayor.

M. Lakshminarayana, who represents Gali Anjaneyaswamy Temple ward in Binnypet Assembly constituency, was elected 44th Deputy Mayor. His candidature was finalised on Tuesday, as there was a keen contest between Mr. Lakshminarayana and Audugodi corporator K.B. Mohan for the post.

Chaos prevailed in the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) Council even before the elections were held. The Congress nominees, who were certain of donning the coveted mantles, were busy posing for photographs even before the official announcement.

Though the elections were held in the presence of the entire Opposition — the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party — the Janata Dal (Secular) members abstained from voting like in the past. As soon as the meeting began, the Opposition members objected to the elections being conducted despite some organisations approaching the court seeking a change in the reservation category.

“How can you hold the elections when the matter is in the court? What if the court orders a change in the category?” the members led by Kachakaranahalli corporator Padmanabha Reddy asked.

This apart, the election proceedings were delayed by over 40 minutes as the Opposition members alleged that the ruling Congress had violated the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (KMC) Act by not notifying the election of members to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Library Authority and other organisations along with the Mayoral elections. The members calmed down after the Mayor justified that the court had not stayed the elections.

The BJP fielded the Sampangiramnagar corporator Nagaratna Nagaraj and the Padmanabhanagar corporator L. Srinivas, against the Congress nominees for both the posts. But they were defeated by huge margins. Ms. Begum defeated her rival by a margin of 37 votes. She bagged 58 votes while Ms. Nagaratna secured 21. Mr. Lakshminarayana polled 58 votes as against 22 by Mr. Srinivas.

Ms. Begum (46) a graduate, representing Shivajinagar in north Bangalore is a third-time corporator. She was elected 25th Deputy Mayor in 1984 when she was in the erstwhile Janata Party. She joined the Congress in 1988 and was elected corporator in 1990 for the second time. In the present BMP Council, she has headed the Standing Committee on Appeals in 2001 and was also member of the Standing Committee on Education and Social Justice in 2003. She represented the BMP in the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) from 1992 to 1995. She has worked as the general secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, Mahila Wing (1991-1995), president of Shivajinagar Block Congress Committee (1993-1997), general secretary of Bangalore City District Congress Committee (1995-1997), general secretary of KPCC (1997-2002) and executive committee member, KPCC (2002-2005).

Mr. Lakshminarayana (46) belongs to the Vokkaliga community. He represents the Gali Anjenayaswamy Temple ward for the second consecutive time. He is the 44th Deputy Mayor as there were two Deputy Mayors in 1965. After D.Thamayya’s death, C. Bhaskaran was elected Deputy Mayor then.

Both the candidates filed their nomination papers earlier in the day and the elections were conducted from 11.40 a.m. onwards. Unlike in the past, the Mayoral elections went on without the usual “drama” (convincing members to withdraw in the last minute, as there were no rebels) in the BMP Council hall.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Online edition / Home> Karnataka / Wednesday – November 30th, 2015