Late composer Khayyam's wife, singer Jagjit Kaur passes away, their awards and properties to be managed by trust - Exclusive!

Playback singer and wife of legendary composer, late Khayyam, Jagjit Kaur passed away on Sunday morning due to multiple organ failure. The 93- year old singer had been hospitalised for the last 15 days after her oxygen levels dropped and she had to be admitted to Sujay Hospital.
Raj Sharma, former manager of Khayyam who performed her last rites says, “She was not keeping well for the last 15 days.Her oxygen level had dropped and her organs were also giving up so we had to admit her to the hospital. She passed away this morning.”
Sharma said he performed her last rites as his mentor Khayyam had instructed. He says, “Khayyam saab was the one who brought me to Mumbai in 1975. I owe everything I achieved today to him and he had told me, if anything happens to him I will have to take care of Jagjitji, which I did.” Bhajan singer Anup Jalota and composer Uttam Singh and other residents from the housing society attended the funeral.
Incidentally, Jagjit Kaur died in the same month that Khayyam had passed away, two years ago, due to cardiac arrest. Sharma says, “They had lost their son in 2012 and after Khayyam saab’s death, she had lost interest in life and was not fighting to survive. Here in the hospital too, I could only see tears running down her cheeks when she held my hand.”
Khayyam’s driver and caretaker Yogesh, who attended Jagjit Kaur’s last rites and lived with her for the last two years, still feels her presence. He says, “Her condition in the last 15 days had deteriorated and her recovery was looking difficult. She was like my grandmother, my wife and I took care of her. I was there with her and made sure that nobody troubled her. My first child was born after Khayyam saab passed away and Jagjitji was so happy to see my child. She would hold her and say, ‘Pappaji hote toh bahut khush hote (Had Pappaji been alive, he would have been happy). I wished she lived longer although her health was not good but I didn’t sense that she had given up on life.”
Jagjit Kaur who is best known for her song Tum Apna Ranjo Gham Apni Pareshani song for the film ‘Shagoon’ only has 21 films to her credit but has sung for memorable movies like ‘Bazaar’, ‘Khabhi Kabhie’ and ‘Umrao Jaan’ to her credit.
Khayyam married Jagjit Kaur in 1954 and was one of the first inter-religious marriages in the Indian film industry. After their son, Pradeep died of a heart attack in 2012, inspired by his helping nature, they started the Khayyam Jagjit Kaur Charitable Trust to help artistes and technicians.
Jagjit Kaur did not receive royalty money for the past two years and which she did discuss a few months ago. Sharma clarified that the royalty had stopped and he says, “We had to submit the succession certificate, which we had not been able to do to the IPRS. Once we submit the certificate the royalty will start again and that will go to the trust.”
Khayyam used to regularly donate money to FWICE (Cine artistes association) with priority to be given to needy singers and musicians. He also gave to a separate fund to the cine musicians association and the chief minister’s fund, as well.
So what happens to the house and the various trophies including the National Award, Padma Bhushan and other properties of the legendary composer and late singer Jagjit Kaur? Sharma says, “The trust will decide whether we keep the house and shift all the trophies and other memorabilia to one place. If nobody claims it, I will keep all his trophies with me right next to his photograph that I have in my house.”
Once the trust takes over the house, Yogesh who has been with the Khayyams for over a decade will be homeless. He said, “I never had a house and was living in a rental place till saab was alive. After his death, I shifted with my wife into this house. Now the trustees will come home on Tuesday and I will hand over the keys to them. Although saab had said that I didn’t have to have a house and there are other employees who have been with him for decades, we will be taken care of, too. Lets see if the trustee look after us otherwise hum sab Ram bharose (we’ll be left to God’s will).’’