A clip of Bollywood actress Rekha singing the Mehdi Hassan ghazal Mujhe Tum Nazar Se Gira Toh Rahe Ho from a 1983 interview with the BBC in London has taken social media users back in time.
Dressed in a simple salwar kameez, apparently jet-lagged and recently back from a US tour, the actress was interviewed by Krishnan Gould, who quizzed her on her image as a superstar, her training as an actor and dancer, and her preparation for the 1981 film Umrao Jaan. A candid Rekha rebuffed all praise, and refused to accept compliments for her dance or diction, saying she had never trained in either.
When asked about being a star said, “It is not enough to be just a star. One must also be an artist.” Then she proceeded to offer a self-critique.
Sung by popular Pakistani playback singer Mehdi Hassan, the ghazal was written by Masroor Anwar and Sohail Rana for the 1967 Pakistani Urdu black-and-white film Doraha.
Also read: ‘Rekha was honest about everything and Bollywood tried to tame her’: biographer Yasser Usman
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