Taking to her Instagram handle, Zeenat Aman shared a video of Qurbani’s song Aap Jaisa Koi. In the caption, the legendary actress walked down memory lane, recalling how a family of three was waiting for her in the lobby of her London hotel.
Sharing the video, Zeenat wrote, “There was a family of three waiting for me in the lobby of my London hotel, but I was not keen to make small talk with fans. I had just wrapped a day of shoot, and all I wanted was silence, a hot shower and my bed. Yet my convent school education would not allow me to be rude. So I smiled sweetly and took a seat… with my thoughts wandering to the luxurious suite that awaited me just a few floors above.”
The actress added, “the lady was elegant. Her name was Muniza. And with her were her two teenaged children. A quiet girl named Nazia and a boy named Zoheb. I hadn’t planned to entertain them for long, but soon found myself drawn into deep dialogue with Muniza. They were a charming and cultured family of Pakistani origin, and to my surprise I found myself inviting them to join me in my suite. That night I learnt that Nazia and Zoheb were pursuing music, and I even enjoyed a brief demo of young Nazia’s pipes.”
The actress further continued, “Muniza and I remained in touch, and I subsequently introduced her to Feroz Khan, with whom I was starting work on an ambitious project. You can picture the rest… Feroz was blown away by Nazia’s voice, and under the guidance of music composer Biddu, 15-year-old Nazia Hassan went on to record the mega hit Aap Jaisa Koi. Yesterday marked 44 years of Qurbani. A film that captivated the South Asian audience, and whose music still plays on dance floors. Qurbani had a star studded cast – Vinod, Feroz, Amjad, Amrish, myself – but to me there is only one breakthrough performance in the film. And that’s Nazia’s. It may be my face and figure that come to mind when the familiar tune of Aap Jaisa Koi begins to play, but the song belongs entirely to that young Pakistani girl who revolutionised how we South Asians disco. I always felt protective of Nazia, and during film events and promotions I kept a close eye on her, much to the chagrin of her admirers and delight of her mother. Nazia died too young. A true shooting star who blazed hot, bright and fast. On this occasion, I remember her with love and gratitude.”
Directed by Feroz Khan, ‘Qurbani’ was released in 1980.
