Zohrabai Ambalewali Biography 
Zohrabai Ambalewali belonged to the first generation of playback singers of Bollywood, before the era of Lata Mangeshkar and Geeta Dutt started. Rajkumari, Shamshad Begum and Amirbai Karnataki were her contemporaries. Most active in the first era of Indian talkies (1940s) she rendered her voice to memorable hits of Naushad such as "Ankhiyan Milage Jiyaa Bharmaake", “Rumjhum barse baadaravaa”, “Saavan ke baadalo” and "Aai Diwali, Aai Diwali" of 1944 blockbuster Rathan and "Uran Khatole Pe Ud Jaoon", the duet with Shamshad Begum in Anmol Ghadi (1946).
She was born and brought up in Ambala of British Punjab. Born into the musical family of Ambalewali, she trained Hindustani music under Ghulam Hussain Khan and Ustad Nasir Hussain Khan. Later she trained in Agra tradition of Hindustani music. She started her singing career at the age of 13 with AIR and sang classical and semi-classical songs. Later HMV recorded a few of her thumris. Daku Ki Ladki (1933) composed by Pransukh Nayak marked her singing debut in talkies. With popularity and fame, she shifted to Mumbai from Lahore to continue in music profession.
Rattan proved to be her major career breakthrough. "Ankhiyan Milage Jiyaa Bharmaake chale nahi jaana" composed by Naushad is still loved by millions. Her career best - Anmol Ghadi (1946), Mela (1948), and Jadoo (1951) were given by the same music director. In fact the music of rattan was the major breakthrough of Naushad’s career too. Aahen Na Bhareen Shikave Na Kiye" in Zeenat (1945) aside Noorjahan and Kalyani was the first qawwali recorded in a female voice in south Asian films. Heavy thumri-style and nasal voices were popular in the 1940s which got replaced by Lata, Geeta and Asha in the 1950s. Thus Zohrabai retired in the 1950s when new female voices nominated the film scene. Note Kathak dancer Roshan Kumari is her daughter. She passed away on January 1, 1990.
Published: N/A
Updated: October 10, 2014
