A GREAT year has seen Pratibha Singh Baghel deliver delightful albums Ghazals & Thumris From The Musical Heart of Budapest and the recent release Lafz Bheege Hain.
Both ghazal-inspired albums from the Sufiscore record label have shown the acclaimed singer’s immense versatility and ability to inject heartfelt emotion into beautifully written songs.
Eastern Eye got the wonderfully talented vocalist to select 10 songs she loves.
Hamari Atariya by Pratibha Singh Baghel & Deepak Pandit: This song has always been in my favourite list because it’s the perfect blend of great music and lyrics, filled with nakhra (attitude) and plenty of naughtiness.
Mujhse Pehli Si Mohabbat by Noor Jehan & Rashid Attre: There are very intense emotions in this track. I always wait for the lines “teri aankhon ke siva duniyan me rakha kya hai’ (what is there in this world, apart from your eyes).
Wo Jo Humme Tumme Qarar by Begum Akhtar: I have been a great admirer of Begum Akhtar ji’s renditions. This superb song conveys an unsaid confrontation about the feelings shared between two individuals.
Gulon Mein Rang Bhare by Mehdi Hasan: I was introduced to ghazal singing through Mehdi Hasan Sahab’s ghazals and this top track was one of the first ghazals that I heard in my childhood. It still remains special.
Lag Jaa Gale by Lata Mangeshkar: This is perhaps the most heard song universally. But I look at it differently and really admire the way Lata Mangeshkar ji has emoted. This classic film song is a perfect example of every fine detail of the composition, singing, emoting and poetry rendition coming together.
Lafz Bheege Hain by Pratibha Singh Baghel & Paras Nath: This song is so very dear to me as it’s an original ghazal album of mine where I got to express the deepest emotions of Sahir Ludhianvi and Amrita Pritam’s unrequited love story. This is written by Ajay Sahaab, composed by Rajesh Singh and music produced by Paras Nath.
Bole Naina by Pratibha Singh Baghel & Deepak Pandit: My first original album with Sufiscore was Bole Naina and included the title track. The album featured stalwarts like Gulzar Sahab, Ustad Zakir Hussain and the composer/producer of the album Deepak Pandit ji. This song and album received a lot of appreciation.
Hum Rahein Ya Na Rahein by Salim-Sulaiman & Pratibha Singh Baghel: I was lucky enough to sing this track produced by Salim-Sulaiman and written by Irfan Siddiqui for the theatre musical Umrao Jaan Ada. This track is so loved by my audience that I often get requests to sing it in my concerts.
Piya Padh Lena by Pratibha Singh Baghel & Tapas Relia: This song has a vintage touch to it. I love singing this style. It’s from the film Goldfish and composed by Tapas Relia, with lyrics by Kausar Munir. Also, it’s the first film for which Sufiscore did the music.
Justuju Jiski Thi by Asha Bhosle: This song from classic film Umrao Jaan, was sung so beautifully by Asha Bhosle ji and performed on screen by my all-time favourite actress Rekha. It was the perfect combination of wonderful voice and inspiring emotion onscreen.
Lafz Bheege Hain by Pratibha Singh Baghel is available on Sufiscore
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Big B defends his choice to praise Abhishek openly and others privately
Amitabh Bachchan reveals why he praises Abhishek publicly but not Jaya or Aishwarya
Quick highlights:
Amitabh Bachchan has responded to online comments asking why he often praises son Abhishek Bachchan on social media but not wife Jaya Bachchan, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai, or daughter Shweta. The actor explained that while he chooses to support Abhishek publicly, he honours the women in his family privately, saying he prefers to respect them “in his heart.”
Bachchan defends Abhishek praise, addresses fan remarks online
The 81-year-old actor, who regularly shares photos and thoughts with fans, recently posted images of himself meeting admirers outside his Mumbai home, Jalsa. Captioned “Yes, I praise Abhishek. So?”, the post sparked comments from users questioning why he doesn’t do the same for Jaya, Aishwarya, or Shweta.
Responding directly, Bachchan wrote, “Yes, I shall praise them in my heart… not publicly… respect for the ladies.” His reply quickly circulated across platforms, with many praising his thoughtful answer. Others pointed to his tendency to engage more often when defending Abhishek, especially around film releases.
Bachchan also shut down a user accusing him of having “paid fans,” bluntly replying, “Prove it! You are small-minded… why don’t you pay and get fans too?” When another person mocked those waiting outside his home as “unemployed,” he replied with characteristic wit: “So give them a job? When they stand at the gate of Jalsa, they are EMPLOYED in love.”
Actor remains active on social media while juggling film projects
Bachchan has become increasingly interactive online in recent years, often directly responding to criticism and fan feedback. Meanwhile, Abhishek was last seen in Housefull 5, a multi-starrer comedy that released earlier this month. Jaya Bachchan appeared in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani in 2023, while Aishwarya Rai was part of Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan films. Despite the online chatter, Amitabh continues to walk his own path, on-screen and online.