Pop star duo hits the ‘Highway’

Published January 23, 2014
Zeb and Haniya. – Dawn Photo
Zeb and Haniya. – Dawn Photo

LAHORE: The popular pop duo of Zeb and Haniya has achieved another milestone by teaming up with music icon A.R. Rehman for an upcoming Bollywood flick, ‘Highway’.

Zeb has become the first female singer from Pakistan to have signed up a project with A.R. Rehman. She has sung a song in Haryanvi (the language being spoken in Haryana) and Haniya played the music.

‘Highway’ is a 2014 Bollywood romance-drama film, directed by Imtiaz Ali and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. It stars Randeep Hooda and Alia Bhatt in the lead roles. The film will be released worldwide on Feb 21.

“It’s a dream come true that I have worked with A.R. Rehman,” Zeb told a press conference at her Sarwar Road residence on Wednesday.

She said the duo during a visit to India had a meeting with film director Imtiaz Ali who offered us a song for ‘Highway’. They also had a chance meeting with A.R. Rehman in the studio.

Asked what could be done to boost the music industry in Pakistan, Zeb suggested a “multi-pronged approach including the abolition of 65 per cent entertainment tax and solution to copyright issues.

”Zeb (Zebunnisa Humayun Bangash) and Haniya (Haniya Aslam) made their Bollywood debut with the film ‘Madras Café’. Their upcoming projects include two Bollywood movies ‘Ghoom Kay Tu’ and ‘Running Shadi.com’.

The duo evolved from two college kids experimenting with music as a hobby to artistes who have created one of the most anticipated albums of 2007. Zeb has been singing since age eight.

She told this reporter that she was also learning classical music from Ustad Muabrik Ali Khan.

Her fellow musician and first cousin, Haniya is a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. They started singing from their college days in the United States, where Zeb studied Economics and History of Art and Haniya studied Computer Science and Anthropology.

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