Page 40 - Seniorstoday April 2022 Issue

and bas, the show began from there and
kept growing.” As the eminent Majrooh
Sultanpuri wrote, ‘Main akela hi chala tha
janib-e-manzil magar, log saath aate gaye
aur karwaan banta gaya.’
Tabassum was much sought after for
hosting and compering live shows. She
inherited her mother’s writing skills (her
mother was an author) and amongst other
things, her sense of language and humour
resulted in many joke books. ‘Tabassum
Ke Chutkule’ became the go-to Bible for
generations of comic artistes in the later
years. “Sadly, people use my chutkulas
unashamedly without ever thinking to give
me credit. It used to bother me initially.
But, as a senior in the industry once told
me, ‘They are only stealing the joy and
laughter that you bring to so many lives,
and passing it on.’ That day I stopped
feeling bad that I was not cited as the
creator of my chutkulas.”
Tabassum was the editor of Grihalaxmi,
the Hindi magazine for women, for many
years. She also wrote film scripts, and
attempted production and direction. As
she proudly shares, “I am very happy to be
the one to bring Johnny Lever into Hindi
films. He is an invaluable artiste.” Johnny
Lever first faced the camera as a comedian
in Tabassum’s debut directorial and
production, Tum Par Hum Qurbaan, where
her son Hoshang was the hero of the film.
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With her vast experience, her phenomenal
sense of humour, her understanding of
humour as a genre, and her skills as a
poetess and writer, she was an asset as
a judge on stand-up comedy shows in
the new millennium when satellite TV
and multiple channels transformed the
entertainment market.
Considering her career spans seven-and-
a-half decades and counting, Tabassum
is justified when she states without
rancour or bitterness, “I don’t think I
have been given my due by the industry
professionally. Yes, I will admit I have
earned a lot of love and goodwill from
people across the world for my work. And
that Phool Khile Hain gave me an identity
that still holds me in good stead. But I have
not been acknowledged or credited by the
film industry.” That does not deter her from
soldiering on. Her thirst for knowledge
keeps her continually honing and acquiring
new skills, even in today’s technologically
advanced space, keeping her abreast of
times. She has moved from kaagaz and
kalam and microphones, into the digital
space in a fluid segue. She is on every
social media platform, from Facebook,