Respected Gulab Bai ji- a diamond of Nautanki

There was a song in the film mujhe jeene do picturised on Smt Waheeda Rehman ji.

nadi nare na jao sham paiyan parun.

it was an immortal song.  Everyone must have heard it many times, but only few knew that it was a famous song sung by Smt Gulab Bai. She was a famous actor in Nautanki.
Nautanki had always been a male dominated field of art. Same was in other fields, even films were too!! remember males used to act female roles.  
Similarly in Nautanki also males dominated the scene. I had heard from my grandmother that there was a BAN on Trimohan nautanki. Trimohan was that time a famous nagada (drum) player. There was strict regulation about the timings as to when he can play his drum and when he is not allowed.
song.
At Kanpur there was a workshop, where Gulab Bai had given talk-discussion-cum workshop on Nautanki and associated Music. That time i saw her. later with time i could not pursue that field.

She came to join trimohan ji's company as singer-dancer. In those women in nautanki were considered not good. to understand one can see the film Teesri Kasam, where RajKapoor and Waheeda Rehman ji acted. She played role of a dancer of Nautanki, that was known as company. yes in those days nautanki theatre group worked as company. Even famous Begum Akhtar also worked in Theatre-but they were called as Parsi Theatre, not company or Nautanki. In Kanpur there were few famous dancer-singers of Nautanki. Gulab Bai became instant hit. Its pity that not much Audio-Visuals are available on her. Who could have imagined that one day time will change and Nautanki will fade alongwith Smt Gulab Bai. But Gulab Bai ji was made of steel character. while working in Nautanki, at a later time she raised her own Comapany. I think She would have been first women owner of a Nautanki Company. Which department collects data on such facts? Art and Culture Ministry? As it happens in every field She was also victim of back-stabbing. She suffred financial loss. But She always stood up and lived life of dignity. I think her daughter lived in Kanpur near Rail Bazar area? She even I have respect for Gulab Bai and writing for her, But never visited her home. 

Is it due to society's or peer pressure? Only rarely we used to go to city, only to catch train at Kanpur Railway station. But never could have taken a brave step to visit that area so as to meet her.

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