Preserving Noor Jehan's legacy

Nazia Ejaz Khan on how she cherishes her mother's belongings

More than two decades after her passing, Noor Jehan remains an enduring symbol of grace, talent, and timeless artistry. Revered as Malika-e-Tarannum (Queen of Melody), beyond her iconic songs and cinematic presence, her legacy lives on in the hearts and hands of her children. Among them, Nazia Ejaz Khan carries the torch with quiet reverence, cherishing the material and emotional remnants of her mother's extraordinary life.

Speaking candidly about the cherished possessions she inherited on Excuse Me with Ahmad Ali Butt – one of Noor Jahan's grandchildren – she shared, "I have all my mother's sarees. She gifted all her daughters sarees at their weddings. When she passed, I wasn't yet married, so all the remaining ones came to me. There were so many that I gave some away to my sisters."

For Nazia, they are pieces of her mother, preserved in silk and embroidery. She recounted an endearing anecdote about one of Noor Jehan's admirers, "A lot of people asked for them. Bushra Ansari requested one of the sarees too. And she loved my mother so much. Every time she met me, she would ask for one, so of course I gave her one. She wore it and immediately took a picture and posted it with my mother's song playing at the back."

But Nazia's collection extends beyond clothing. "I wear her sarees all the time. Apart from her clothes and jewellery, I have her furniture as well. One of her notebooks in which she wrote poetry. Some pictures, some shawls, and a lot of memories and love."

It's clear that the bond between the mother and daughter was profoundly special. Nazia reflects on this connection with a sense of quiet pride. "I don't think any child of hers was as well-loved as me. I can say that confidently. She was a different mother to all of us. For me, she was larger than life."

Noor Jehan's life was extraordinary in every sense, and growing up in her household was far from ordinary. Nazia knew from a young age that their family operated differently from others. "I knew from the start that we weren't a normal family. Our mother didn't really have friends. No one would drop by unannounced. Occasionally, some important people would come by, but we never really had family friends."