Music lovers must remember the song 'Aap Jaisa Koi' from the film 'Qurbani', which was released in 1981. This song was filmed on Zeenat Aman who gained immense popularity because of it but few people are aware that a 15-year-old girl from Pakistan sang this superhit song. As soon as this song was released, it became a hit in two countries - India and Pakistan. This song was sung by Nazia Hassan when she was just 15 years old and made her an overnight star. In 1981, Nazia Hassan also won the Filmfare Award for the song, becoming the youngest to win at age 15 and the first Pakistani to win the award.
After the success of 'Qurbani', Nazia Hassan was approached to act in the film 'Star' in 1982, but she refused and chose to perform the soundtrack instead. Once, Raj Kapoor also approached Nazia Hassan to star opposite Rajiv Kapoor in 'Henna' but she refused the offer as she wanted to focus on social work, singing, and her studies and had no time for acting.
Nazia Hassan became a superstar right after making her debut as a singer and was in much demand not only in India but also in Pakistan. Producers lined up outside her home to sign her for their films and her overnight success also left many actresses insecure. However, Nazia only focused on her career which was on the rise.
Let us tell you that Nazia Hassan was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and was brought up both there and in London. Her father Basir Hassan was a business and her mother Muniza Basir was a social worker. She had two siblings - Zoheb Hassan and Zara Hassan.
Nazia Hassan used to live with her parents. Her mother was a good friend of Zeenat Aman who discovered Nazia's talent and brought her to Bollywood. Zeenat Aman had gone to meet her friend Muniza at her house in 1980 when she heard Nazia's voice. It was Zeenat Aman who brought Nazia Hassan's talent to the forefront and helped her become a singing superstar.
Despite all the success and fame that Nazia Hassan worked hard for, she could only live to see it till the age of 35. Love became an enemy in her life.
Nazia Hassan was already a superstar when she married Karachi-based businessman Mirza Ishtiaq Baig on March 30, 1995. It was an arranged marriage. Nazia did not have a happy married life and she divorced Mirza Ishtiaq Baig just 3 months before her death. In a testimony given to the UK High Court before her death, Nazia Hassan accused her ex-husband of physical abuse and of poisoning her. On the other hand, Mirza Ishtiaq Baig claims that Nazia Hassan was his wife until death.
After their wedding in 1995, Nazia began to live with her husband. They also had a son in 1997 but just a few years after her marriage, Nazia Hassan came to know that her husband had already been married twice and her marriage to him was his third. His previous two marriages were kept secret from Nazia Hassan's family.
On June 21, 2000, Pakistan's newspaper Daily Jang published an interview with Nazia Hassan where she revealed all the difficulties that she faced during her marriage. Nazia accused her husband of cheating on her with a Pakistani actress and also said that her ex-husband forced her to give statements to the media that they were living happily.
In another interview, Nazia Hassan said that her husband refused to bear the expenses of her cancer treatment. She said that she would rather die than live with Ishtiaq Baig as he caused her more pain than cancer.
Nazia Hassan died of lung cancer in London on August 13, 2000, at the age of 35. After her death, in an interview with The Express Tribune, her brother Zoheb was quoted as saying, "She died an unhappy person, she died in pain."
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