39 years after its release, Tanhaiyan remains one of Pakistan’s most beloved drama serials. At the time it aired, the drama was a monster hit, both here and across the border.
Did you know Bollywood’s showman Raj Kapoor once sent a special message to veteran actor Behroze Sabzwari after watching Tanhaiyan? The story will leave you amazed.
Appearing as a guest on After Hours with Ushna Shah, Behroze Sabzwari shared an incredible story about receiving praise from Bollywood legend Raj Kapoor after his performance in the iconic drama Tanhaiyan.
The host Ushna Shah mentioned, “You have worked with such big stars, and you even worked in Tanhaiyaan. It’s said that after Tanhaiyaan, you received a call from Raj Kapoor. Is that true?”
Behroze replied, “Yes, it’s a huge honor for me. Actually, I didn’t get a call directly, but I received a message through Haseena Apa. Marina Khan and Shehnaz Sheikh were also part of it because this happened in 1986. At that time, I was shooting in China. It was a Pak-China co-production called Rishte Aur Raaste for PTV. Since I was in China, I couldn’t attend cricket matches in Sharjah that year, which we artists used to attend annually.”
“Raj Kapoor met Haseena Apa and the other cast members, he was very happy after seeing Tanhaiyaan and was starting a new film at that time, in which he eventually cast Zeba Bakhtiar. I received a message saying, ‘When Kabacha (the guest) visits Bombay, he will be my guest,’” the Zindagi Gulzar actor added.
But the story didn’t end there. Several years later, Behroze finally got confirmation that the message was real.
“In1992 we had gone to Sharjah again, as we did every year. This time, I met Randhir Kapoor in an elevator. Randhir Kapoor said, ‘Kabacha Sahab, would you like to have coffee with us?’ I replied, ‘It would be an honor!’ He then said, ‘You have no idea how much my father loved you in Tanhaiyaan.’ At that moment, I realized that the message I had received back then was indeed true.”
The Yunhi actor shared some special memories of working with the late Qavi Khan, describing him as a truly unique person.
The host asked, “Can you share a memorable moment with Qavi Sahab?”
Behroze replied, “I did a lot of theater and television with Qavi Sahab. Believe me, there is no one like him. As a producer, he made 12 films, out of which only two were successful, and 10 remained unreleased. His last film left him financially broke. At that time, he couldn’t even pay the artists who worked with him. But, after 15 years, when he finally received financial stability by the grace of Allah, he made sure to repay all the artists he owed money to. This is the greatness of Qavi Khan.”
Describing his relationship with Qavi, Sabzwari added, “I felt very close to him. Despite being older than me in age and experience, he treated me like a friend. He never acted superior, even though he had every right to, given his stature.”