Zakir Hussain passes away at 73: Ustad beat Amitabh Bachchan to win 'sexiest' man alive title in 1994

Zakir Hussain will always be remembered as the tabla maestro with a broad smile on his face. But did you know that he once surpassed Amitabh Bachchan as the 'sexiest man'? During an interview with author Nasreen Munni Kabir for her book Zakir Hussain: A Life in Music, the maestro revealed the information. Zakir died early on December 16th, after suffering from illness for several weeks.

Zakir Hussain beat Amitabh Bachchan for 'sexiest' man title in 1994

Credit: Zakir Hussain Marquette by Dayanita Singh

Zakir was voted the "sexiest man" by women readers of the Indian magazine Gentleman in 1994, competing against Amitabh Bachchan.

¡°The magazine team came to see me and wanted me to wear all these suits and jackets and Western clothes and feature on their cover. I think they were equally shocked that I won the greatest number of votes because they had assumed the winner would be Amitabh Bachchan,¡± Zakir said Nasreen, according to news agency PTI.

Zakir died in a San Francisco hospital early Monday from 'idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis', a lung ailment. He was 73. He is survived by his wife, Antonia Minnecola, and his two daughters, Anisa and Isabella Qureshi. Alla Rakha, Zakir's father, was a renowned tabla musician.

He gave his first concert at the age of seven and began touring at twelve. After finishing his studies in Mumbai, where he was born, he migrated to the United States in 1970. In February of this year, he became the first Indian musician to win three Grammys at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Global Music Album, Best Global Music Performance, and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.

Credit: Zakir Hussain Marquette by Dayanita Singh

Aside from four Grammys, Zakir received other accolades and honours, including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the National Heritage Fellowship in the United States, and Officier in the Order of Arts and Letters in France.

Zakir was a tabla maestro, percussionist, composer, and actor - a legend who was both Indian and global. The musician, a household name in India and internationally, is retiring after more than 60 years in the music industry.

Also read: Zakir Hussain passes away at 73: Why tabla maestro wasn't allowed to cut his hair

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