NEW DELHI, April 24: You could scarcely find a picture of hers until the 1970s, when she stopped singing, though her voice had regaled millions of moviegoers across the world from as early as 1941.

Camera-shy since she turned down an acting offer on her father’s advice, Shamshad Begum who died in Mumbai on Tuesday will be best remembered for her lilting songs and a determined aversion of publicity. She was 94.

On most occasions popular playback singers for Hindi / Urdu movies were given their breaks by eminent music directors of their period.

Lata Mangeshkar got hers from Anil Biswas, Mohammed Rafi was inducted by the legendary Naushad. Shamshad Begum was a rare singer after K.L. Saigal who would boost the careers of music directors of repute, including self-confessedly of Naushad who acknowledged that she played a pivotal role in his phenomenal success. Two other iconic music composers, O.P. Nayar and S.D. Burman, owed their popularity to her roaring success in the 1940s and 1950s when she was the highest paid female playback singer. Nayar described her voice rather faithfully by likening its clarity to a temple bell.

It is generally believed that early movie producers would nudge the still new female singers Lata Mangeshkar and her younger sister Asha Bhosle to imitate Shamshad’s style. Her untrained musical range was phenomenal, and while she was adept at belting out folk-based songs Shamshad Begum is credited with singing one of the first numbers based on western pop music. C. Ramchandra’s ‘Meri jaan...Sunday ke Sunday’ remains an all-time hit.

In the late 1940’s, future musical stars Madan Mohan and Kishore Kumar would sing as chorus boys for her songs. According to one account, Shamshad promised she would sing songs composed by Madan Mohan once he started a career as music director and would accept a lower fee. She also predicted that Kishore Kumar would go on to become a great playback singer in future.

Her crystal-clear voice caught the attention of sarangi maestro Ustad Hussain Bakshwale Saheb, who took her as his disciple. She and Noorjahan were discovered by Ustad Ghulam Haider in early 1930’s and 1940’s respectively.

Nigar Sultana lip-synced ‘Teri Mehfil Mein Qismat Azma Kar’ from Mughal-e-Azam and ‘Mere Piya Gae Rangoon’ from Patanga. ‘Saiyan Dil Mein Aana Re’ was picturised on Vyjantimala, and ‘Boojh Mera Kya Naam Re’ was filmed on Minoo Mumtaz. They are extremely popular today.

The singer’s daughter Usha Ratra told local media that Begum died in Mumbai on Tuesday after a period of declining health.

“The golden voice of Shamshad Begum, playback singer of great eminence in some of the most historic film songs .. now silent .. RIP,” veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan said on Twitter on Wednesday.

“I am saddened to hear of the death of Shamshad Begum. I have sung with her in several films and she had a pleasant and simple personality,” Mangeshkar wrote on Twitter.

Begum was born in Amritsar, and started her career on radio in 1947 before singing for the movies.