that Fiza "does live upto the expectations". Screen magazine's critic Chaya Unnikrishnan, while disappointed with the film's second half, described it as "a mature film" and commended the performances. Dinesh Raheja of India Today praised the performances but concluded: "Fiza remains watchable for its captivatingly-captured sequences within a close-knit family. But, the big picture it wants to capture remains underdeveloped." In May 2010, Fiza was one of the 14 Hindi films selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center to be screened as part of a section called "Muslim Cultures of Bombay Cinema" which aims to "celebrate and explore the rich influence of Muslim cultural and social traditions on the cinema of Bombay to the present". Fiza was banned from screening in Malaysia. Music Initially, A. R. Rahman was approached to compose the music for the film, but he declined citing date issues. However he agreed to compose one song which became "Piya Haji Ali", while rest of the songs were composed by Anu Malik. He later composed for the director's next, Tehzeeb (2003). For the background score of Fiza, Rahman suggested his associate Ranjit Barot. Barot composed the score. The album was one of the most popular soundtracks of the year. It features popular songs like "Aaja Mahiya", "Aankh Milaoongi", "Tu Fiza Hai" and "Mehboob Mere". "Mehboob Mere" was performed by Sushmita Sen as an Item number. At the 46th Filmfare Awards, Malik received a Best Music Director nomination for the soundtrack of the film. for his work on this album. According to the Indian trade website Box Office India, with around 25,00,000 units sold, this film's soundtrack album was one of the highest-selling of the year. Awards and nominations 46th Filmfare Awards: Won Best Actress – Karisma Kapoor Best Supporting Actress – Jaya Bachchan Nominated Best Actor – Hrithik Roshan Best Music Director – Anu Malik Best Lyricist – Gulzar for "Aaja Mahiya" Best Male Playback Singer – Sonu Nigam for "Tu Hawa Hai" Best Female Playback Singer – Sunidhi Chauhan for "Mehboob Mere" Best Cinematography – Santosh Sivan 2nd IIFA Awards: Won Best Actress – Karisma Kapoor Best Supporting Actress – Jaya Bachchan Nominated Best Villain – Manoj Bajpayee Best Music Director – A. R. Rahman, Anu Malik & Ranjit Barot Best Lyricist – Gulzar for "Tu Fiza Hai" Best Male Playback Singer – Udit Narayan for "Aaja Mahiya" Best Female Playback Singer – Sunidhi Chauhan for