Singer Kailash Kher performs at Jashn-e-Rekhta, and sings ‘Mashallah Ve Meri Dilli Teri Surat’

Kailash Kher's performance at the Urdu language festival, Jashn-e-Rekhta, showcased his emotional connection with Delhi. Read on to know what he said to the LG!

The twinkle in his eyes is unmissable when singer-songwriter Kailash Kher tweaks the lyrics of his song Tauba Tauba, to sing, ‘Mashallah Ve Meri Dilli Teri Surat’. Those who heard him live at the opening of Jashn-e-Rekhta, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, couldn’t deny witnessing Kher’s long-standing love and affiliation for the city.

Singer Kailash Kher performed with his band, Kailasa, at the opening of Jashn-e-Rekhta 2024. (Photo: Raajessh Kashyap/HT)

“Dilli meri janani (mother) hai. Mai dilli ka hun. So somewhere I have a very emotional, nostalgic rishta with Dilli,” shares the 51-year-old, adding, “Maine yahan dhakke khaye hain, rejections dekhe hain, uphaas jhele hain. After all that, now when I get so much love from people, toh kabhi kabhi mai jazbati ho jata hun (I get emotional).”

Dilli mein log dil kholke jeena jante hain; yeh nahi ki sirf stress liye ghoom rahe ho. Dilli ki taaseer, dilli ka swabhav aur dilli ka mizaaj sab bahut pyara hai. Kailash Kher, Singer

On Friday evening, Kher and his band Kailasa, debuted at the popular Urdu language festival, and compelled the otherwise “sophisticated” audience to get up from their seats and groove to their music. “This is the speciality of Delhi. Phir chahe kitne tie lagage baithe ho... Dilli ka mizaaj hi bahut pyara hai. Like how we wrapped up our show on time, but then LG (Delhi's Lieutenant Governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena) sa’ab ne request ki ‘Ek aur gaan suna dijiye’. Aur uske baad jo log naache hain!” shares Kher, whose humour lent him the liberty to refer to the LG as quite “kadak (strict)” when compared to many others!

The crowd that turned up at JLN Stadium, to witness Kailash Kher's performance, couldn't control but groove to his music. (Photo: Raajessh Kashyap/HT)

From Kaise Batayein to Teri Deewani and Bam Lahiri, the playlist for the evening had it all for the sufi-folk genre loving audience. “Jashn-e-Rekhta ne apne aap mein ek muhim chhedi hai to save our heritage, starting with our languages… I feel, it’s good to learn foreign languages but not at the cost of forgetting our languages! And because sahitya aur sangeet ek doosre ke hissa hote hain, Kailasa is baar is jashn ka hissa bana (The close bond between literature and music led to Kailasa band being a part of the festival this year).”

 

For more, follow @htcity.delhijunction