It's a horrible morning. I feel devastated. One of my family members has gone. Kishori tai was close to my family. I'd known her for 39 years, says Begum Parveen Sultana
Begum Parveen Sultana
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It's a horrible morning. I feel devastated. One of my family members has gone. Kishori tai was close to my family. I'd known her for 39 years. The last time I met her was last year. We performed at over 100 shows. While death is inevitable, it hurts when someone like her goes away.
On her 82nd birthday celebration in Pune, she told well-wishers, “If you want to give me a gift, I want you to listen to Begum Parveen Sultana.” She won't be there on her birthday this year. She used to love my daughter, Shadaab, who is now 26. Once, Kishori tai kissed her and said, “You are blessed to have Ustad Dishad Khan saab and Parveen Sultana as your parents. So, make them proud.”
We used to attend each other's family functions. She was a torchbearer of women's empowerment. She encouraged girls not to shy away from showcasing their talent. She said a woman is not just a mother, wife, daughter or daughter-in-law. If a woman is blessed with talent, she deserves to showcase it.
Aisa lag raha hai ek raag se ek swar nikal gaya hai. Bahut bura lag raha hai. We are praying for her soul to rest in peace. Aise kalakaar ka janam dobara nahin hoga.
As told to Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari