Sharmila Tagore and Sonu Nigam sing Aasman Se Aaya Farishta at IFFI

Several film celebrities are being honored at the current International Film Festival of India in Panjim, Goa. Mohammed Rafi, the renowned singer, is one of them. During a panel discussion honoring him, legendary performer Sharmila Tagore took a trip down memory lane by performing his song on stage alongside Sonu Nigam.

Sonu can be seen crooning Mohammed Rafi’s well-known song Aasman Se Aaya Farishta from Shakti Samanta’s 1967 cult romance drama An Evening in Paris, which starred Shammi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore in the key roles, in a humorous video posted by All India Radio News’ official X handle.

Anuradha Paudwal, the singer who is seated next to Sonu, gestures for him to go ask Sharmila to join in while he performs the song. Sonu approaches Sharmila, who is seated close by on stage, as he moves while singing. Sharmila croons, “Ja, ja,” as Sonu sings, “Kaho pyaar hai tumse?” and turns the microphone to her, before the two sing the following lines. Sonu’s singing and Sharmila’s sportiness are praised by the live audience. The acclaim is also increased by their fellow panelists, legendary filmmaker Subhash Ghai and Anuradha Paudwal.

Throughout his career, Mohammed Rafi performed approximately 7,000 songs in both Indian and foreign languages. This year is the centennial of his birth. In 1980, he passed away at the age of 55. The timeless song Kya Hua Tera Wada from Nasir Hussain’s 1977 potboiler Hum Kisise Kum Naheen earned him a National Award. In 1967, the Indian government also bestowed the Padma Shri upon Mohammed Rafi.

Last year, Sharmila Tagore starred in the family drama Gulmohar, starring Rahul V Chittella. Her next appearance in Bengali cinema will be in Suman Ghosh’s Puratawn, which comes 15 years after Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s Antaheen (2009). Last month, the film had its debut at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.