New Delhi: When Indian business tycoon Ratan Tata died on Thursday, Pakistani singer Zoheb Hassan took to Instagram to reveal the little-known link between Tata and Young Tarang—one of the 1980s’ most iconic music albums.
In a heartfelt tribute, Hassan, one-half of the legendary pop duo Nazia and Zoheb, spoke about his experience of creating Young Tarang with Tata. Released in 1983 in Pakistan and in 1984 globally, it was the first South Asian album to feature music videos. According to Zoheb, it all started with a phone call by “some gentleman by the name of Mr Ratan Tata.”
Tata had reached out to the Hassan siblings in 1983 with no mention of his corporate empire. He simply “wanted them to record an album, if possible” for CBS India–a record company he was launching. A 15-year-old Nazia Hassan, Zoheb’s sister, had by then already brought the disco wave to India with her songs Aap Jaisa Koi (1979) and Disco Deewane (1981), with the latter selling 100,000 records within a day of its release.
Sharing pictures of the meeting between the trio, Zoheb remembered the moment they encountered Tata—”a tall, impeccably dressed man in a suit” who “had a gentle smile on his face and was extremely soft spoken.”
This collaboration between Ratan Tata and the Hassan siblings was about to change the face of South Asian pop music. Selling over 40 million copies, Young Tarang cemented the duo’s popularity and became a cultural turning point for Pakistan and the subcontinent.
“This was around the time MTV had just launched in the USA. MTV called us and said they had never seen anything like this and asked if we had done anything in English. Doordarshan played the music videos in India and the album outsold even Disco Dewane”, Zoheb wrote.
ThePrint reached out to Zoheb for a comment on Instagram but has yet to receive a response. The copy will be updated when he replies.
Also read: I saw Ratan Tata standing at the ATM in my building like a common man that day—Jaithirth Rao
‘True gentleman, business icon’
Ratan Tata’s CBS Gramophone Records & Tapes (India) Ltd was a key player in India’s peak disco era—a time when synthesisers and drum machines had revolutionised the country’s music scene. Most importantly, it was creative hub for musicians, offering established composers the freedom to experiment, providing a platform to emerging talent, and releasing soundtracks for B-movies and straight-to-VHS projects.
However, it wasn’t the success of Young Tarang that left a mark on Zoheb—it was Tata’s humility. Zoheb and Nazia only discovered his true stature at the album’s launch event in Mumbai, when he revealed that he was more than just CBS’ head.
“Until then, we had no idea who Mr. Ratan was,” Zoheb recalled in the post.
One of the most memorable moments, according to the former pop icon, was an intimate dinner at Tata’s modest two-bedroom flat. Despite being one of the richest men in India, his home was humble, shared with his sister, one servant, and an Alsatian dog.
“It was a simple dinner with a great man, which to this day I will never forget,” Zoheb added. Their friendship continued over the years, with Zoheb fondly recalling a chance meeting with the businessman on Bond Street in London. Tata casually mentioned he was in the UK to “look at some aeroplanes,” a comment Zoheb only later realised referred to Tata’s association with Air India.
“A true gentleman and an icon of the business world. RIP,” Zoheb said, concluding his tribute.
The comments on his post were both appreciative and nostalgic.
“Gosh! This is so precious… And I loved Young Tarang! There’s no sector he hasn’t impacted or atleast tried to”, one Facebook user wrote while another wrote on Instagram, “Didn’t know this story behind my favourite Nazia album!”