Zakir Hussain was not only a tabla player but also an excellent actor, 5 unheard things about the great musician

New Delhi: Zakir Hussain breathed his last at the age of 73. He was suffering from heart related problems. He was one of the great tabla players. He had impressed art lovers around the world with his talent. He was not just a musician. He also acted in some films. He got huge popularity from his solo album ‘Making Music’, which even he had no idea about. His musical talent also had an impact on the cinema world. He also worked for films like ‘The Perfect Murder’, ‘Miss Beatie’s Children, ‘Saaz’ and ‘Manto’. He was also a capable actor. He was first seen as an actor in the 1983 film ‘Heat and Dust’, in which Shashi Kapoor was in an important role.

When Zakir Hussain did wonders with acting
Zakir Hussain played an important role with Shabana Azmi in the 1998 film ‘Saaz’, which was in a lot of controversies due to its content. His acting in the role of Shabana Azmi’s lover was highly appreciated. It is said that the story of the film was inspired by the personal lives of Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. According to the report of TV9 Hindi, Lata Mangeshkar had expressed her displeasure about the film.

Zakir Hussain’s film ‘Saaz’ was in a lot of controversies.

Father Allah Rakha was also a famous tabla player.
Zakir Hussain started taking music training from his father Allah Rakha at the age of 3. Zakir Hussain’s family has a very old connection with music. His father Allah Rakha was also a famous tabla player, who had worked with legendary musicians like Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan. He did his early schooling at St. Michael’s High School in Mahim, Mumbai and graduated from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

Had won 5 grammy awards
Zakir Hussain was honored by the Government of India with Padma Shri in 1988, Padma Bhushan in 2002 and Padma Vibhushan in 2023. He was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990, Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship and Ratna Sadsya in 2018. He was awarded the ‘National Heritage Fellowship’ of the ‘United States National Endowment for the Arts’ in 1999, the highest award given to artists. Zakir Hussain was honored with 5 Grammy Awards. He received three Grammy Awards in February 2024. Zakir Hussain married Kathak dancer and teacher Antonia Minnecola, who was also his manager. They have two daughters, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi.

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