In the 80s, often a young, strikingly attractive face used to sing in a slightly nasal voice in the evening hours on Doordarshan.
More than her singing it was her looks that kept eyes glued to the TV sets. Her name was Penaaz Masaani and she sang ghazals.
Penaaz made a foray in playback, but did not record too many songs. The only song she sang was in Dev Anand's film Hum Naujawaan where Tabu lip-syncs the lovely 'You are my darling, tu hai meri jaan.
From the 80s to the end of the millennium, the journey has been long but Penaaz is still a few blocks away from being a popular singing sensation.
In an age of Punjabi pop, this suave singer probably finds keeping pace a bit odd. In any case, these days it is the video that decides the fate of the audio. And in this respect, though Penaaz has the looks, she lacks the funkiness that calls the bucks.
Making a re-entry in the tough and competitive world of pop music, Penaaz Masaani is ready with her second pop album -- 'Lakeerein'. The music of this album is by Shantanu Moitra and the lyrics are Sam Panchmukhi. The title song has a strong Latino flavor that was recorded in one single take.
As for the fate of the album, the Parsi ghazal singer says: ''I have done my bit, let's see what happens''. With albums and singers mushrooming everyday, your stars are as good as your last album. In that case, one just waits and watches how the market reacts to Penaaz Masaani.
In the 80s, often a young, strikingly attractive face used to sing in a slightly nasal voice in the evening hours on Doordarshan.