It may sound like a clichéd statement but the fact is that the news of VJ Sophiya Haque’s death in London on Jan 16 shocked the showbiz fraternity in the subcontinent big time. The girl was in her early forties. It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that with the advent of satellite television in the ‘90s she was one of the first VJs who made music not just sound attractive but also look good. She blazed a trail for a lot of young girls and boys to choose a career as video jockeys. She had the flair that’s required for a job whose primary purpose is to engage the viewers in an exercise that should enhance, and take the auditory value of, music to the next level.

Sophiya Haque’s mother is British and father is from Bangladesh. It made her all the more endearing to the subcontinent’s viewer since they could easily relate to her.