Begum Akhtar’s reportoire and relics on display | Lucknow News
Lucknow: Celebrating 111th birth anniversary of renowned thumri singer Begum Akhtar, Lucknow Bioscope opened an exhibition titled ‘Malika e Ghazal’ (queen of ghazals) at Sanatkada house on Tuesday. Begum Akhtar was famous for her thumri, dadra, ghazal and Hindustani classical music. Around 72 objects including archival photographs of the doyen, newspaper cuttings from her concerts, stamps and a nickel brass coin issued by RBI in her name, along with vinyl discs of her recordings and her harmonium are on display in the exhibition. A film ‘Zikr Uss Parivash Ka’ by Nirmal Chander was screened, documenting how Begum Akhtar and her contemporary waifs were the last of a tribe. A walk was led to Begum Akhtar’s mazaar (shrine) in Pasandbagh, Thakurganj. Artist Neera Kathuria guided the audience and shed light on the ghazal queen’s life and the efforts that went into building the shrine.
