Bhagwanti Navani was a Sindhi language singer and actress. She was a folk as well as playback singer. Due to her melodious and sweet voice, she is popularly known as "Sindhi Koel". Her marriage songs, called "Laada", are popular in India and Pakistan. She appeared as Heroine in the Sindhi film "Sindhua Jay Kinaray". She performed as a playback singer in eight Sindhi language films.
Biography
She was born on 1 February 1940 at Naserpur, Sindh, Pakistan. She had three brothers and two sisters. She was only seven years old when Pakistan was created and she had to migrate to Bombay, India with her parents. At the time of migration, she was studying in the Indian Girls Primary School Karachi. In Mumbai, she studied at Kamla Girls High School and then at the High School for Sindhis. She passed her matriculation examination in 1957. She received formal music education at the Devghar Music School, Arun Sangeet Vidyala. Afterwards, she joined the People Theater Association where her musical talent flourished under the guidance of Kanu Ghosh and Kanu Ray. She was acknowledged as an exponent of Sindhi Folk Music such as Bhajans, Dohiras, Kalams, Orans, Lorries, Ladas, Sakhiyoon and Sahras, etc. She sang duets with Mahendra Kapoor, C.H. Atma, and other stalwarts of her time, along with singing for the Hindi film industry. She was one of the most popular playback singers in Sindhi movies of the 1960s and 1970s. Those films included Jhulelal, Ladli, , Shal Dhiar Na Jaman, Hojamalo, Kanwar Ram, Halu Ta Bhaji Haloon, and Pardesi Preetam. Bhagwanti was also a versatile actress. She was part of the Kalakar Mandel established by the prominent Sindhi language writer Gobind Malhi. She gave more than 3,000 stage performances in India and abroad. Her most popular plays were "Mehman", "Gustakhi Maaf", "Tuhinjo so Muhinjo" and "Desh Ji Lalkar". She was Heroine in the famous Sindhi film . This film was released in 1968.
Death
She died on 22 October 1986. In her memory, "Bhagwanti Navani Charitable Trust" was formed on 3 October 1987.
