Zarina Begum: Awadh's last surviving royal singer

Zarina Begum, 87, known to be the only living court singer of the Awadh Court and one of the most popular singers of 1950s and 1960s, lives a life of anonymity today.
The sole surviving singer who can voice the baithak thumri once sung in Lucknow's royal houses, today struggles to find herself heard.
Zarina Begum who was in the city recently to perform some of her famous ghazals, reminisced on the era gone by, ghazal maestro Begum Akhtar as well as the difficult life she faced after her demise.
"My brother took away everything I had, all the property and money. I led a very difficult life. It wasn't easy," Zarina said haltingly, her ill health not permitting her to speak more than a couple of words at a time.

Members of her family say no one from either the government or the public came forward to uplift the "royal" singer, who now lives under poverty.
"Nobody has come forward to help us. Such a big singer of the country has got such a bad treatment. Today she has nothing, all her money and property has been lost but no one is willing to help us," her son-in-law said.

Born in Nanpara, Bahraich, Zarina Begum had begun her musical training under Gulam Hazrat at the age of 11. Years later when Begum Akhtar, also known as Akhtari Bai Faizabadi, heard her, she immediately took her under her guidance.

"Begum Akhtar loved her. She once heard her singing and asked her father to give Zarina ji to her. She wanted to adopt her. She took her under her guidance and Zarina ji went to become a huge name," Zarina Begum's son-in-law said,
Gradually, Zarina became a must at the royal mansions and one of the most admired courtesan singers in Lucknow. The song "Humari Atariya" from the Madhuri Dixit-starrer film "Dedh Ishqiya" was originally sung by Zarina Begum.