- Ali Peter John
Some of the best flowers bloom and bloom in dirty and dirty water. Some of the best birds sing in the unknown and dark forests and some of the best human talents are found in the most remote deserts.
About sixty years ago a rare talented singer was discovered in the desert of Rajasthan and made a name as a folk singer at a very young age. Circumstances and her background took her to Pakistan where she was known for her singing at the dargah of a Muslim saint and her voice continued to attract thousands of people and she became a legend in no time with her voice which is so powerful and Yet she was so divine. There is a popular story about her which says that she sang at the grave of her lover who gave her voice and the songs she sang the favorite of all lovers.
She soon sang for Pakistan TV and her popularity reached India and became as popular as the ghazals of Mehdi Hassan and Ghulam Ali, but she was not given the kind of importance that her talent deserved. In the 80s, Subhash Ghai was making “Hero” with two newcomers Jackie Shroff and Meenakshi Seshadri. When lovers are in danger of being separated from each other, they need a folk song to play in the background.
Music directors Laxmikant and Pyarelal thought of several options, until Subhash Ghai told the music directors about Reshma’s voice (or was it the music director who suggested Showman to name her?) , Reshma was in Bombay and was recording a folk song “Lambi Judai” for Ghai’s Hero at the Mehboob Studio Recording Center and while she was also rehearsing with the music directors, her voice could see through the walls of the recording studio. It was starting to explode.
The song was heard by Dilip Kumar and he was so impressed by Reshma’s voice and her command over the Urdu language that he hosted a grand party for Reshma in his bungalow. And I had another unique opportunity to receive Reshma and her team in the middle of the night and I was in a dilemma when Reshma thought that I was part of Dilip Kumar’s family, when the truth was that when I told Dilip Kumar that Reshma and her team were reaching his bungalow, I asked sir because I always called him to pick up Reshma and sir immediately said, “You are also part of my family, you go to receive them” and I have There was no way but to stand at the door and have the honor of receiving the great Reshma, who was so excited to sing in front of Dilip Kumar that she kissed my hands and then sang her heart out till the early hours of the morning And not a single guest left until she got tired and finished singing.
She then moved to Pakistan and suddenly life was not the same for her again as she was neglected, rejected and humiliated by the same people who once admired and loved her. To further add to her misery, she was suffering from throat cancer with no one to look after her and she was financially broken.
It was at this painful stage of her life that Subhash Ghai not only missed her, but made all arrangements to give her relief especially financially, but cancer doesn’t respect anyone and Reshma finally died and had a long life. She went on a separation from which she would never return, but neither time nor all the forces of heaven or earth could stop her soulful songs from touching and moving the hearts of those who still have hearts.
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