Birthday Wishes to Tabassum ji

Born: 9 July 1944 (age 74 years), Mumbai
During 70’s and 80’s, there was one television show we would wait for every week... Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan, anchored by Tabassum that aired on Doordarshan.

When television first came to India, it was only telecast from Delhi. Many years later, in 1972, Doordarshan came to Mumbai. Mumbai Doordarshan was launched on October 2, 1972. Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan was telecast one week later, on October 8. It ran for 21 years.

It was a one-woman show.  She wrote, researched, coordinated and decided who would come on the show. Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan was the pioneer of chats shows. All the shows that came later were inspired by or copied from this show, whether it is Koffee with Karan or Rendezvous with Simi Garewal. The Anupam Kher Show is a ditto copy of her show. She had a good relationship with actors, directors, music composers and singers.

She was born on 9^th July 1944 and started her career as a child actor baby Tabassum in 1947.She was a popular child actress in her time. As a child, she was pampered by actors like Dilip Kumar, Meena Kumari, Nargis, Madhubala and Vyjayantimala. Due to her relations within the industry, she would get a star -- be it an actor, producer, director, music composer or singer -- to sit across from her and share their secrets. And she did it for 21 years.

Who is Who of film industry came on her show, be it Manoj Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha, Shashi Kapoor, Dara Singh, Rajesh khanna, Aruna Irani, Kamal Amrohi, Sanjeev Kumar, Rakhee and many many others. That's how we learnt of the generosity of Dara Singh, of Manoj Kumar's passion for cooking, of Kapoor family’s passion for food etc etc.

She was also 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 became a judge in a reality standup comedy show Ladies Special (2009) on Zee TV.

She has published 11 books on jokes and Urdu shayaris. She is currently doing a television show called Abhi Toh Main Jawan Hoon. It’s been on air for four years, on TV Asia in the USA and Canada. She has a stage show called Tabassum Hit Parade.

The veteran actress, television personality and anchor has completed 69 years in the industry.

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