Juhi Babbar honours grandfather Syed Sajjad Zaheer on 121st birth anniversary
Synopsis
Actress Juhi Babbar never met her grandfather, Urdu writer and Marxist thinker Syed Sajjad Zaheer — but she says her play 'Ek Lamhaa Zindagi,' built around her grandparents' lives, has brought her closer to him than she ever imagined. Her Instagram tribute on his 121st birth anniversary is a moving reminder that legacy can outlast a lifetime.
Key Takeaways
Juhi Babbar paid tribute to her grandfather Syed Sajjad Zaheer on his 121st birth anniversary on 5 November 2026 .
Babbar shared that she never met her grandfather, who passed away long before she was born.
Her play 'Ek Lamhaa Zindagi' , based on her grandparents, gave her a deep personal connection with him.
The play is narrated from her grandmother's point of view, with Syed Sajjad Zaheer as a pervasive emotional presence.
She credited her mother, Nadira Zaheer Babbar , for preserving the family's legacy.
Syed Sajjad Zaheer was a noted Urdu writer, Marxist thinker, and member of the Communist Party of India , born on 5 November 1905 .
Actress Juhi Babbar paid a heartfelt tribute to her grandfather, Comrade Syed Sajjad Zaheer, on his 121st birth anniversary on 5 November 2026, sharing an emotional note on Instagram about never having met him — and finding a profound connection through her play 'Ek Lamhaa Zindagi'. The post, which has resonated with fans and theatre circles alike, underlines how art can bridge the distance between generations.
A Tribute Born from the Stage
Babbar, known for her role in 'Yaaran Naal Baharan', wrote that this particular anniversary 'feels different.' The actress revealed that her grandfather passed away long before she was born, leaving her with a lifelong sense of absence. However, the process of creating and performing 'Ek Lamhaa Zindagi' — a play centred on her grandparents — has transformed that void into intimacy.
'Through this play, I feel I have come to know him so well. Almost as though I've spent years in his company,' she wrote in her tribute post.
Grandfather's Presence Through a Grandmother's Eyes
Babbar noted that while Syed Sajjad Zaheer does not appear physically in the play — the narrative being told through her grandmother's perspective — his influence pervades every scene. 'Although he is not physically present in the play, since the story unfolds through my Nani's point of view, he is there everywhere. In every emotion, every memory, every turn of the story,' she wrote.
She described him as having become 'a close, yet larger-than-life character' for her through this creative journey, adding that words like 'icons' and 'legends' carry genuine weight in her family's legacy.
Pride in a Remarkable Legacy
Babbar expressed deep pride in being the eldest grandchild of Syed Sajjad Zaheer, and credited her mother, Nadira Zaheer Babbar, for keeping his memory alive. 'Happy Birthday, Nana. You continue to live through your words, your legacy, and now, through our stories,' she concluded.
Syed Sajjad Zaheer, born on 5 November 1905, was a prominent Indian Urdu writer, Marxist thinker, revolutionary, and a member of the Communist Party of India. His literary and political contributions have left a lasting imprint on India's progressive intellectual tradition.
Art as a Bridge Across Generations
The emotional resonance of Babbar's tribute reflects a broader cultural moment in which Indian theatre practitioners are turning to family histories as a source of storytelling. 'Ek Lamhaa Zindagi' stands as both a personal homage and a piece of living cultural memory, connecting contemporary audiences with a generation of thinkers who shaped modern India's ideological landscape.
Point of View
Embodied by figures like Syed Sajjad Zaheer, risks fading into abstraction without active cultural reclamation. Theatre here does the work that textbooks rarely do. What is quietly notable is that the medium keeping Zaheer's memory alive is not an academic biography or a state commemoration, but a granddaughter's stage production — a reminder that personal and political history are inseparable in India's artistic traditions. Whether 'Ek Lamhaa Zindagi' reaches the wider audiences that Zaheer's legacy deserves remains the real question.
NationPress
6 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Syed Sajjad Zaheer?
Syed Sajjad Zaheer, born on 5 November 1905, was a prominent Indian Urdu writer, Marxist thinker, revolutionary, and member of the Communist Party of India. He is widely recognised as a significant figure in India's progressive literary and political history.
Why did Juhi Babbar post a tribute to Syed Sajjad Zaheer?
Juhi Babbar posted the tribute on Instagram to mark her grandfather Syed Sajjad Zaheer's 121st birth anniversary on 5 November. She noted that this year the occasion felt particularly meaningful because of the connection she has developed with him through her play 'Ek Lamhaa Zindagi.'
What is Juhi Babbar's play 'Ek Lamhaa Zindagi' about?
'Ek Lamhaa Zindagi' is a theatrical production by Juhi Babbar that is based on the lives of her grandparents, Syed Sajjad Zaheer and her grandmother. The story unfolds through her grandmother's point of view, with Zaheer as a pervasive emotional and narrative presence throughout.
Did Juhi Babbar ever meet her grandfather Syed Sajjad Zaheer?
No. Juhi Babbar has stated that her grandfather passed away long before she was born, and she never had the opportunity to meet him personally. She has described her play as the experience that brought her closest to knowing him.
Who is Nadira Zaheer Babbar?
Nadira Zaheer Babbar is Juhi Babbar's mother and the daughter of Syed Sajjad Zaheer. Juhi credited her mother for preserving the family's legacy and for being instrumental in keeping her grandfather's memory alive across generations.
