Mala: Don't go alone
Marvelous Mala Mesmerizes Millions

By Anis Ahmed Shakur

Akele na jana Hamay chore kar tum Tumharay bina hum Bhala kiya jeeyain gey Mala's real name was Naseem.She was born in Faisalabad, Punjab. She had been interested in singing and music from a young age. Fortunately, her sister, Shamim Nazli, happened to be her first music teacher and Mala learnt the essentials of music from her. It was Anwar Kamal Pasha, who persuaded her to try her luck in the Pakistan film industry. In her thirty year singing career (1960- 90), she sang for numerous music directors. Her first break in films came, when she sang a simple composition "Aaya ray dekho sawan aaya ray"(Sooraj Mukhi) Shortly afterwards, she rendered her voice to a tragic composition "Dil daeta hai ro ro duhai kisi"(Ishq per zoar nahi: Nigar award) The despondency and despair which were vividly caught by Mala were simply examplary. Mala always sang with the appropriate diction and inflexion. I would cite two instances: "Raat bata aye onko meri: (Mala, Saleem Raza: Najma) and "Idhar aao tumharay kaan": (Mala, Saleem Raza: Parda) All her duets with Ahmed Rushdi were superhits. The highly acclaimed team of Mala-Rushdi-Sohail Rana-Masroor Anwar will always be remembered by the music lovers. From melancholy strains of "Aye meri zandagi: (Mala ,Rushdi:Ehsaan) to songs depicting the reality of life like "Root gaye kyon" (Mala, Rushdi: Dil mera dharkan teri) or from the simplicity and innocence of "Aye baharo gawah rehna" (Mala, Rushdi), "Too hai phool mere gulshan ka"(Phool mere gulshan ka") to the jolly songs like: "Mausum haseen hai"(: Mala,Rushdi: Aag) Mala excelled in every situation.

She was equally at ease with relatively light scores like "Dhoond rahi theen": (Mala, Rushdi:Teri soorat meri aankhein), "Khush nasibi hai meri"(Mala, Rushdi: Baharain phir bhi aanyaingee), "Chalay thandi hawa": (Mala, Rushdi: Najma) or take that dream composition "Ye sama pyara pyara (Darshan)
.
Her tragic numbers like "Ghaeroan say pyar kiya (Baharain phir bhi aayaingee), "Din dhal gaya", "Mohabbat mein sara jahan", "Bhooli hoowe hoon dastan" (Doraha), "Ab thandi aahain bhar pagli ja", "Jub raat dhali": (Mala, Rushdi: Kaneez), are known as the best of Mala.

In fact, Mala's greatest accomplishment was "Akele na jana"(Armaan),it was an extremely tragic combination of torment and anguish, her voice was immaculate, which matched the tragic scene in the movie.
Mala teamed up with Sohail Rana and this mutual understanding led not only to the greatest superhit song in the history of the Pakistan film industry but also the first platinum jubilee film of Pakistan.
The emotions conveyed by the profundity and intonation of this great singer filled even men's eyes with tears, leave alone women!

The dramatic affect which Mala's lilting voice, Sohail Rana's tragic composition and Masroor Anwar's magnificent lyrics produced had never been witnessed before or thereafter.
"Armaan" is, indeed, more than a movie, it is a tribute to a dream that is being kept alive by the classic Pakistani values.

The last days of Mala were fraught with lonliness and misery.
She could not come to grips with the harsh realities of life.
Over and above, she found herself in the midst of deep financial crisis.

During those days, she cried a lot whenever she listened or sang her favorite lyrics "Ab thandi aahein bhar pagli ja, aur mohabbat kar pagli".
Eventually, her immense pain and suffering came to a halt on March 6,1990, when she said farewell to the world.

These immortal lyrics will always keep her memory as fresh as ever:
" ye dukh ye odasi
ye aansoo ye aahein
chalay aao mil kay
ye gham baant lain gey"

Mala left us ten years ago, but she continues to astound millions of her admirers through her songs.
She will never disappear from our thoughts, because artists like Mala are as rare as a century flower.

Mala will always live in her songs.