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 “
Johny Lever and Shekhar Suman are the only two people who can entertain
me ”
She says she
is 235 years-old. What with 4 golden jubilees (films, radio, stage
and literature tucked under her belt and yet another 35 years on
television she is indeed that old.
The first lady
of Indian television Tabassum is the prima donna of the world of
entertainment. Though of late she was not so much in the limelight
she is a person who will not lie low for long. She is now back with
yet another first to her credit. (She is the youngest entrant into
films at the age of 2-1/2. She is the only woman in the world who
holds a record of having conquered all the entertainment media)
Tabassum is all set to have her first show on spiritual entertainment.
A live concert of bhajans (of a different kind) interspersed with
the Tabassum brand of humour albeit with a message this time and
no heavy philosophical discourses but simple lessons in morals and
humanity. Not the preaching kind but the very subtle and soft kind.
"I am only in the nursery class of spiritualism. I do not claim
to know it all. To me all that I wish to talk about during this
show is a way of life that I know of."
And all this
will be for the first time given live on stage with a full orchestra.
The entire proceeds of first show on January 6, at the Birla will
go towards helping cancer patients. All excited and enthusiastic
about her new project Tabassum says, "No, I am not another
opportunist jumping onto the spiritual bandwagon. Right since my
childhood there was never the ‘me’ in me. I have learned
towards the good way of life, now people call this spiritualism.
But of late I have begun to question myself a lot more. I think
this began after my nephew aged 34 passed away last year. Yet another
reason being that when one sees so much unhappiness around one tries
to seek solace through spiritualism."
For the 57
year old actress cum compere cum host life has been a roller coaster
ride. "I began my film career as a child artiste out of sheer
necessity. My parents who were journalists brought out a paper called
Tasveer. But due to the World War 2, newsprint became very expensive
and they could not afford to buy it. So when I was offered a role
in Nargis where I was to play the role of Nargis’s sister my
parents accepted it. The credit of introducing me to films goes
to O.P. Dutta as he convinced my parents to permit me to act in
films. I was paid a handsome sum for my maiden role which allowed
my parents to buy the much needed newspaper and continue with it.
Meanwhile, my parents picked up jobs as dialogue directors (they
helped actors with their dialogue delivery, correct faulty accents,
etc). One film led to another and films Dharamputra, Baiju Bawra,
Deedar, Baap Beti (One of my best roles), Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon
came along. But soon offers stopped coming my way and I was compelled
to accept stunt roles. I signed about 25-30 such films but as they
did not satisfy me creatively I decided to quit. I guess being a
lead heroine was not in my destiny. I think this was because as
I had a very powerful childhood it dwarfed my adolescent years and
people could not visualise me in romantic roles.
 I
got married in 1970 and quit films. But the Almighty had other plans.
Amin Sayani called me for a radio programme, Saridon Ke Saathi and
this led to Tabassum Ke Jokes which was a programme which continued
for 17 long years. When television came along DD approached me and
gave a free hand to do a 30 minute programme. And this was the beginning
of the longest running TV show (21 years), Phool Khile Hain Gulshan
Gulshan. I enjoyed doing this as I interviewed almost every one
connected to films. I never read from a script, never rehearsed
or never prepared for the show. And I think the sheer spontaneity
was the USP of the show. One of the best interviews I had was with
actor Parshuram. I was on my way to the studio when at the Bandra
signal a beggar stretched his palm to me. I recognised him and this
was no other than the popular actor Parshuram with whom I too had
co-stared in the film, Nartaki. I asked him to get into my car and
took him to Doordarshan. I called for his films from the archives
and after showing the clips took his interview in his torn clothes
and dishevelled hair. The response to this was so overwhelming that
even the then Chief Minister S.B. Chavan sent him Rs. 10,000 from
the CM’s fund and so did many well wishers.
Tabassum was
paid Rs. 75 for hosting, scripting as well as booking the star to
be interviewed when she began in 1972. Her last show in 1993 fetched
her Rs. 750. "As with my stage shows I have seen the struggle
and rise of almost all the singers and music directors from Rafi
to Mukesh to Kishore Kumar to Sonu Nigam to Sunidhi Chauhan whom
I have introduced. I think everyone except K.L. Saigal has sung
for my shows. I enjoy doing stage shows the most as they are the
most challenging ones. The next most difficult thing is radio programmes
as the viewer can only hear you and hence you have to emote via
your voice."
Currently the
TV Queen is doing a daily show on Zee called Yaadein Radio Ceylon
Ki where she reminisces for about two minutes on the songs being
aired for that day. This too is without a script. "My memory
never fails me and I think this is because I am told my mother ate
one bheja fry every day when she was pregnant with me."
Talking of
Radio Ceylon Tabassum recollects that one of her most popular shows
which ran for 18 years was Tabassum Ke Chutkule on Radio Ceylon.
Listeners were so tuned in to this show that slowly they began to
send in jokes and jokes came in from Pakistan, Middle East and all
parts of India. This raddi was sold by Radio Ceylon and bought by
Tabassum. She collected over 50,000 jokes which she uses even today.
This was how she compiled her joke books in Urdu, English and Hindi.
Talking about
her popular live shows she says, "She has done many a shows
with Amitabh Bachchan where he has both sung and danced for her.
But it is not this that makes him great it is his humility that
makes him stand apart. I remember that for one of my stage shows
I had a fracture in my leg and was on a wheel chair. I wanted to
be shifted from one end of the stage to another and requested almost
10-15 people present on stage. No one paid any heed but it was Amitabh
who came and did the needful."
So while she
entertains the world who is that one person who can entertain her?
"Johny Lever and Shekhar Suman are the only two people who
can give me total entertainment," she says. "It may appear
easy what they do but I know that it is very difficult." And
to keep her alert and sharp Tabassum practices a lot. "I read
a lot to keep abreast of what is happening. I also practice a lot
of talking as this keeps both your mind and your tongue synchronised
and I practice vocabulary. I swim on a regular basis for my physical
well being."
Meanwhile,
Tabassum continues to act in that occasional film. Awaiting release
is Jaana Na Dil Se Door a film by Vijay Anand where she plays true
to her life character, happy go lucky and full of zest. Also awaiting
for release is her home production Kartoot which is ready but due
to financial constraints cannot see the light of the day.
She has stopped
watching Hindi films as she feels all of them are the same and goes
on to illustrate her point with a joke. A distributor asked the
producer who had made 8 new films for the prints of one of the films
which he had misplaced. The producer told him to pick a reel each
from all his 8 films and he would get a complete film as all the
films had the same star cast, same music director and same writer.
For the moment
she is concentrating all her energies for Bhajan Sandhya the one
thing that is very close to her heart. "And no, I will not
give you heavy doses of it. How much spiritualism does one need
in life? Just a little. And this does not mean one stops enjoying
the spice of life. So I too will continue with all my other shows."
And yes this
is yet another first for Baby Tabassum (she is still called baby)
as this genre of entertainment has not been attempted before.
—Jaahnavi
P Pal
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