List of Begum Akhtar songs
This is a list of songs recorded or performed by Begum Akhtar, an Indian singer of Hindustani classical music. Akhtar, who was also an actress, was proficient at dadra, thumri, and ghazals. Cited as "one of India's finest ghazal singers", she was referred to as Mallika-E-Tarannum or Mallika-e-Ghazal. Akhtar's first recording was a combination of ghazals and dadras for the His Master's Voice label. She recorded or performed a total of 167 songs during her career, among which twenty were for films.
Akhtar's performances were in the nature of a classical presentation, with the accompaniment of the tabla, sitar, and harmonium. Her rendering of Ghalib's ghazals made her a household name.
Born Akhtaribai Faizabadi, she begaan her career as a mehfil singer and became famous when she sang at the Bihar earthquake music conference in 1934. On the basis of her popularity, she received offers to appear in films, starting her career with Ek Din Ka Badshah and Nal Damayanti, produced by the East India Company, in Calcutta. In 1942, Akhtar was cast by Mehboob Khan in the film Roti, in which she both sang and acted. In 1945, she married Ishtiaq Ahmed Abbasi, Nawab of Kakoli, putting her career on hold for five years. She returned to film with Dana Pani and Ehsan. After 1956, Akhtar stopped working in film but continued performing on stage. Her repertoire included the ghazals of Mirza Ghalib, Momin, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Jigar Moradabadi, Shakeel Badayuni, Mir Taqi Mir, Sauda, and Shamim Jaipuri.
Non-film
Poets
| Poet | No. | Song | Notes | Composer | ref |
| Jan Nisar Akhtar | 1 | "Bujhi Hui Shama Ka Dhuan" | Traditional | Murli Manohar Swarup | |
| Kaifi Azmi | 2 | "Itna To Zindagi Me Kisi Ki Khalal Pade" | Traditional | ||
| Shakeel Badayuni | 3 | "Ae Mohabbat Tere Anjaam Pe Rona Aaya" | Traditional | Murli Manohar Swarup | |
| Shakeel Badayuni | 4 | "Door Hain Manzil Raahein Mushkil" | Raga Pilu | Mohammed Zahur Khaiyyam | |
| Shakeel Badayuni | 5 | "Mere Humnafas Mere Humnawa" | |||
| Shakeel Badayuni | 6 | "Ye Maikhana Hai" | Khaiyyam | ||
| Shakeel Badayuni | 7 | "Khush Hoon Ke Mera Husn-E-Talab Kaam Toh Aaya" | |||
| Shakeel Badayuni | 8 | "Sahabae Garaj Thi Shola Phish" | |||
| Shakeel Badayuni | 9 | "Sharab-E-Naab Ko" | Ghazal | Khaiyyam | |
| Shakeel Badayuni | 10 | "Zindagi Ka Dard Lekar" | Traditional | Khaiyyam | |
| Khumar Barabankvi | 11 | "Jhunjlae Hain Lajaaye Hain" | Murli Manohar Swarup | ||
| Behzad Lucknavi | 12 | "Diwana Banaana Hai To Diwana Bana De" | Traditional | Begum Akhtar | |
| Behzad Lucknavi | 13 | "Kash Itna Mere Naalon Mein Asar Ho Jaaye" | Ghazal | ||
| Behzad Lucknavi | 14 | "Un Aankhon Ka Aalam Gulabi Gulabi" | Ghazal | ||
| Daagh Dehlvi | 15 | "Rasm-e-Ulfat Sikha Gaya Koyi" | Ghazal | ||
| Daagh Dehlvi | 16 | "Uzr Aane Mein Bhi Hai Aur Bulate Bhi Nahin" | Traditional | Khaiyyam | |
| Daagh Dehlvi | 17 | "Ulti Ho Gain Sab Tadabiren" | Ghazal | ||
| Faiz Ahmed Faiz | 18 | "Sham-E-Firaq Ab Na Poochh" | Traditional | Khaiyyam | |
| Faiz Ahmed Faiz | 19 | "Aaye Kuchh Abr Kuchh Sharab Aaye" | Ghazal | ||
| Faiz Ahmed Faiz | 20 | "Donon Jahan Teri Mohabbat Mein Haar Ke" | Ghazal | ||
| Sudarshan Fakir | 21 | "Apanon Ke Sitam Ham Se Bataae Nahin Jaate" | Ghazal | Begum Akhtar | |
| Sudarshan Fakir | 22 | "Ishq Mein Ghairat-e-Jazbat" | Ghazal | Khaiyyam | |
| Sudarshan Fakir | 23 | "Koyalia Mat Kar Pukar" | Raga Manj Khamaj | Khaiyyam | |
| Sudarshan Fakir | 24 | "Kuchh Toh Duniya Ki Inaayat Ne Dil Tod Diya" | Traditional | ||
| Sudarshan Fakir | 25 | "Laila Majnu Ke Misaalon Pe Hansi Aati" | Ghazal | Khaiyyam | |
| Firaq Gorakhpuri | 26 | "Sar Mein Sauda Bhi Nahin" | Traditional | Murli Manohar Swarup | |
| Mirza Ghalib | 27 | "Aah Ko Chahiiye Ek Umar Asar Hone Tak" | Traditional | ||
| Mirza Ghalib | 28 | "Bas Ke Dushwar" | |||
| Mirza Ghalib | 29 | "Dayam Pada Hua Tere Dar Par" | Traditional | ||
| Mirza Ghalib | 30 | "Dard Minnat Kash-E-Dawa Na Hua" | Traditional | ||
| Mirza Ghalib | 31 | "Dil Hi To Hai Na Sung-O-Khisht" | Traditional | ||
| Mirza Ghalib | 32 | "Ibn-E-Mariyam Hua Kare Koi" | Traditional | Khaiyyam | |
| Mirza Ghalib | 33 | "Koi Umeed Bar Nahin Aati" | Traditional | ||
| Mirza Ghalib | 34 | "Phir Mujhe Deeda-E-Tar Yaad Aaya" | Traditional | ||
| Mirza Ghalib | 35 | "Rahiye Ab Aisi Jagah Chalkar Jahan Koi Na Ho" | |||
| Mirza Ghalib | 36 | "Sab Kahan Kuchh Laal-o-Gul" | |||
| Mirza Ghalib | 37 | "Taskin Ko Hum Na Royein" | Traditional | Khaiyyam | |
| Mirza Ghalib | 38 | "Yeh Na Thi Hamari Kismet" | Traditional | Khaiyyam | |
| Mirza Ghalib | 39 | "Zikr Us Parivash Ka" | Traditional | Khaiyyam | |
| Shamim Jaipuri | 40 | "Bazm Se Unki Ham Kya Laaye" | Traditional | ||
| Shamim Jaipuri | 41 | "Ilahi Kash Ghum-E-Ishq" | Ghazal | ||
| Shamim Jaipuri | 42 | "Nao Saahil Pe Dagmagai Hai" | Ghazal | ||
| Shamim Jaipuri | 43 | "Na Socha Na Samjha" | Ghazal | ||
| Shamim Jaipuri | 44 | "Sakht Hai Ishq Ki Rehguzar" | Ghazal | ||
| Shamim Jaipuri | 45 | "Zameen Pe Rah Kar Dimaag Aasman Pe Rehta Hai | Ghazal | ||
| Ali Ahmed Jaleeli | 46 | "Ab Chhalakte Hue Sagar Nahin Dekhe Jaate" | Ghazal | Begum Akhtar | |
| Ali Ahmed Jaleeli | 47 | "Khushi Ne Mujhko Thukraya" | Ghazal | Khaiyyam | |
| Fana Nizami Kanpuri | 48 | "Jab Bhi Nazam-E-Maikada Badla Gaya" | Ghazal | Murli Manohar Swarup | |
| Fana Nizami Kanpuri | 49 | "Mere Chehre Se Gham Aashkara" | Murli Manohar Swarup | ||
| Mir Taqi Mir | 50 | "Ulti Ho Gayin Sab Tadbirein" | Ghazal | ||
| Mir Taqi Mir | 51 | "Dil Ki Baat Kahin Nahi Jaati" | Traditional | ||
| Amir Minai | 52 | "Haalaat Maikade Ke Karwat" | Ghazal | ||
| Jigar Moradabadi | 53 | "Koi Yeh Keh De Gulshan Gulshan" | Ghazal | Begum Akhtar | |
| Jigar Moradabadi | 54 | "Duniya Ke Sitam Yaad" | Traditional | ||
| Jigar Moradabadi | 55 | "Hum Ko Mita Sakay Yeh Zamanay May Dam Nahin" | |||
| Jigar Moradabadi | 56 | "Is Ishq Ke Haathon Se Hargis" | Khaiyyam | ||
| Jigar Moradabadi | 57 | "Kya Cheez Gham-E-Ishq Ki" | |||
| Jigar Moradabadi | 58 | "Saqiya Chhod Na Khaali" | Khaiyyam | ||
| Jigar Moradabadi | 59 | "Tabiyat in Dinon Begana-E-Gam Hoti Jaati Hai" | |||
| Momin | 60 | "Woh Jo Hum Mein Tum Mein Qarar Tha" | Khaiyyam | ||
| Amir Qazalbash | 61 | "Unki Berukhi Mein Bhi" | Ghazal | Murli Manhar Swarup | |
| Taskeen Qureshi | 62 | "Ab Toh Yehi Hain Dil Ki Duaayein" | Traditional | ||
| Taskeen Qureshi | 63 | "Kis Se Poochhein' | Ghazal | ||
| Taskeen Qureshi | 64 | "Khayal-E-Kaba-Otaiba" | Ghazal | Khaiyyam | |
| Saeed | 65 | "Abhi Josh-e-Baharaan Dekhna Hai" | Traditional | ||
| Saeed | 66 | "Phoolon Ki Rut Hai Thandi Hawaaen" | |||
| Shaz Tamkanat | 67 | "Mere Naseeb Ne Jab Mujh Se" | Traditional | Murli Manhar Swarup | |
| Mirza Rafi Sauda | 68 | "Gul Phenke Hain" | Ghazal | ||
| Zauq | 69 | "Laayi Hayaat Aaye Qaza Le Chali Chale" | Traditional | Khaiyyam |
Other
Bengali
Gujarati
Film
| Denotes films that have no record of Begum Akhtar songs |