Remembering Nazia Hassan

The song 'Aap Jaisa Koi' by Pakistani singer Nazia Hassan (April 3, 1965 – August 13, 2000) in Hindi movie Qurbani (1980) made barely fifteen-year-old Nazia an object of curiosity throughout Pakistan, India, and South Asia.

The above song, also included in Nazia's debut album 'Disco Deewane' (1981), for the first time, introduced pop music in Bollywood delighting audience as far as Brazil, Russia, and West Indies.

Nazia Hassan, beautiful, young, and popular, was married to Ishtiaq Baig, a rich Pakistani businessman, on March 30, 1995. Nazia stopped singing after marriage and gave birth to son Arez on April 7, 1997. It appears that Nazia was badly affected because of conflict of interest between a brother (Zohaib) and mother (Munizeh Basir) on one side and rich husband. Nazia died of lung cancer on August 13, 2000.

Nazia was facing a lot of issues with her marriage which she reportedly said 'became another cancer.' Similar fates have befallen other actresses like Parveen Babi (April 4, 1949 — January 20, 2005), Zeenat Aman (date of birth: November 19, 1951), and Reena Roy (date of birth: January 7, 1957) in this part of the continent in the past. This is a pointer to the fact that a young and beautiful woman, even celebrity in her own right, remains vulnerable and could not expect a guarantee of a secure marriage.

In many ways, Nazia's life can be compared with Diana (July 1, 1961 — August 31, 1997), Princess of Wales. Both were beautiful and died young, and each one's life had an intense sadness. Like Diana, Nazia too loved charity and worked for many projects including helping children on behalf of the United Nations.