Salma Agha

Salma Agha (born 25 October 1956) is a British singer and actress whose distinguished career spans Indian and Pakistani cinema, particularly during the 1980s and early 1990s. She achieved widespread recognition for her dual contribution as both actress and playback singer in B.R. Chopra's Nikaah (1982), with her soulful rendition of Dil Ke Armaan becoming one of the most celebrated songs in Hindi cinema. Born in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, India, to Liaqat Gul Agha and Nasreen Agha, she belongs to an Urdu-speaking Punjabi Pathan family with ancestral roots in Amritsar, Punjab. The family surname 'Agha' traces its origins to her Pashtun forebears from Afghanistan. Her father, a successful trader in precious stones and antiques in Iran, was conferred the honorific title 'Agha' in recognition of his professional standing. Her mother, born Zarina Ghaznavi and later known as Nasreen Agha, was the daughter of musician Rafiq Ghaznavi and pioneering film actress Anwari Bai Begum, who appeared in Heer Ranjha (1932). Following her parents' separation, Nasreen was legally adopted by businessman Jugal Kishore Mehra, a cousin of actors Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, and Shashi Kapoor through the Kapoor family's maternal lineage. Raised primarily in London, Agha displayed an early aptitude for music, performing at school festivals and cultural programmes. Raj Kapoor recognised her potential at a young age and later introduced her to filmmaker B.R. Chopra, who cast her in Nikaah after replacing Zeenat Aman in the lead role. The film proved to be a landmark success, earning Agha nominations for both the Filmfare Award for Best Actress and Best Female Playback Singer. She won the latter for Dil Ke Armaan and also received a nomination for Dil Ki Yeh Arzoo from the same film. Agha consolidated her position in Hindi cinema with memorable performances in Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki (1984), alongside Mithun Chakraborty, where her energetic rendition of Come Closer became immensely popular. Her subsequent filmography includes Salma (1985), Oonche Log (1985), Jungal Ki Beti (1987), Mahaveera (1988), Paanch Fauladi (1988), Kanwarlal (1988), Pati Patni Aur Tawaif (1990), and Meet Mere Man Ke (1991). Among her other notable songs are Faza Bhi Hai Jawan and Dil Ki Yeh Arzoo from Nikaah, Come Closer from Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki, and Teri Mohabbat Meri Jawani from Pati Patni Aur Tawaif. In her personal life, Agha was first married to Pakistani actor Javed Sheikh, followed by her marriage to squash player Rahmat Khan, with whom she has two children, Zara and Ali Agha Khan. In 2011, she married Dubai-based businessman Manzar Shah. She currently resides in Mumbai, where her daughter Zara Sasha Agha has established a career in Hindi cinema. In January 2017, the Government of India conferred upon Salma Agha the status of Overseas Citizen of India, acknowledging her enduring cultural and artistic association with the country.