Lisa Ray revisits Afreen Afreen: ‘I inwardly cringe’ when the song is played

Lisa Ray has revealed that she “inwardly” cringes each time her popular song Afreen Afreen is played, but manages a polite smile. In a new Instagram post, Lisa Ray has suggested that she is not too fond of the song that was sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. (Also read: When Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan said ‘best copy award’ should go to Anu Malik)

Afreen Afreen was among the biggest pop hits in the 90s and was written by Javed Akhtar. Nusrat composed the song and Lisa featured in the 10-minute-long video alongside Himanshu Malik.

Sharing a short clip from the music video, Lisa wrote in a long post, “I have to confess I have felt uncomfortable sharing or celebrating the #AfreenAfreen breakthrough video of the 90s and iconic song by maestro #nusratfatehalikhan because I was so strongly identified with it. The song still often plays on cue for events where I am invited to speak of other aspects of my life experience and I inwardly cringe while offering a polite smile.”

In her note, Lisa said that she now realises how youth may connect with the song even today, while she is nothing close to what she was at that time. “Today, as great troubadours I listened to in my youth are passing into the light, I recognise the power of a song to evoke an emotional response in the audience that is tied to who you once were – to a moment in time that is often defined by hope, wonder and the optimism of youth.”

She added, “So of course hearing this song today is no longer about a personal association but represents a universal rite of passage – in the same timbre of falling in love for the first time, writing your first poem, reflexively planning your future- a pitch, a note, a video that reminds us of a world of beauty and possibility and innocence that once was. But truly, what would be a revelation today is others also comprehending this truth and freeing me from an association with the song, for the reasons and more above (I’m just walking around in the desert after all).”

Fans cheered on Lisa, and urged her to cherish the song for all that it gave to her. Many of them also reiterated that the song means a lot to them. One of them wrote, “I totally understand how some events that seem amazing to the rest of the world can be cringey for us.. but this song is truly a rite of passage for so many of us, I feel it in my soul and in fact it was the song I danced to at my wedding sangeet, as the bride so thank you for giving this song life with your beautiful aura, it will shine in our hearts forever!”

Another one commented, “Take it in your stride. Look at it with gratitude grace love …It got you fame and you look absolutely gorgeous in this song. And the song is soo so good.”

The song Afreen Afreen first featured on the music album Sangam that was a collaboration between Javed and Nusrat and came out in 1996. The song has since been recreated several times.