Shamshad Begum sang under a contract with the company and was paid Rs 12.50 per song,a royal amount in the thirties. Though she never got herself photographed till the late sixties, Shamshad Begum left her imprint in the minds of people through her Punjabi and Hindi songs – earlier for Jenophone company and later in films. An obedient Shamshad honoured her father’s whims even after she got married at the age of fifteen in 1934 to barrister Ganpatlal Batto, a Hindu by religion who incidentally was very fond of photography! The reluctant father had to give in and let his daughter sing but not before imposing certain conditions… that she would go to the studio in a burkha, not attend parties or functions and not get herself photographed. Shamshad was at the threshold of her teens and was auditioned by none other than Master Ghulam Haider. Luckily, Shamshad had an appreciative and encouraging uncle who took her to the record company much against the wishes of her conservative father. Shamshad could sing and sing well but her orthodox and conservative family was not musically inclined and supportive. It was around that time, Jenophone Record Company was on the look out for fresh voices. Gifted singers like K L Saigal, Master Nissar, Rafiq Ghaznavi, Govindrao Tembe, Jahan Ara Kajjan, Mukhtar Begum, Zohra Bai of Kapurthala, Jaddan Bai, Gohar Bai, Umra Zia Begum had already made their foray in the realm of Hindi films and film music and were carving a niche for themselves. The spirit, sparkle and spontaneity of the sprightly Shamshad are intact as they were when she made her unobtrusive singing start in the early thirties when talkie films with songs began to be made. “I could never achieve the kind of popularity, stardom and respect she enjoyed,” Ms. She was in great demand throughout the 1940s and remained popular even as Lata Mangeshkar, became the dominant playback singer of the 1950s. In Hindi cinema she was one of the singers who are heard but not seen on screen, with actresses lip-syncing to the recorded voices. She has spent her time away from the media/public arena since the seventies.
Her singing career started tapering off in mid fifties with her singing her last song around 1971 although some songs continued to release as late as 1981.
She was undoubtedly the biggest playback singer during a time when actress-singers like Noor Jehan, Khursheed and Suraiyya were extremely popular.
Her style of singing was unique and was loved by millions all over the world. She was literally a star singer in India during the early years of Hindi cinema, died on a Tuesday on 23 April 2013 at her home in Mumbai. Legendary singer, Shamshad Begum was the leading playback artist in the 1940s and is one of the few who were singing in the 1930’s.