Jui Phul: Sabina Yasmin–The story behind the evergreen singer

On a beautiful sunny day, surrounded by countless flowers, legendary singer Sabina Yasmin and media personality Shykh Seraj face each other. In the background, a familiar song begins to play, bringing a smile to Sabina's face–it is her song, 'Phul Jodi Jhore Giye Ajke Raate'.

This was one of the many candid moments Sabina Yasmin's new documentary captured, titled 'Jui Phul: Sabina Yasmin'. The documentary was produced by Channel i, with Shykh Seraj as host and director of the production. The documentary first aired on Channel i yesterday.

Sabina's excitement for the documentary is evident as she shares her thoughts. 

"The new generation knows little about many aspects of my career. This initiative is wonderful because it presents accurate information and allows me to share things close to my heart. Shykh Seraj bhai worked very hard for a long time to honour me through this project," shared Sabina.

The setting of the documentary is almost like a fairytale, befitting the music legend who speaks about her long journey with music. 

At just eight years old, in 1962, she first sang as a child artiste in a film. She also performed playback for the movie 'Notun Sur'. That same year, she earned Tk500 for her work. 

"At that time, 500 taka was worth a lot. I never imagined I could earn so much at such a young age," Sabina recalls.

The documentary provided insight into what her life was like outside the recording room. Despite beginning her career at a young age, it never affected her education, evident when the scene switches to Sabina's close friend, Dr Mehraj Jahan Zohra.

"Sabina was an exceptionally talented student; she could memorise things very quickly," shared Zohra. "She was extremely perceptive. From what I know, she was among the top scorers in the second division list. Without great talent, how could she remember so many songs?"

Sabina had completed her Master's degree in sociology from the University of Dhaka.

"Because I was so busy with singing, I often couldn't attend morning classes. But I never failed a single course, I always achieved standard results," she says.

She even looked back at the time she ran for the student council. Despite losing the elections, the memory makes her laugh.

"Honestly, I took part quite casually. I think the main reason I lost was my name. On the ballot, my name appeared as Dilshad Yasmin, but everyone knew me as Sabina Yasmin. That technicality probably cost me the election," shared Sabina.

Sabina went on to dominate the music scene in Bangladesh, singing almost 15,000 songs throughout her career. 

Her music was brought to life on screens through actresses such as Shabana, Bobita, and Kabori lip-syncing to her music. 

"Even though my songs were lip-synced by many, when Kabori acted to them, it felt like she was truly singing them," shared Sabina. 

Bobita was also seen in the documentary as she recalled her time in 'Jonmo Theke Jolchi'. Bobita vividly remembers the moment she heard Sabina's song 'Dukkho Bhalobeshe'.

"When we shot that song, I became so emotional that I couldn't start working on other scenes. Because of the emotion in Sabina's singing, I could act with my heart," shared Bobita. 

Her career did not just stay rooted in music; it branched out to other fields. Sabina was the music director for a film that Kabori was directing. However, the project never saw the light of day after Kabori passed away.

She even acted in the film 'Ulka', directed by Gazi Mazharul Anwar.

During the 1970s and 80s, she had a notable presence in the subcontinent's music scene. She also met and sang in the presence of the legendary Sachin Dev Burman and Lata Mangeshkar. 

Twelve of her popular songs were also performed by contemporary singers — Rakiba Oishi, Zanita Ahmed Zhilik, Dilshad Nahar Kona, Imran, Somnur Monir Konal, Sania Sultana Liza, and Atiya Anisha.

The musical lineup included 12 songs, including 'Shoto Jonmer Shopno' and 'Shudhu Gaan Geye Porichoy'.