Practicing with Ustad Nusrat was scary: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Not many artistes get the chance to train under icons. But Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was one of the lucky ones. He grew up under the tutelage of legendary Sufi and qawwali singer, late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who was also his paternal uncle.

Not many artistes get the chance to train under icons. But Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was one of the lucky ones. He grew up under the tutelage of legendary Sufi and qawwali singer, late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who was also his paternal uncle.



On Teacher’s Day (September 5), while reminiscing about his youth, and the time spent with his illustrious uncle, Rahat says, "I have tried to inherit his gaayaki (style of singing). He was a very quiet person, and he had all his conversations via singing. This quality is one of my fondest memories of him.Harmonium or gaayaki ko chodke unka aur koi shaukh nahi tha (he didn’t have any other interest besides playing the harmonium and singing)."



The singer says that he would get cold feet whenever he would practise with Khan. "Bahut khaufnaaq mahaul banta tha (it used to be scary). After he would sing a line, he would ask me to repeat, and I used to get petrified. But he always appreciated my work. He was very strict when it came to music. Whenever he was angry with someone, he would not talk to the person for weeks and months," he says.



Listen to Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan here

Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

The 41-year-old, who has crooned various Bollywood chartbusters, adds that being Khan’s successor was challenging for him. Ask if his uncle’s stardom helped him make a mark as a singer, and Rahat says, "It made things even more difficult for me. Agar fankar saccha ho, to uske fans bhi sacche hote hain; aur agar fans sacche hon, to woh kisi aur fankar ko accept nahi karte (if an artiste is honest, he or she will have loyal followers, and they don’t follow anyone else easily)."



He sang his first Hindi film song in 2003 for the film, Paap. In a journey spanning over a decade in India, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has crooned several Bollywood chartbusters. However, the Pakistani singer found himself embroiled in a legal battle when he was detained at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport in 2011 for allegedly possessing undeclared foreign currency. As a result, Rahat didn’t visit India for over four years. During his recent visit to the country, the singer spoke about how much he missed being in India, the changes in Bollywood music, and more.



Listen to Rahat's music here

You have sung many blockbusters for Salman Khan. What kind of a bond do you share with him?

I feel that Salman bhai is a true hero. People across the world love him.



Which Bollywood composers and singers are closest to you?

Sajid-Wajid and Shankar Mahadevan saab are my favourites. I am also really fond of Vishal Bhardwaj saab (film-maker). He offers something new in every project, which is amazing.



Will you ever be open to singing an item number?

(Laughs) I don’t think my voice will suit an item number. I might just start applying classical genres to it (laughs).



Which are your favourite genres?

Classical music, ghazal and qawwali are my favourites. I also listen to flamenco (Spanish folk music).