Express News Service
MUMBAI: Tabassum Govil, India’s first celebrity talk show host, well before the likes of Simi Garewal and Karan Johar made the space their own, passed away on Friday evening after suffering a cardiac arrest. She was 78. Tabassum started her career as a child actor and was famous for hosting the country’s first TV talk show Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan, which ran on Doordarshan from 1972 to 1993.
According to her son Hoshang, she was rushed to a private hospital after she suffered chest pain. She breathed her last around 8.40 pm on Friday. She was born in 1944, to two freedom fighters Ayodhyanath Sachdev and Asghari Begum, and was named Tabassum by her father keeping her mother’s religious sentiments in mind. Her mother, however, named her Kiran Bala, so as to not hurt her husband’s sentiments. Her official name as per pre-marriage documents was Kiran Bala Sachdev.
Tabassum made her film debut as a child actor in Nargis (1947). This was followed by Mera Suhaag (1947), Manjhdhar (1947) and Bari Behen (1949). Later in Deedar (1951), directed by Nitin Bose, she played the childhood role of Nargis. Also, in the next year, she appeared in another important film Baiju Bawra (1952) directed by Vijay Bhatt, where she appeared in the childhood role of Meena Kumari.
She also worked as the editor of Grihalaxmi, a Hindi women’s magazine for 15 years and wrote many joke books. In 1985, she directed, produced and wrote her first film, Tum Par Hum Qurban. In 2006, she returned to television, as an actress in Pyaar Ke Do Naam: Ek Raadha, Ek Shyaam, produced by Rajshri Productions. She also became a judge in a reality stand-up comedy show Ladies Special (2009) on Zee TV.Karan Johar, in a recent chat with Twinkle Khanna, said that he always wanted to be like Tabassum.
“We were once at Dilip saab’s house and Tabassum was there and I wanted to meet her. So once my father was like, ‘What do you want to become?’ I said I wanted to become Tabassum, and I have become Tabassum now, because I wanted to do a chat show. She is truly iconic.”
Soon after news of Tabassum’s death came in on Saturday, condolences started pouring in. Writer and Akshay Kumar’s wife Twinkle Khanna took to Instagram and wrote, “She was truly a legend. As a child, I used to watch Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan with Tabassum ji as its spectacular host. I don’t remember her guests. Just her. With her nasal twang and the rose tucked behind her ear. All these blurry recollections wrapped around me like cashmere layers on a winter morning. May she rest in peace.”
Singer Adnan Sami also tweeted, “Saddened to learn the news that Tabassum Sahiba has passed away. We will never forget her adorable, smiling & signature style on Television that won our hearts. Ab Jannat Ke Aur Bhi Phool Khilenge Gulshan Gulshan.” Jaaved Jaaferi also wrote an emotional post on Twitter.
Daughter of interfaith coupleShe was born in 1944, to two freedom fighters Ayodhyanath Sachdev and Asghari Begum, and was named Tabassum by her father keeping her mother’s religious sentiments in mind. Her mother, however, named her Kiran Bala
MUMBAI: Tabassum Govil, India’s first celebrity talk show host, well before the likes of Simi Garewal and Karan Johar made the space their own, passed away on Friday evening after suffering a cardiac arrest. She was 78. Tabassum started her career as a child actor and was famous for hosting the country’s first TV talk show Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan, which ran on Doordarshan from 1972 to 1993.
According to her son Hoshang, she was rushed to a private hospital after she suffered chest pain. She breathed her last around 8.40 pm on Friday. She was born in 1944, to two freedom fighters Ayodhyanath Sachdev and Asghari Begum, and was named Tabassum by her father keeping her mother’s religious sentiments in mind. Her mother, however, named her Kiran Bala, so as to not hurt her husband’s sentiments. Her official name as per pre-marriage documents was Kiran Bala Sachdev.
Tabassum made her film debut as a child actor in Nargis (1947). This was followed by Mera Suhaag (1947), Manjhdhar (1947) and Bari Behen (1949). Later in Deedar (1951), directed by Nitin Bose, she played the childhood role of Nargis. Also, in the next year, she appeared in another important film Baiju Bawra (1952) directed by Vijay Bhatt, where she appeared in the childhood role of Meena Kumari.
She also worked as the editor of Grihalaxmi, a Hindi women’s magazine for 15 years and wrote many joke books. In 1985, she directed, produced and wrote her first film, Tum Par Hum Qurban. In 2006, she returned to television, as an actress in Pyaar Ke Do Naam: Ek Raadha, Ek Shyaam, produced by Rajshri Productions. She also became a judge in a reality stand-up comedy show Ladies Special (2009) on Zee TV.
Karan Johar, in a recent chat with Twinkle Khanna, said that he always wanted to be like Tabassum.
“We were once at Dilip saab’s house and Tabassum was there and I wanted to meet her. So once my father was like, ‘What do you want to become?’ I said I wanted to become Tabassum, and I have become Tabassum now, because I wanted to do a chat show. She is truly iconic.”
Soon after news of Tabassum’s death came in on Saturday, condolences started pouring in. Writer and Akshay Kumar’s wife Twinkle Khanna took to Instagram and wrote, “She was truly a legend. As a child, I used to watch Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan with Tabassum ji as its spectacular host. I don’t remember her guests. Just her. With her nasal twang and the rose tucked behind her ear. All these blurry recollections wrapped around me like cashmere layers on a winter morning. May she rest in peace.”
Singer Adnan Sami also tweeted, “Saddened to learn the news that Tabassum Sahiba has passed away. We will never forget her adorable, smiling & signature style on Television that won our hearts. Ab Jannat Ke Aur Bhi Phool Khilenge Gulshan Gulshan.” Jaaved Jaaferi also wrote an emotional post on Twitter.
Daughter of interfaith couple
She was born in 1944, to two freedom fighters Ayodhyanath Sachdev and Asghari Begum, and was named Tabassum by her father keeping her mother’s religious sentiments in mind. Her mother, however, named her Kiran Bala
