Lisa Ray uncomfortable celebrating ‘Afreen Afreen’ video she’s identified with

Mumbai, May 9  Actress-model Lisa Ray says she “inwardly” cringes each time her popular song ‘Afreen Afreen’ is played and that she felt uncomfortable celebrating the

video she was strongly identified with.

‘Afreen Afreen’ was a popular pop 90’s hit music video sung by renowned singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The video featured Lisa.

Taking to Instagram in a long post, Lisa has shared that she was never fond of the track.

“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.”

She added: “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.”

“Today, as great troudadours 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.”

Hearing the song today has no longer personal association, says Lisa.

“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).”