She lived a very short time and sang for even less. Yet Nazia Hasan managed to create a unique place for herself both in the hearts of her audience and in the annals of popular music in the subcontinent. At the age when most people set out to make their mark in life, Nazia had already presided over a decade of glory. And it was really all over by the time she turned 25. Much to the shock of those who dismissed her as a musical non-talent, Nazia Hasan is mourned today with a vengeance that is far greater than the music she made. The reason is simple: Nazia Hasan had a quality that went beyond talent. She was a star in the true sense of the overused and misunderstood word. It was not so much the music that cast its spell on an eager subcontinent, but the dream that she encapsulated in her person.

Pakistan had created an international star who had not been schooled in any tradition that could lay claim to a problematic South Asian inclusivity. The artistic influences were safely Western and all of India was enthralled by the sound of a Pakistani voice.