Actress, entertainer, talk show host Tabassum, whose death anniversary fell on November 18, was ‘Baby Tanassum’ all her life.
In an interesting conversation we had at the start of this millennium, Tabassum opened her heart out. “I’ve had the privilege of remaining a child all my life, whereas others lose their childhood in their teens. I continue to be known as Baby Tabassum. I feel my childhood has spread into the 60-odd years that I’ve spent on this earth. To my good fortune, I never lost out my childhood. My parents were freedom fighters, educationists and journalists. They never allowed my childhood or my education to be spoilt. No wonder I feel self-sufficient and complete from within. It’s very sad that children today lose out on their childhood and behave like the grownup earning member of the family. That kind of pride is wrong and doing injustice to one’s childhood.”
She laughed girlishly as she recalled all the fun times. “Because of my long association with television I wasn’t able to become a top heroine. But I’ve no regrets. What would I have achieved as a leading lady? 25-30 films at the most. And then retirement. But as a TV person look how long I’ve lasted.”
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Talking about the difference in film-based talk shows now and during her time when she hosted the legendary Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan, Tabassum said, “I never needed to do that much homework because I knew the interviewees well. It’s been more than a hundred years of Indian cinema and I’ve been part of it for 59 years. I was two and a half when I did my first film. I know of no one who started that young. In 1946 December, I signed my first film. In terms of my work, I’m more senior than BR Chopra, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Lata Mangeshkar. Maze ki baat yeh hai ki abhi bhi Baby Tabassum chala hua hai.”
She reminisced about the legends. “Nargis, Madhubala, Meena Kumari , Raj Kapoor, Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar… These legends who are talked about in hushed tones have had me on their laps. They were a good 25 years older than me. But I covered that age difference quickly and smoothly and went on to become Meena Kumari, Nargis, Suraiya and Nimmi’s friend. I shared their joys and sorrows. Meena Appa was too emotional as a person, that quality brought depth to her performances. I once asked her what gave her the most grief. She quietly replied, ‘When (husband) Kamal Amrohi chanted ‘talaq talaq talaq’ to me…”
Tabassum called herself the embodiment of national integration. “My father was a Hindu freedom fighter. My mother was Muslim Pathan. I married into a Aggarwal family. Arun Govil, who played Rama in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan, is my brother-in-law. He may be Rama to the world. But he’s Laxman to me. My son has married a Gujarati.”
Tabassum, her son and now her granddaughter are all part of showbiz. “Recently all three generations were shooting together. I think this record was earlier upheld by Raj Kapoor Saab’s family.”
Tabassum had the privilege of inviting Nargis on her talk show Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan. “I cheekily asked her about her romance and marriage with Sunil Dutt Bhaiyya during Mother India. Nargisji turned to the camera and said, ‘Let me first say this girl has sat in my lap, played my childhood portions in Deedar, Jogan and other films. Today she has the audacity to ask me about my romance.’”
Tabassum laughed uproariously at her the irony of Nargis’s words. “I was there when the song Chup Chup Khade Ho from Choti Bahen (one of Lata Mangeshkar’s earliest hits) was recorded. I spoke to the film’s leading lady Suraiya just before her death. People leave. Memories linger.”
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Speaking on contemporary cinema, Tabassum sighed, “We’ve become technically superior. But people have become slightly selfish. But we’ve improved technically by leaps and bounds. As for anchoring then and now, I love Simi Garewal’s show. But she’s more formal with her guests. I was far less informal, though not to the extent that the guests felt uncomfortable. During my time, I was accused of pulling my guest’s legs. But that was only my vivacity, not audacity.”
Tabassum was also the editor of a Hindi women’s magazine Grihalaxmi for 15 years. “I’ve a great staff who make sure my name isn’t sullied. As for Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan, I’ve been working for years and years. I want to do new things. Not that I don’t connect with today’s stars. Karisma and Kareena have played in my lap while I played in Raj Kapoor Saab’s lap. During the six decades of my life, I’ve encountered six generations of stars.”