‘Irrespective of being a star kid, one has to be good at it to carry the legacy’

Actress-cum-singer Zahrah S Khan has been on a roll with her back-to-back chartbusters. Though coming from an influential family, she has made her own mark in the industry. In an exclusive chat with The Pioneer, the artistic talent opens up about how singing happened to her, recent hits, getting the best advice from her mom, and much more.

Tejal Sinha

Zahrah S Khan is not only beautiful and gorgeous on social media, but she also has a beautiful voice. This is something that can be seen in her work as well.

She began her career in the industry at the age of 16 and made her debut with the Arjun Kapoor film Aurangzeb. But it seemed like her destiny had a different plan. She later took a break and got back to work, becoming a huge name in the industry. How? She entered the music industry, and her life had taken a sudden twist. After making her debut with Aamir Khan and Elli AvrRam’s Har Funn Maula, there’s no looking back.

Zahrah’s chartbusters since then include Sakhiyaan 2.0 from Bell Bottom, Tenu Lehenga and Kusu from Satyamev Jayate, Aafat from Liger, and, most recently, Fakeeran, Aap Jaisa Koi from An Action Hero, and Kinna Sona from Phone Bhoot. Zahrah S Khan has emerged as the hit machine of 2022 with a string of chartbusters.

During this fun chat, the Punjaaban song singer says, “Honestly, singing was accidental, never a career choice or something. It was more of a hobby, and obviously, it’s been in the family for generations, but now that I think about it, it’s almost as if it was meant to be (she laughs).”

One of her recent songs, Fakeeran, starring Mouni Roy, has been another chartbuster. Sharing some insights about the song, she says, “When the song was first made, it had such a cool, crazy vibe to it, and obviously, when Mouni came onboard, it became even more amazing. She has got such amazing dancing skills, and the way she dances is so elegant and beautiful. I’m a huge fan of her, so is my mother, and seeing her dance and bring everything to life on camera was breathtaking. I don’t think we could have a better choice.”

Apart from this, she also recreated one of the most iconic songs, Aap Jaisa Koi, which starred Zeenat Aman and was sung by the legendary singer Nazia Hassan, for the Ayushmann Khurrana starrer An Action Hero. Being a part of a new version of such an iconic song was a very emotional yet special moment for Zahrah. “When I walked into the studio, I was supposed to dub Aap Jaisa Koi. It’s one of my all-time favourites. In fact, Nazia ji was also a very close friend of my mother, so when I went back home and told her, it was a very emotional moment for her as well, and it’s been such a super-hit song that to kind of sing it again and give it my own touch was a beautiful opportunity, and I am very grateful for it,” she says.

To reach the place that you are today, there’s always a turning point. But in her case, she just feels that there’s a lot more to achieve. She goes on, “I’ve had back-to-back releases happen. Till now, I haven’t been able to digest the fact. It’s like three releases a month or two releases with a gap of two days. That’s how it’s been, and, Mashallah, touch wood, every song has been a hit, so it’s not like a few have done well and the others have not. There have been several hits in a row.”

Sharing a beautiful motivation that she got from her mother, the legendary veteran actor Salma Agha, she says, “When I was entering the profession, she always told me, ‘Never take your professional life personally. If you’re able to keep that balance and blend, then nothing is going to stop you, and you’ll make the right choices and keep your relationships good, which are very important for a healthy work environment.’ I have always been stuck by that, and I feel very happy that I’m able to keep that balance because I think that’s what keeps me going.”

Though hailing from an influential family, people still know her as “Zahrah,” and not because of her family. However, every actor or singer coming from an influential family is always the target of trolls, which at the same time leads to a lot of pressure. Let’s hear what she thinks about it.”It’s just not about the film industry; you could be working in the business field, in a bank, or even in a flower shop business. When you’ve been doing something for a while and your children or a family member joins the company, you’ll definitely get first-hand experience. And why not? Your family has worked so hard for it, but if you’re good enough, you’ll be able to carry on that legacy. If you’re not, people are not going to entertain you; it’s as simple as that. My mother had always told me when I wanted to join this line of work that you should only do it if you’re passionate about it.

There are many people out there who would die for the opportunity that you’ll get. If you’ll be able to do justice to the opportunity, only then should you do it; otherwise, there’s no point. You’ll spoil all the great work that we’ve done till now and not be able to carry on that legacy. Only do it if you want to do it, and not just because we’re in it. That’s exactly what I feel.”

During the talk with us, she also revealed that she is also getting back on the acting front too. “The plan is to do both singing and acting hand-in-hand like how my mother and grandmother did it, and hopefully take it ahead in a beautiful way,” says Zahrah, who says she was born as a creative soul.

On the work front, she also revealed that she’ll be starting to shoot for a film. And, “I’ve got a wonderful song coming out in Selfie starring Akshay Kumar. I’m working on my next single; it’s a wonderful collaboration.”