Nazia Hassan

Nazia Hassan was a Pakistani singer, songwriter, and social activist. She is known for singing the Hindi song ‘Aap Jaisa Koi’ for the Bollywood film “Qurbani” (1980). She has received various awards including the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer, making her the first Pakistani to receive the award. She started her musical career at the age of 15, when she met the Indian film director Feroz Khan, who asked her to audition for his film. She recorded the song ‘Aap Jaisa Koi’ with the Indian music composer Biddu, which became a huge hit in India and Pakistan. She also sang for the Pakistani film “Star” (1982), which featured her brother Zoheb Hassan as the lead actor. She released her debut album “Disco Deewane” in 1981, which became the best-selling Asian pop record at the time. The album was also popular in Latin America, Russia, and South Africa. She followed it with three more albums: “Boom Boom” (1982), “Young Tarang” (1984), and “Hotline” (1987). She also collaborated with the Indian singer Zohaib Hassan on some songs. She was one of the pioneers of Pakistani pop music and influenced many singers in the region. She was also involved in social work and was appointed as the cultural ambassador of UNICEF in 1991. She campaigned for various causes such as drug awareness, AIDS prevention, and child welfare. She was married to Mirza Ishtiaq Baig, a businessman, in 1995 and had a son, Arez Hassan. She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1995 and underwent treatment in London. She died on 13 August 2000 at the age of 35. She was buried in London and received a posthumous Pride of Performance Award from the Pakistani government in 2002.