Laila O Laila

In Conversation With Artist, Laila Khan Furniturewalla

Reenita Malhotra Hora

Apr 15, 2025

Transcript

Season 6, Ep 5 - Laila O Laila

Hello everyone,

Okay, so I’m technically not allowed to have favorite episodes. But this one? It has a special place in my heart.

Even though we never got a video recording, the moment stayed with me—because it transported me straight back to being ten years old, eyes glued to the screen, utterly mesmerized by Zeenat Aman, Feroz Khan, and Amjad Khan—the original Khan powerhouses—in that iconic hit Laila O Laila. I know I’m not alone. That song wasn’t just a chart-topper—it was a moment for so many of us growing up in that era.

Little did I know, while I was spinning around in my living room pretending to be Zeenie baby, there was another little girl—also ten years old—who that song was literally written for!

And that’s my guest today - Laila Khan Furniturewalla.

I’m thrilled to welcome the incredibly talented Laila Khan Furniturewalla to the show. Daughter of the legendary filmmaker, actor, and writer Feroz Khan, Laila grew up surrounded by cinema royalty—but she’s carved out her own vibrant path as a mixed media artist, drawing inspiration from Ganesha and blending cross-cultural symbolism with a deeply personal lens.

We talk about her father’s creative legacy, the kind of focus and perfectionism that drove him, and what it meant to grow up as that Laila—the muse behind the melody.

And in case you missed it—Zeenat recently shared the backstory of Laila O Laila in this interview, revealing the song’s twisty path to cinematic immortality: Read here.

Stick around until the end of the episode—we’ll play a clip of the song that started it all, dedicated to Laila by her father in Qurbani.

This one’s personal. Hope you love it.

See below for more information on Laila's upcoming art show!

The song Laila O Laila from the film Qurbani, written by Laila’s father Feroz Khan and inspired by her

Listen now on:

IN THIS EPISODE:

(02:24) Laila shares the type of art she creates
(05:32) Laila discusses her father and his contributions to the film industry in India
(10:16) Why wasn’t Laila encouraged to pursue acting
(12:09) Laila explains how the song Laila O Laila was inspired
(16:11) Discussion of the actresses' careers launched because of the film Qurbani
(21:00) Listen to the song Laila O Laila from the film Qurbani

Click here for more show notes!

Listen to this week’s episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or Reenita.com.