Begum Akhtar
Begum Akhtar | |
|---|---|
Screen shot as "Akhtari Fyzabadi" from film Roti (1942) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Akhtaribai Faizabadi |
| Born | 7 October 1914 Faizabad, United Provinces, British India (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India) |
| Origin | Faizabad, Awadh |
| Died | 30 October 1974 (aged 60) Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1929 – 1974 |
Akhtari Bai Faizabadi (7 October 1914 – 30 October 1974), also known as Begum Akhtar, was an Indian singer and actress. Dubbed "Mallika-e-Ghazal" (Queen of Ghazals), she is regarded as one of the greatest singers of ghazal, dadra, and thumri genres of Hindustani classical music.
Begum Akhtar received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for vocal music in 1972, was awarded Padma Shri, and later a Padma Bhushan Award posthumously by the government of India.