Even today, Ahmedabad’s Town Hall stands as a reminder of that evening, preserving memories like those associated with an old banyan or peepal tree. Begum Akhtar gave musical expression to emotions and pain that are often difficult to describe in words. Her artistry was so complete that she remains without an equal in the world of ghazal singing.
The October 26 concert was organised by Neelamben Kapadia, who was known for organising musical events in Ahmedabad. Her son, Sunilbhai Gamadia, recalls that his mother had organised performances by several renowned artists, including Begum Akhtar, Talat Mahmood and Jagjit Singh.
“My mother had organised programmes by Begum Akhtar, Talat Mahmood, Jagjit Singh and several other artists in Ahmedabad. Begum Akhtar had performed in the city earlier as well, so my mother and the singer knew each other well,” he said.
Sunilbhai still preserves several documents and photographs from Begum Akhtar’s final concert, along with newspaper clippings reporting her death.
Begum Akhtar had arrived in Ahmedabad on the morning of October 26 after travelling through Mumbai following her participation in a music conference in Delhi. Sunilbhai, who was 19 at the time, was involved in organising the event.
According to him, arrangements had been made for the singer to stay at Hotel Capri. However, she reportedly slipped in the bathroom and injured herself.
“My mother had gone to the airport to receive her. She appeared somewhat tired. Her familiar smile was also missing, and her health did not seem to be quite right,” Sunilbhai recalled.
Ahmedabad residents Monal Fadia and his father, Anil Fadia, were also present at the final concert. Anil Fadia was known for organising musical programmes in the city and was acquainted with Begum Akhtar. He has since passed away.
Recalling the evening, Monal Fadia said Begum Akhtar was experiencing pain in her leg when she arrived at the venue.
“She told my father, ‘Anilji, my leg is hurting a lot.’”
Anil Fadia noticed her discomfort and sent Monal to Dr Suman Shah, an orthopaedic specialist whose clinic was located in Nandanvan Building opposite Town Hall. Dr Shah gave him two painkiller tablets. After taking them, Begum Akhtar felt some relief and proceeded with the concert.
Sunilbhai Gamadia, son of organiser Neelamben Gamadia, also recalled that a portion of the agreed performance fee was generally paid in advance before a programme.
A receipt for Rs 1,000, still preserved by the family, belongs to Begum Akhtar’s final concert. On the day she died, she signed this receipt in the hospital.
At around 9.45 pm on October 26, Begum Akhtar began singing ghazals. Monal Fadia remembers her performing her famous ghazal, “Ae Mohabbat Tere Anjaam Pe Rona Aaya”.
Amid thunderous applause, she began with her first composition, “Piyu Piyu Karat...”. She then continued with a series of ghazals, as the audience responded with enthusiastic appreciation.
Gujarati writer Shashikant Nanavati described the evening in an article published in a local newspaper on November 10, 1974. His account provided details of Begum Akhtar’s final performance.
A cricket match was also underway in Ahmedabad at the time, bringing several prominent cricketers to the city. Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Bishan Singh Bedi and Chandrashekhar were among those who attended the concert.
When Begum Akhtar spotted Pataudi, she invited him forward, saying, “Huzoor, please come and sit in front so that these people can see you.”
Addressing Bishan Singh Bedi, she said, “Sardarji, you come forward too.”
According to Sunil Gamadia, the cricketers also met Begum Akhtar during the interval.
The concert concluded at around 12.30 am. At the end of the programme, Begum Akhtar apologised to the audience for being unable to sing more because of her health.
“My health is a little unwell, so I will not be able to sing much. I apologise for that,” she said.
After the concert, Begum Akhtar returned to her hotel. At around 2 am, she began experiencing chest pain.
Neelamben Kapadia received a telephone call during the night asking her to reach the hotel immediately with a good doctor, as Begum Akhtar had suffered a heart attack.
In his article, Nanavati provided further details about the singer’s medical emergency and treatment. Following the news of her deteriorating health, Neelamben called Dr Menon, an admirer of Begum Akhtar’s ghazals. Realising the seriousness of the situation, he summoned cardiologist Dr Hasmukh Desai.
Dr Desai immediately arranged for her admission to Vadilal Sarabhai Hospital, where oxygen was administered. Her condition improved somewhat following treatment, and doctors advised her to take complete rest.
Neelamben remained by her side and continued looking after her.
Begum Akhtar was also fond of smoking cigarettes. Sunil Gamadia recalled that his mother had sent him to the hospital with a thermos of tea for the singer the following day.
“She had several tubes attached to her body. However, on the evening of the day she died, at around 7 pm, she expressed a desire to drink coconut water. Neelamben immediately arranged for it,” he recalled.
A short while later, the hospital doorbell kept ringing. Hearing it, Begum Akhtar reportedly said, “Do not ring the bell. I will not start the programme just yet.”
By then, she had gradually begun losing consciousness.
Neelamben later told the media that Begum Akhtar’s condition had become extremely critical approximately two hours before her death.
On October 30, 1974, at 8.40 pm, she suffered another heart attack. The attack proved fatal, and she breathed her last at 9 pm.
Her mortal remains were later taken to Pasand Bagh in the Thakurganj area of Lucknow, where she was laid to rest beside the grave of her mother, Mushtari Begum.
At the time of her death, President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was on a three-day visit to Gujarat to mark the birth centenary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
In his condolence message, the President said, “The death of Begum Akhtar, who dedicated her life to the pursuit of music, is deeply saddening. She enriched the art of singing and earned the distinction of being the Empress of Ghazals. Music lovers will always miss her melodious voice.”
As news of her death spread, programmes underway at Ahmedabad’s Town Hall and Tagore Hall were stopped, and a moment of silence was observed.
In the years that followed, Neelamben Gamadia continued organising memorial programmes on Begum Akhtar’s death anniversary. A tribute meeting was held at the same Town Hall on her seventh death anniversary, where Begum Akhtar had performed her final concert.
Her disciple, Shanti Hiranand, presented some of the legendary singer’s favourite and most celebrated ghazals at the memorial gathering.
The final concert in Ahmedabad thus became the closing chapter of Begum Akhtar’s public performances. What had been advertised as her last show in the city before travelling to America turned out to be her final appearance on stage. The scheduled concerts in Vadodara and Surat remained unfulfilled, while the memories, documents and accounts preserved by those who witnessed that night continue to keep alive the story of her final performance.
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