https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Amirbai_KarnatakiAmirbai Karnataki - Revision history2026-08-01T03:03:38ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Amirbai_Karnataki&diff=126647&oldid=prev>PrimeBOT at 23:30, 15 May 20212021-05-15T23:30:48Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Use Indian English|date=June 2015}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}<br />
{{Infobox musical artist<br />
| native_name = ಅಮೀರಬಾಯಿ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕಿ<br />
| name = Amirbai Karnataki<br />
| image = Amirbai Karnataki.jpg<br />
| caption =<br />
| image_size =<br />
| alias =<br />
| birth_name =<br />
| birth_place = [[Bagalkote]], [[Karnataka]], [[India]]<br />
| birth_date = 1906<br />
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1965|3|3|1906}}<br />
| death_place = [[India]]<br />
| instrument = Vocalist<br />
| genre = [[Playback singer|Playback singing]]<br />
| occupation = Singer, actor<br />
| years_active = 1935–1961<br />
}}<br />
'''Amirbai Karnataki''' (c. 1906 &ndash; 3 March 1965) was a famous actress/singer and [[playback singer]] of the early [[Hindi cinema]] and was famous as ''Kannada Kokila''. [[Mahatma Gandhi]] was an ardent fan of her song ''[[Vaishnav Jan To]]''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/she-was-the-love-song/article6941336.ece|title=She was the love song|last=Ganesh|first=Deepa|date=2015-02-27|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-01-19|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Early life==<br />
Amirbai Karnataki was born in [[Bilgi, Karnataka|Bilgi]] town, District of [[Bagalkote]] in [[Karnataka]] into a middle-class family.<ref name=womenonrecord>[http://www.womenonrecord.com/music-makers/artists/zohrabai-amirbai-rajkumari Profile of Amirbai Karnataki on womenonrecord.com website] Retrieved 4 July 2019</ref> Of all of her five sisters, Amirbai and her elder sister, Gauharbai, earned fame and fortune. Amirbai completed her matriculation and went to [[Bombay]] at the age of fifteen.<br />
<br />
==Career==<br />
Amirbai was a talented singer and actress, who was fluent in [[Kannada language|Kannada]] (mother tongue) and [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] languages. "Mahre te gamray ek baar aawjo" is one of her famous Gujarati songs from the film ''Ranrakdevi'', with music composer Avinash Vyas. A representative from HMV Label music company was so impressed by her singing talent that he made her sing a [[Qawwali]], which became very popular. This qawwali song was for the film [[Zeenat (1945 film)|''Zeenat'']] (1945) by film producer-director [[Shaukat Hussain Rizvi]].<ref name=IMDb>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0154026/soundtrack?ref_=tt_trv_snd Soundtrack of Amirbai Karnataki on IMDb website] Retrieved 4 July 2019</ref> Her elder sister, Gauherbai, was an actress and helped Amirbai get a role in the film ''Vishnu Bhakti'' in 1934.<br />
<br />
Initially, Amirbai sang songs in films, but they failed to attain the success she desired. In 1943, with the release of [[Bombay Talkies]]' ''[[Kismet (1943 film)]]'', she achieved popularity: the songs of ''Kismet'' became a rage and Amirbai became famous. The man behind the success was the composer [[Anil Biswas (composer)|Anil Biswas]]. She was initially known as a singing star, but at the decline of her career she became a playback singer. She reached her career peak by 1947.<br />
<br />
After 1947, [[Lata Mangeshkar]] became a rising star, so once again Amirbai switched over to acting.<ref name=womenonrecord/> In her later years, she mostly played character roles. Amirbai also composed music for Wahab Pictures' film ''Shehnaaz'' (1948). In the same year she almost left Hindi Cinema for [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] and [[Marwari language|Marwari]] films.<ref name=womenonrecord/> One of the famous film magazines "Film India" had mentioned in one of its articles that at that time in the 20th century when other singers used to get Rs. 500 for singing a song, Amirbai used to get Rs. 1000 per recording.<br />
<br />
==Personal life==<br />
Amirbai's married life was full of ups and downs. Her first marriage was with the film actor Himalay Vala. He was a well known actor for playing villainous roles in the movies. He used to beat Amirbai frequently after marriage, and spent most of her earnings for his personal leisure. Amirbai had to put a fake smile on her face while performing as an actress and even while singing in studios. Famous Gujarati writer Bhai Ranjan Kumar Pandaya has mentioned Amirbai's married life struggles in detail. He says that Amirbai's elder sister Ahilya Bai, yearning for justice, one late night went to the famous Gujarati lawyer Chelshankar Vyas. She told Vyas that Himalay Vala took a handsome amount and Amirbai's car in return for a divorce. And the very next day, he had even kidnapped her publicly from a recording studio. He had imprisoned her in a room and was repeatedly beating her. Even the police were with Himalay Vala. Chelshankar Vyas, taking into account all these allegations, decided to help her. He used his societal status and judicial understanding and finally got a divorce for Amirbai from her husband. In the year 1947, when India got partitioned between India and Pakistan, Himalayawala went to Pakistan and earned himself a good reputation as a talented actor. Here in India, Amirbai got married for the second time with Badri Kaanchwala, the editor of ''Paras'', who was a better husband.<ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
==Selected songs==<br />
*"O' Jaanay Waalay Balamwa Laut Kay Aa Laut Kay Aa" Sung by Amirbai Karnataki and Shyam Kumar, lyrics by [[D. N. Madhok]] and music by [[Naushad Ali]] in the film [[Rattan (film)|''Rattan'']] (1944)<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037213/soundtrack?ref_=tt_trv_snd Soundtrack of Amirbai Karnataki on IMDb website] Retrieved 4 July 2019</ref> <br />
*"Dheere Dheere Aa Re, Baadal", from the film ''Kismat'' (1943) <br />
*"Priya madhuvanadali", a [[Kannada]] song, sung by Amirbai, which is so popular all over Karnataka even today.<br />
<br />
==Death==<br />
She had a [[Paralysis|paralytic attack]] in 1965, died just four days later and was buried in her hometown. A cinema hall is still run in the name of "Amir Talkies" in the city of [[Vijayapura]] (Bijapur), by her family.<br />
<br />
== Biography ==<br />
* ''Amirbai Karnataki'' written in Kannada by [[Rahamat Tarikere]]<ref>https://sapnaonline.com/ameerbai-karnataki-rahamath-tarikere-pallava-prakashana-9789381920275-1621001</ref><br />
* {{cite book|title=Amirbai Karnataki (translation by Prashant Kulkarni) |url=http://www.bookganga.com/eBooks/Books/details/4960116951099938816?BookName=Ameerbai-Karnatki |publisher= Granthali|year= 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150104195857/http://www.bookganga.com/eBooks/Books/details/4960116951099938816?BookName=Ameerbai-Karnatki|archive-date = 4 January 2015}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.citwf.com/person239755.htm Amirbai Karnataki filmography on Complete Index To World Film (C.I.T.W.F.) website]<br />
* {{IMDb name|id=0439793}}, Filmography of Amirbai Karnataki<br />
<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karnataki, Amirbai}}<br />
[[Category:1906 births]]<br />
[[Category:1965 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Bollywood playback singers]]<br />
[[Category:Actresses in Hindi cinema]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian actresses]]<br />
[[Category:Indian female film singers]]<br />
[[Category:Singers from Karnataka]]<br />
[[Category:People from Bijapur district, Karnataka]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian singers]]<br />
[[Category:Film musicians from Karnataka]]<br />
[[Category:Actresses from Karnataka]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian women singers]]<br />
[[Category:Women musicians from Karnataka]]<br />
[[Category:Kannada playback singers]]</div>>PrimeBOT