BEGUM AKHTAR

Akhtaribai Faizabadi, or Begum Akhtar as she was later called, was a much loved classical diva of 20th century India. The last of the great female singers from the courtesan (*tawaif*) community, Begum Akhtar effortlessly transcended that label to marry Barrister Ishtiaq Ahmed Abbasi of Lucknow. Witty, vibrant and engaging with the world at various levels, here was a remarkable woman who took life head-on, and by many accounts, perhaps a bit recklessly. As a *tawaif*, she was trained to charm the system and subvert narrow patriarchal practices by means of highly sophisticated seduction. At another level, she was a hapless victim, constantly tormented by the twists and turns of her own destiny. She braved on regardless, driven by a deep inner quest to pursue love in its purest form, as an end in itself; be it in music or in life. **Begum Akhtar: Love's Own Voice** documents her troubled and tempestuous life through the narrative of some of her closest friends and associates. Prolific writer, S. Kalidas, is a veteran journalist, musicologist and an expert on Indian art scene. He has also made a documentary on Begum Akhtar's life besides co-scripting the film *Rasa Yatra* on the life of his own music guru, Mallikarjun Mansur.