When Bollywood stars would queue outside Doordarshan office to be on Tabassum’s show Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan

Tabassum, who died aged 78 on Friday, had a long and storied career in the world of entertainment. The actor began as a child artiste, before transitioning into grown-up roles in films in the 70s. But it was on TV that she found national recognition and some level of stardom too. Her show, Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan, was so popular that at one point, celebs would queue outside the Doordarshan office to get a chance to be on it. Also read: Tabassum of Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan fame dies at 78

Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan was Indian’s first television talk show, which began airing on the national broadcaster DD in 1972. The show ran for a record 21 years before winding up in 1993. Over the years, most big stars in the film industry graced the show where Tabassum would chat with them on their life and career.

In a 2016 interview with Hindustan Times, Tabassum revealed that initially, celebs were wary of appearing on the show but began queuing up outside their office as the show became popular. “Initially, some artists would act snobbish about coming on the show, but once it became popular, the biggest names would queue up at the Doordarshan office for a slot. It was as much of a craze then as social media is today,” Tabassum recalled.

The show used a unique format where film scenes were interspersed with the interactions. In the 1980s, it became one of the leading avenues on TV for advertisers because of its popularity. Talking about the show’s format, Tabassum had revealed, “We used to do single takes lasting 30 minutes. We didn’t know the concept of cuts. We didn’t even have any real production team. Phool Khile… was a one-woman show. I would contact the artists, write my script, do my own research.”

Tabassum began her career as child artiste Baby Tabassum in the 1940s appearing in several memorable films like Baiju Bawra and Bari Behan. She appeared in grown up roles in Gambler and Chameli Ki Shaadi among others. She died on Friday in Mumbai, her son Hoshang Govil told PTI.