A Tawaif (courtesan) who sang with a pain in her voice, one of the first courtesans to sing in a public concert, the only artist who was allowed to smoke in the All India Radio's premises then, best known for over 400 ghazals, thumris, dadras (forms of Indian classical music) – most of them composed by her, and renditions of famous Urdu poems, and a short sting in cinemas, which she had to abruptly cut – Bibi overcame several tragedies, turning her agony into soulful music.
Tracing Bibi's journey from a courtesan who performed in mehfils (private concerts) to the Mallika-e-Ghazal (Queen of ghazals) who took two nations by storm –
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)