The mother behind the magic

Noor Jehan’s daughters remember what made the Melody Queen a truly special person

If there are two voices that are going to sing symphonies of sub-continent then Madam Noor Jehan’s soulful tenor will definitely be one of them. The singer who floored haters and charmed lovers with one note was more than just a voice behind the mic or a glamorous presence in front of the camera; she was a movement, magic, and melody all combined. December 23 marked 20 years of her passing.

On the occasion, three of her daughters, Hina Durrani, Nazia Ejaz and Mina Hasan sat together for an interview in which they recalled the aura of the amazing woman. For Hina, Jehan’s absence even for a moment used to bother her as a child. “Since childhood listening to her voice in her absence was a difficult experience for me and it has become even more challenging since her death. It’s been 20 years but I still can’t come to terms with her death,” Hina said.

Contrary to her sister, Nazia shared how she continues to feel her mother’s presence around her. “Every child processes it in a different way. She may have gone for 20 years but she is still with me.  I never feel separated from her. Whenever I am in pain I know that my mother’s prayers are here to rescue me,” she said.

Noor Jehan was married thrice in her lifetime. She was first married to film pioneer Shaukat Hussain Rizvi with whom she had Akbar Hussain Rizvi, Asghar Hussain Rizvi, and a daughter Zil-e-Huma. After her divorce from Rizvi, she married actor and director Ejaz Durrani with whom she had Hina, Nazia, and Mina. That marriage too ended in divorce after which Jehan married actor Yosuf Khan.

All three daughters discussed how the term ‘stepdaughter’ never existed for them due to the way their mother had raised them.

“My mother never made a big deal about us having siblings in other families too. She used to help us socialize across the families and was very jolly and cordial about it. So much so that we find it really weird when people talk about stepsons or daughters in a negative light,” Hina exclaimed.

It was her kindness that also made others reciprocate respect with even more vigor. “Others also bestowed the same level of respect for her. I remember on the night of her burial my father waited till midnight so that her son can partake in the final rights. That is how a relationship is maintained,” Nazia said.

Adding on, the designer recounted how both her father and mother maintained a strong friendship even after divorce. “They both were mature about that. Instead of living together in a bad marriage, they would live like friends. Even after divorce, when they met each other, mother would make breakfast for my father. They still enjoyed a relationship as friends,” Mina reminisced.

Talking about Jehan’s life as a fashion icon, Nazia praised her mother for being ever evolving. “She had a very good eye. She also had a readiness to evolve. If you look at her pictures in each decade, you’ll see her style evolve constantly. That is a blessing: to be able to change, to be ready to change.”

Expressing similar sentiment, Mina discussed how her mother was the ‘biggest institute’ for her in this regard. “I have been to the best institution just by observing my mother. Her style was not only unparalleled during her time;  no one can match it even today. Where god gave her a beautiful voice, he gave her beautiful looks, personality and a big heart,” she said.