‘Bangladesh can proudly say that we have a Runa Laila’: Alamgir

Legendary singer Runa Laila’s unique approach to practice and her illustrious musical journey have recently come to light, with insights shared by her husband, film actor Alamgir.

Speaking about his wife’s achievements, Alamgir said, “Bangladesh can proudly say that we have a Runa Laila of our own.” He added that receiving such immense love from people is one of the greatest achievements in an artiste’s life. “Many years ago, I heard that an Indian newspaper had written, ‘Give us Runa, and we will give you the water of the Farakka.’ That is a huge achievement in an artiste’s life — a truly great one,” Alamgir recalled.

Runa Laila appeared as a guest on a programme aired by a private television channel, where Alamgir shared his thoughts via a video message. He said, “Runa Laila has received immense respect and love in her life. Respect can be earned and is given by the people, but receiving love is a matter of fortune — and that is the greatest achievement of all.”

Alamgir also spoke about her unconventional practice routine. He revealed that he has never seen her sit for long periods practicing with a tanpura, nor does she use modern devices to maintain pitch. Instead, he often observes her doing vocal exercises while walking, performing household chores, folding clothes, and even in the bathroom.

“One day I asked her — you never sit down to practice, so is this really practice?” Alamgir said. Runa Laila replied, “What I need is to keep my voice in the right place. By doing these taans, my practice is getting done. And I have practiced so much in my life and learned so much from different ustads that the pitch now lives in my ears.”

During the programme, Runa Laila also shared anecdotes about her husband’s quirks. She said, “Alamgir has a bit of an obsession with his hair — he’s always fixing it. Even when we’re discussing something important, you’ll see him adjusting his hair. Even in the elevator, he keeps tidying it.”

The legendary singer also recalled her Guinness World Records achievement from the 1990s, when she recorded 10 songs a day over three days, totaling 30 songs. “We started at 9 in the morning, and by 6 o’clock we had finished 10 songs. The tracks were ready — one after another — and over three days we recorded 30 songs,” she said.

Although Runa Laila spent her childhood and early career years in Pakistan, she returned to Bangladesh after independence. While her music has been celebrated internationally, it is in Bangladesh that she has found her true sense of belonging.

Born on November 17, 1952, in Sylhet, then part of East Pakistan, Runa Laila is the daughter of Syed Mohammad Emdad Ali, a government official, and Amena Laila, a singer. Her maternal uncle, Subir Sen, is also a renowned artist in India.

Due to her father’s transferable job, Runa Laila moved with her family from Rajshahi to Multan in Pakistan at the age of two and a half, and spent her childhood in Lahore. There, she received formal training in classical music under Ustad Habib Uddin Khan and Abdul Qader Piarang, and trained in ghazal singing under Pandit Ghulam Qadir, the brother of Mehdi Hassan.

Runa began her playback singing career in films as a teenager, singing alongside some of the biggest names in Urdu music. Her career started in 1965 with the film “Jugnu”, and she later entered Bengali cinema with the movie “Shorolipi”, composed by Subal Das. Within five years, she had recorded nearly a thousand songs.

In 1974, Runa arrived in Bangladesh. Around that time, she performed at three major concerts in India, earning acclaim from Indian audiences as well, particularly for the song “Dama Dam Mast Qalandar”. She also developed close associations with legendary Indian singers Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.

Runa Laila has won the Best Female Playback Singer award at the National Film Awards eight times. The Government of Bangladesh has also honored her with the country’s highest civilian award, the Independence Award. In addition, she received the Saigal Award in India, and from Pakistan, she has been awarded the Nigar, Critics, and Graduates Awards.

Not limited to singing, she has also acted in the film “Shilpi,” directed by Chashi Nazrul Islam.

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Besides Bengali, Runa Laila has sung in Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Sindhi, Gujarati, Pashto, Balochi, Arabic, Persian, Malay, Nepali, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, French, and English. She has become a legendary artiste, a remarkable name in the music world of the subcontinent.