A Debt of Gratitude: Zoheb Hassan remembers Ratan Tata’s impact
Zoheb Hassan recounts the extraordinary story of how Ratan Tata, the legendary Indian businessman and philanthropist, changed the course of his and his sister Nazia’s music career.
He shared a heartfelt post on Facebook:
It all began with a phone call from Mr Tata, who introduced himself as the founder of CBS India, a music company. He expressed interest in having the siblings record an album for his label. Nazia and Zoheb were thrilled and invited Mr Tata to their Wimbledon home to discuss the project.
Mr Tata arrived, impressing the siblings with his humility, gentle smile, and soft-spoken demeanour. Despite being a prominent figure, he never bragged about himself. Instead, he focused on the project, advising the siblings to review the agreement with their parents and a lawyer.
The collaboration resulted in the iconic album “Young Tarang”, accompanied by pioneering music videos that captivated India and South Asia. MTV, newly launched in the US, took notice and inquired about potential English releases. Doordarshan played the videos in India, making the album a massive success, outselling even “Disco Dewane”.
At the album’s launch at The Taj Hotel in Mumbai, Zoheb and Nazia finally learned about Mr Tata’s remarkable stature as a leading industrialist. Later, when invited to his residence for dinner, they were struck by his humility and simple living.
Zoheb recalls subsequent encounters with Mr Tata, including a chance meeting on London’s Bond Street, where Mr Tata mentioned purchasing airplanes for Air India.
Zoheb concludes that Ratan Tata embodied the perfect blend of business acumen and gentlemanly grace, leaving an indelible mark on their lives and the music industry.
