When Gulzar Said,

Akshay kumar has the funniest song, how do you explain "Tenu ghodi kinne chadaya bhootni ke"

Mumtaz Begum (c. 1900 - ?)

Mistress of: Maharaja Tukojirao III Holkar of Indore. Tenure: c. 1915 - 1925. Royal Bastards: Unclear. Fall From Power: She ran off.

Mumtaz Begum, later known as Kamalabai, was a ‘singing girl’ from Amritsar who as a young girl performed before Maharajah Tukojirao. The great-granddaughter of a former royal courtesan, Mumtaz captivated the Maharajah and she returned a few years later as his mistress. Tukojirao was the ruler of Indore in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh following his father’s abdication in 1903, though he reigned alongside a regency until he turned 21 in 1911. The Maharaja had two wives already – Chandravati Bai Holkar and Indira Bai Holkar - whom he married in 1895 and 1913, respectively.

After spending over a decade at court, Mumtaz grew tired of her ridged gilded cage and eventually found an opportunity to flee while on a train to meet Tukojirao in Mussoorie; she skipped town in Delhi and disappeared. Upon discovering that she was missing, Mumtaz was immediately charged with stealing state jewelry, which Tukojirao claimed was the reason she left him. Meanwhile, Mumtaz found another lover, a wealthy businessman named Abdul Kadar Bawla, and settled in Mumbai where she was able avoid to the Maharajah – at least temporarily. In January 1925, Mumtaz and Abdul were attacked in Bombay by a group of men who attempted to kidnap Mumtaz and bring her back to Tukojirao. Abdul ended up getting shot, later dying at the hospital, whereas Mumtaz was also injured but was able to escape when British military officers intervened. The murder caused a sensation and took up prime real estate in newspapers, especially when it was found that the assailants all had close ties to the Maharaja. The case ended up at court where the men were found guilty of murder, though many were convinced that Tukojirao was “the ultimate source” and the true mastermind behind the attempted abduction. Mumtaz began to speak out about the poor treatment she received while living as Tukojirao mistress and claimed that all her pregnancies ended with the mysterious death of the child.

More than a year after Abdul’s murder, the British decided to step in and told Tukojirao to either abdicate “voluntarily” or face an investigation. Tukojirao decided on the former, with the understanding that no further inquiry be made into his involvement of Abdul’s murder, and Tukojirao headed to Europe where he met and married his third wife, an American heiress. Mumtaz, meanwhile, watched her tale recreated on the silver screen as a silent film named Kulin Kanta. It is believed she then headed to Hollywood following the film’s success but I can find nothing of her career or life after this time.

Sources Photographs of ”Mumtaz Begum” (left) and ”HH Tukoji Rao Holkar, Maharaja of Indore”. Jhala, Angma Dey. Courtly Indian Women in Late Imperial India (2015). Taylor & Francis. ISBN: 9781317314448 . The Inside Story of Mumtaz Begum. https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1925/8/1/inside-story-of-mumtaz-begum

Thehra hoon, par ruka nahi.

Baitha hoon, par jhuka nahi.

Hasrat mein hoon, betaab nahi.

Kaghaz hoon, kitaab nahi.

Nashe mein hoon, sharabi nahi.

Rota hoon, barbaad nahi.

Inaam hoon, haqdaar nahi.

Uljhan hoon, sawaal nahi.

Sochta hoon, par khayal nahi.

Mushkil hai, koi bawaal nahi.

Mausam hoon, par har saal nahi.

Faqeer hoon, bad-haal nahi.

Afsurda hoon, bimaar nahi.

Mohabbat mein hoon, par ab intezaar nahi..

my thoughts on the romantics

WOWOWOOWOWOWOWW

when i first saw the trailer for it i was so excited. this def lived up to my expectations.

i learned that i really dont know anything about desi cinema (lol) and i have alot of catching up to do on the old classics which i till now classified as outdated and stuffy and patriarchal. but seeing the artistry in the clips made me really want to go back and watch everything.

i also learned alot about the sociopolitical and economic context to alot of the movies and how it played into their success or lack thereof, which was really fascinating.

i do wish they delved more into how alot of people seem to agree that the industry has fallen off a little bit? i really cant explain it.. maybe im overly biased to the 2000s because those are primarily the movies i watched growing up. but still. i just feel it in my bones sometimes when i watch a good number of desi movies post-2010.

seeing rishi kapoor in the interviews :,) sad (also i wish they couldve gotten preity zinta and aishwariya to do interviews but oh well. i also wonder what sridevi wouldve said in her interview if she still was alive since they were mentioning her alot)

all in all, 100/10, i without a doubt will be rewatching just as much as i rewatch my favorite video essays on yt, if not more often. just amazing.

The way i can dance both classical and hip hop with lyrical is insane

I fw heavy with " CHANNE KE KHET MEIN" hehe

hating on dog parents that don’t let me meet them cuties

She could have just said my name i mean no need to itna lamba process

SHE NEED A FUNNY GUY WHO IS GOOD LOOKING

GIRL WHY WOULD GOOD LOOKING GUY WILL BE FUNNY ?

HE GOT RIZZ , HE DONT NEED TO BE FUNNY

Things Desiblr made me realise & do :

That it's actually really cool to be a Desi .

Old Bollywood movies >>>>

Every Desi girl should wear saree and wear bindi and feel like a retro Indian movie star.

Indian history supports queer people , so whenever your aunt is being homophobic , proudly say her , she knows nothing !!!!! If you wanna know more read "Shikhandi " by Devdutt Pattanaik .

What as an Indian man are you doing if you aren't writing poetry?

That nothing can compare to Indian humour .

Indian goddess are the actual baddies .

Haseena's and brown munde's >>>>> rest of population.

Ittar >>> perfume .

Urdu & Persian poetry are top tier .

Kannada devotional writers like Akka Mahadevi are like diamond in the dust .

A gajra >>>french kiss.

Jasmine & lotus are not just flowers .

Pasoori rules the world right now .

Be free like Geet and bounce back like Bulbul .

Madhubala is the embodiment of being gorgeous and cute at the same time .

Rekha is a Siren .

Learning Sanskrit is a rich experience .

Draupadi's vengeance created wars , so can yours .

Kishore Kumar for rain , Lata Mangeshkar for prem .

Alka Yagnik for feeling confident .

Indian rap is richer and sounds more poetic .

96 sanskrit words for love >>>>> the word love .

South Indian movies have the perfect balance of romance and action .

Khanjar is mightier than a sword.

Ye Maharani banke kaha ja rahi hai >>>> you look beautiful honey.

The tension between me and a cute boy at a puja pandal >>>>>>> speed of the earth rotation .

Gold >>>> any other metal

Chandni raat is for romance .

Talk to me in ghazals and geets only !

And many more .......

Writing this made me love being an Indian more !!!!!

If you want add yours , I'd love to read.