‘We Thought He Lived in a Palace’: Pakistani Singer Zoheb Haasan Recalls Being Invited by Ratan Tata to His 2-BHK Flat in Mumbai
Pakistani singer Zoheb Haasan took to his Instagram handle to offer a tribute to legendary Indian industrialist Ratan Tata. In his post, the singer recalled how Mr Tata approached him and his sister Nazia to record an album for his music company. Read on!
Legendary Indian industrialist and former Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata passed away on Wednesday (October 9) at the age of 86. Zoheb Haasan, one-half of the iconic pop duo Nazia and Zoheb, shared a heartwarming tribute to Ratan Tata on his social media handle. In a touching post, Zoheb revealed about his and his later sister Nazia Haasan's first encounter with Ratan Tatan where they did not have any idea about who the extraordinary gentleman was. Ratan Tata Passes Away at 86: Did You Know Former Tata Group Chairman and Billionaire Philanthropist Was Once in a Relationship With Actress Simi Garewal?.
Ratan Tata Reached Out to Zoheb-Nazia for an Album
Zoheb Haasan revealed that in the early '80s, Ratan Tata approached him and his sister with a project for their music company, CBS India. "Nazia and Zoheb you have a telephone call from some gentleman by the name of Mr Ratan", my mother said while handing Nazia the phone. "My name is Ratan and I am starting a music company by the name of CBS India. I would like you and Zoheb to record an album for us if possible", he said. "Can I come and meet with both of you?" Zoheb shared that they agreed to meet him without any knowledge about his background.
Zoheb Haasan’s Instagram Post
However, their meeting with Mr Tata was truly a memorable one. Describing Tata's humble personality, Zoheb shared that he never mentioned about any of his long list of accomplishments when he approached them for the song. He wrote, "On Friday a tall, impeccably dressed man in a suit arrived at our residence. He had a gentle smile on his face and was extremely soft spoken.
He seemed so sincere when he spoke. We had no idea who he was and he never bragged about himself. He just said "if you guys agree then let's make it happen. I will get someone to get in touch with you regarding the agreement. Make sure you get a lawyer and your parents to look at the agreement. If you don't agree with anything speak to me directly."
The "Young Tarang" album, produced by Zoheb and Nazia, became a cultural phenomenon, and its music videos received immense praise. Zoheb revealed that Mr. Tata had hosted the album launch event at Mumbai's Taj Hotel, where they came to understand the stature of Mr Tata. "Until then we had no idea who Mr Ratan was", he wrote. Zoheb also revealed they were once invited by Mr Tata at his residence for dinner. Sharing about the incident, he wrote, "We thought he probably lived in a palace. When we reached, we were taken aback that the most powerful industrialist lived in such a humble abode. A small 2 bed flat sparsely decorated. We met his sister, one servant and an alsatian whom he loved dearly." Zoheb being shocked by Mr Tata's simplicity and down-to-earth nature is an experience many of us can relate to, even without having met the great man. That's the unparalleled respect he has earned from society. ‘Coming to Terms With The Fact That Will Never See Him Smile Again’: Ratan Tata’s Trusted Aide Shantanu Naidu Shares Emotional Post on LinkedIn, Thanks People For Support.
The mortal remains of Ratan Tata were kept for public viewing at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) on Thursday (October 10) before being cremated with full state honours.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 12, 2024 08:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).