Zeba Bakhtiar

QAMYAB – THE FORGOTTEN GEMS OF BOLLYWOOD

Qamyab is our humble tribute to all those lesser-known actors, one hit wonders and junior artists who we see umpteen times but don’t know about; beyond their faces. These actors have been an integral part of Bollywood but didn’t get their due. This series is our sincere attempt to put a name to these faces, familiarize them to our readers and celebrate their achievements in life – however big or small. We believe that every artist contributes in his/her own way to the cinema’s success. Qamyab will explore the unknown lives of such actors and artists as we believe even these forgotten gems of Bollywood deserve their due recognition today.

The legendary Raj Kapoor has launched careers of many actors, including foreigners. We have already covered Kseniya Ryabinkina in this series, who was the RK heroine in Mera Naam Joker (1970). This week’s actress is also a non-Indian launched under the prestigious RK banner, who is equally attractive and charming as Kseniya. She is Zeba Bakhtiar from Pakistan, better known for her debut film Henna (1991).

Zeba was born on 5th November, 1962 in Quetta, Balochistan and her birth name is Shaheen. Her father Yahya Bakhtiar was the famous Attorney General of Pakistan, who played a pivotal role in framing the country’s constitution. Zeba’s mother Eva was a Hungarian by descent. Zeba has two brothers – Salim and Karim – who are doctors by profession and a sister named Saira. The family resided in Quetta before moving to Karachi.

Since an early age, Zeba loved writing scripts but the producers would be keen to cast her as a heroine instead. Zeba wasn’t too interested in acting but nodded to play the titular role of Anarkali in the popular Pakistani television drama. This role brought her tremendous name and fame in her home country.

After the blockbuster hit Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), Bollywood showman Raj Kapoor was planning an Indo-Pak love story titled Henna, which would feature a Pakistani heroine in love with an Indian hero. The gorgeous Zeba caught the attention of Kapoor after getting recommended by the dialogue writer Haseena Moin and he decided to launch her in this film.

Unfortunately, Raj Kapoor passed away in June 1988 and the fate of Henna appeared uncertain. This is when his eldest son Randhir decided to fulfil his father’s dream and took charge as Henna’s director with younger brother Rishi Kapoor as the hero. Zeba shifted to Mumbai for the filming and Henna was released all over in the last week of June 1991.

The film became an instant success with critics appreciating Zeba’s scintillating performance as Henna. With this hit, she became a household name in entire Indian subcontinent and looked all set to play a long innings in Bollywood.

Surprisingly, not many producers came forward to sign Zeba despite Henna’s box office success. Her next release was K.C. Bokadia’s Mohabbat Ki Aarzoo (1994), which re-united her with Henna co-stars Rishi Kapoor and Ashwini Bhave but this movie bombed badly at the box office.

Her next two releases- Stuntman (1994) with Jackie Shroff and Jai Vikraanta (1995) with Sanjay Dutt- also couldn’t do well at the box office. Disappointed with her Bollywood career, Zeba packed her bags and went back to Pakistan, where she tasted success in the musical hit Sargam (1995).

Zeba appeared in quite a few Pakistani movies like Chief Sahib (1996), Qaid (1999) and Musalmaan (2001). Her maiden production Babu (2001) received appreciation from critics and audiences alike.

Zeba’s last Bollywood release was the delayed Muqadama in 1996, in which she played Vinod Khanna’s wife. Apart from films, Zeba also acted in Pakistani TV serials like Tansen, Laag, Pehli See Mohabbat, Mulaqat, Mehmaan, etc.

On the personal front, Zeba has married four times. The first marriage was with Salman Galliani in 1982. She was just nineteen years at that time. Her second husband was the noted Indian actor dancer Javed Jaffrey, whom she allegedly married in 1989. This marriage lasted only a year. In 1993, Zeba fell in love with singer actor Adnan Sami on the sets of their film Sargam and got married to him. They have a son named Azaan and later, divorced in 1997. Zeba’s fourth marriage was with Sohail Khan Leghari in 2008. Zeba is now a proud grandmother of Azhaan’s children and enjoys spending time with the young boy and girl.

Zeba was diagnosed with diabetes in the late ’90s and since then, is an active participant in diabetes awareness programs across various forums. She is also the chairperson of Karachi based Diya Women’s football team. After Babu, Zeba also produced another Pakistani movie called O21 in 2014. She also appeared in the Pakistani romantic drama film Bin Roye, which was a huge hit in that country.

Like Kseniya, Zeba has earned a permanent place for herself in Bollywood as a RK heroine. Her Henna will always remain unforgettable!!