Veteran Indian film music director Mohammed Zahur Khayyam is reportedly quoted as saying, "He was a perfect gentleman. Dilip Kumar termed Talat as "a perfect gentleman". Music directors, who worked with him, claimed that while listening to him, one would develop the feeling that Talat was a soft-hearted man. It is often remarked that he was a decent man, and his velvety and silky voice also reflected that decency and sense of calmness. People, who were close to Talat, describe his nature as a quiet one. She has started a special multi-performance tribute platform called Jashn-e-Talat, dedicated to Talat Mahmood's career. His grand-niece and well known journalist is Sahar Zaman. Talat married a Bengali Christian girl from Calcutta, who also acted in films and was a great fan of his, Latika Mullick, later named Nasreen on 20 February 1951 and had two children Khalid born in 1953 and Sabina born in 1959. He continued singing until 1991, when he toured the Netherlands. He performed in Royal Albert Hall in London, Madison Square Garden in the United States and in the West Indies. However, Talat who was one of the first Indian singer to go on foreign concert tours in 1956 to East Africa, United States, the UK, West Indies. His last soundtrack recording, in 1985, is the song "Mere Shareek-e-Safar", a duet sung with Hemlata, from the film "Wali-e-Azam" composed by Chitragupt and written by Ahmed Wasi. Talat continued to record good songs, but less in number. At the same time, the social changes and happiness brought about by increasing prosperity in India meant that blue mood ghazals and heart-rending ballads were not popular any more. The resultant demise of his film career led to the decline of his singing career. Talat's velvety vocals posed a special challenge to the music-composers, most of whom leaned towards the deep baritones of Mohammad Rafi and Mukesh. As long as he was top box-office draw, the film producers insisted on including his songs in their films. The advent of rock-n-roll music in the late 1960s sidelined singers like Talat. Talat acted in the following Hindi films: Later he decided to give up acting to concentrate on singing. Talat Mahmood acted in over a dozen films with actresses of the time like Nutan, Mala Sinha, Suraiya and others. India Post issued a commemorative postage stamp to honor him in 2016. Later he was heard in an Urdu Movie, Vale-E Azam in 1987, along with Hemlata. Laxmikant Pyarelal composed a melodious duet with Lata Mangeshkar in 1971 film Woh Din Yaad Karo, this happened to be his last song in Hindi films.
His big break came with the song Ae dil mujhe aisi jagha le chal jahan koi na ho composed by music director Anil Biswas, his mentor in Bombay, for the soundtrack of the film Arzoo (1950 film). In 1949, Talat moved to Bombay, to sing for the Hindi film industry.
Initially, in Calcutta, he recorded a lot of Bangla songs (basic album) under the assumed name of "Tapan Kumar". The three films in which he starred were regional hits in Calcutta. Talat made cameo appearances and starred in about 16 films, for both the Calcutta (film hub of the 1940s) and Bombay Film Industry. This disc brought Talat the fame throughout India and soon he was beckoned by the Calcutta film industry. In 1944, he sang the popular hit Tasveer teri dil mera behela nah sake gi. The classical songs he sang were "Sapnon Ki Suhaani Duniyaa Ko" for film Shikast and "Laage Tose Naina" for Chaandi Ki Deewar. The then famous ghazal singers were Barkat Ali Khan, K.L. His reputation as a ghazal singer was not limited to his hometown of Lucknow, but it reached the city that proved to shape his destiny – Calcutta. HMV was quick to notice this and offered Talat his first disc in 1941 Sab din ek samaan nahin tha, Bun jaoon ga kya se kya main, Iska to kuch dhyan nahin tha. His voice had a quality distinct from all the other singers. Talat Mahmood began his singing career at the age of 16 in 1939, when he began singing the Ghazals of Daag, Mir, Jigar etc. Bhat at Marris College of Music, Lucknow (presently Bhatkhande Music Institute) some time in the late 1930s. Talat apprenticed classical music under Pandit S.C.R. Despite his parents objection, he opted for the films, though his family accepted the fact only about a decade later when he gained some respect in the Indian film industry.
Talat had to choose between working in films and continue living at home. Ĭoming from a conservative Muslim background, singing was not encouraged. Talat showed his musical leanings from a very young age and would enjoy sitting through all-night music concerts. Talat Mahmood was born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India to Manzoor Mahmood.