Singer Natasha Baig has revealed that she was originally approached to perform in the national anthem scene of the Bollywood film Tiger Zinda Hai, but the plan fell apart amid rising tensions between Pakistan and India.
Speaking on a recent episode of a YouTube show, Baig recalled getting the offer before the situation between the two countries took a turn for the worse.
“Towards the end of Tiger Zinda Hai, there was a scene where the national anthem plays. So before the tensions started, I got a call saying they wanted me and a few more choir singers to perform the national anthem in that final scene. I was actually freaking out, like this can’t be true. All the preparations were done, the logistics and everything, but during that time, things turned tense and this was the only call I ever got from Bollywood, but after that, nothing,” she narrated.
Tiger Zinda Hai, directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and produced by Yash Raj Films, released in December 2017. The film starred Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif and served as a sequel to Ek Tha Tiger.
Pakistani singer Atif Aslam had performed the song “Dil Diyan Gallan” for the film’s soundtrack despite a ban on Pakistani artists working in the Hindi film industry at the time.
Natasha is a singer-songwriter from Hunza Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan, known for her work spanning Sufi rock, folk and classical genres.
She rose to prominence in 2013 after a widely praised performance on the reality show Cornetto Music Icons and later gained wider recognition for “Shikwa” on Coke Studio Pakistan.
She has also lent her voice to Pakistan Super League anthems, including “X Dekho” in 2025.
