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Pashto Music history remains incomplete without mentioning Gulnar Begum, a legend Pashthu singer who died on 1st October, 1995. Buried in Tarang Graveyard of Bannu, her songs are refreshing Pashto Music because even today, she is the favorite of the Pashto Music lovers.
She belonged to Khuga Khel tribe of Mohmand. She was born in Peshawar in 1942 and grown up there, but later on she was married to one Obidullah known as Dilawar khan in Bannu and settled there .Gulnar Begum left behind three sons and three daughters, her real name was Sherina, but was famous for Gulnar Begum after she was introduced in the world of music.
Gulnar Begun started her career from a place in Bannu called Arya Samaj. Her appearance as a female singer in a place like Bannu is courageous part of her life and in an orthodox society like Bannu singing is such a cumbersome task for male let alone females.
The first Song of Gulnar Begum for her first Pashto film, Dara Khyber, earned her name and fame both , and was an all time block buster at that time "Nan pa de Hujra ke Khushalee da Sarodona dee" then she used to be the favorite singer of the Pashto films, and contributed in Radio Pakistan Peshawar where her evergreen songs are still broadcast regularly.
She recorded her last song for Pashto Film Juma Khan on April 7, 1993 and that she gave up singing forever.
Gulnar Begum, during her career, sang hundreds of super hit songs for Pashto films like Dara Khyber, Khana Badosh, Deedan, Orbal, and Da Pakhtun Thura and many more.
One of her super hit song for the Pashto film, Baz Ow Shabaz, Thama cheee da Khukolo da Didar kre, zan ba hase khawar ke, was one of her most favorite songs she was proud of on.
Gulnar Begum was awarded Malka e Kohisar award, by Professor Preshan Khattack during a National Film Award distribution. She got pride of performance award too.
She was also honored by the then Afghan King Shah Zahir Shah for her sweet and melodious voice. He invited her to Afghanistan but she refused to go there as she was a modest and typical Pukhtun lady and did not want to participate in any function in country or abroad.
This is the reason she did not performed on stage or in any public gathering and rejected all kinds of offers and requests.
Former Director of Radio pakistan Peshawar and member of PEMRA, Nisar Muhammad Khan says about the life and career of Gulnar Begum, "The Musical side of Pashto Films is incomplete without Gulnar Begum, she is so important in Pashto Music and the impression of Begum is still touching hearts and soul of the present century Pashto music lovers. Mamtaz Begum, Dilshad Begum, Kishwar Sultan, and Gulnar Begum, all these were living in Peshawar, but the situation forced them to move towards the southern districts of KPK. "I have written scripts for 53 Pashto films, and most of the songs of those films were recorded by Khayal Muhammad and Gulnar Begum". He added. A Film without Gulnar Begum was hardly to attract audience and make it a super hit film.
Ghazi Sayal, a renowned Pashto poet and literary figure of Bannu, most of his written songs were song by Gulnar Begum says " Ghazal, Sandarah, Loba etc of Pashto poetry were song so beautifully by Gulnar Begum and all her songs are a sacred trust to the next generation of Pukhtun". He went on to say that her song is living in our hearts and she is a live and will live forever in Pashto culture.
Pashto poets and writers are agreed on the point, that as long Pashtoon culture is alive, and there is a single Pashto speaking person, Gulnar begum will be alive.
Javed, elder son of Gulnar Begum, who is owner of a shoe mart in Bannu says, that each year, we celebrate the Death Anniversary of our Mother, but with simplicity. So far no one either from government or private organization ever contacted us or asked about our mother who made them millionaires. He said even at the last stage when she suffered from various fatal kinds of diseases, none asked about her mother and they left her in the conditions of helplessness and poverty.
Whatever the case may be it is a fact that Pukhtun always love the art of the artist but hate the artist and the same was case with the great Begum.
Forgotten queen of Pashto song, Gulnar Begum
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