Showing posts with label Nahid Afrin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nahid Afrin. Show all posts
I didn't even know what a fatwa means-Nahid Afrin
8:07 AM
Reza Noorani (BOMBAY TIMES; March 24, 2017)
After bagging the second
runner-up title in Indian Idol Junior Season 2, 16-year-old Nahid Afrin
made her debut as a Bollywood playback singer with Sonakshi Sinha's
Akira, where she sang the kitschy number Rajj Rajj Ke. Just as the
teenager was savouring her success back in her hometown Assam, she got
calls from reporters asking what she knew about the `fatwa' issued
against her. As per the pamphlets, local clerics urged peo
ple to avoid attending Nahid's
upcoming show on March 25, as the event is being held on 'grounds
surrounded
by masjids, idgahs, madrasas and graveyards'.
While it was a misunderstanding on the part of the media, as there was
no fatwa against her, it was heartening to see how the youngster showed
courage in the face of adversity and how Bollywood stood by her during
the ordeal. Excerpts...
What was your first reaction when you heard about the 'fatwa'?
I didn't believe the news at all. I thought it was just a rumour. I went back to studying, but just then, my father switched on the TV and it was breaking news across channels. I didn't react too much and took it easy. But then, many reporters and relatives started calling me, which is when I realised the seriousness of it. That's when I got really worried. I was completely broken. The first thing that came to my mind was that I will have to leave Assam.
Do you think politics is being played in your name?
To be honest, I didn't even know what a fatwa means. My father explained it to me. After that, I was shocked, because a fatwa is a big thing. I thought that the Maulanas had asked me to quit singing. Not just me, my parents, too, were upset. About politics, I have no idea. I am only 16.
News reports say the pamphlet did not mention your name.
I haven't read that pamphlet till now. I am not allowed to see it as my parents think it will disturb me further. I got to know that it was distributed among reporters.
What's your state of mind now?
I am in Std X and want to complete my studies in Assam. But later, I might shift to Mumbai. I definitely want to pursue playback singing. It is my dream. But before that, I want to become a good human being.
Are you still doing the show tomorrow?
Of course, I am. I will sing my song from Akira. In fact, with all of this going on, I released another song in Assamese titled Dhuniya Jon.
Are you scared of performing in Assam?
Not at all. I know that the people of Assam are with me. I got a lot of encouragement during this entire ordeal, including a call from the CM of Assam. In fact, the first call I got was from Vishal Sir (Dadlani). He told me to let him know if there was anything at all he could help me with. That gave me a lot of confidence.
What was your first reaction when you heard about the 'fatwa'?
I didn't believe the news at all. I thought it was just a rumour. I went back to studying, but just then, my father switched on the TV and it was breaking news across channels. I didn't react too much and took it easy. But then, many reporters and relatives started calling me, which is when I realised the seriousness of it. That's when I got really worried. I was completely broken. The first thing that came to my mind was that I will have to leave Assam.
Do you think politics is being played in your name?
To be honest, I didn't even know what a fatwa means. My father explained it to me. After that, I was shocked, because a fatwa is a big thing. I thought that the Maulanas had asked me to quit singing. Not just me, my parents, too, were upset. About politics, I have no idea. I am only 16.
News reports say the pamphlet did not mention your name.
I haven't read that pamphlet till now. I am not allowed to see it as my parents think it will disturb me further. I got to know that it was distributed among reporters.
What's your state of mind now?
I am in Std X and want to complete my studies in Assam. But later, I might shift to Mumbai. I definitely want to pursue playback singing. It is my dream. But before that, I want to become a good human being.
Are you still doing the show tomorrow?
Of course, I am. I will sing my song from Akira. In fact, with all of this going on, I released another song in Assamese titled Dhuniya Jon.
Are you scared of performing in Assam?
Not at all. I know that the people of Assam are with me. I got a lot of encouragement during this entire ordeal, including a call from the CM of Assam. In fact, the first call I got was from Vishal Sir (Dadlani). He told me to let him know if there was anything at all he could help me with. That gave me a lot of confidence.
Nahid Afrin returns on Indian Idol stage; sings Akira song in Sonakshi Sinha's presence
8:01 AM
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 23, 2017)
Nahid Afrin, an Indian Idol Junior participant in 2015, has been in the news after reports of a fatwa being issued against her aimed at stopping a scheduled performance in her hometown Assam, made its way to the media. This was followed by tweets in support from the state Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, scriptwriter Salim Khan and singer Vishal Dadlani among others.
On Tuesday, Nahid returned to the Indian Idol stage to performe her first playback from the Sonakshi Sinha starrer Akira, “Raj Raj Ke”, and announced the release of her latest Assamese song. A source from the sets reveals that Sonakshi who was a judge on the earlier show, was a celebrity guest on this episode. The actress who’d orchestrated Nahid’s Bollywood break, was happy to reminisce about their earlier reality show stint. Nahid thanked her for believing in her talent.
Says the source, “Nahid admits that she was unsure of pulling off the Akira song when Sonakshi offered it to her. She was only 13 at the time. But the actress who had supported her publicly on the show, encouraged her. She’s indebted to her and to the Indian Idol team for helping her become a playback singer.”
She also expressed her admiration for this year’s contestant Khuda Baksh, whom she considers her ‘bhaiya’ and would want him to win this season of Indian Idol. She also thanked Vishal for his support during the recent controversy.
Who are these people opposing the singing by Suhana Syed and Nahid Afrin?-Javed Akhtar
8:01 AM
Subhash K Jha (DNA; March 20, 2017)
Within two weeks, two young female singers Suhana Syed and Nahid Afrin have been victims of fundamentalism for “hurting religious sentiments”. Suhana was savagely condemned and trolled for singing a bhajan on a reality show. Nahid Afrin’s proposed presence at a live musical show in Assam invited the wrath of some clerics, who allegedly imposed a fatwa on her, a claim that has since been denied by at least one organisation named.
Javed Akhtar, one of India’s most liberal and outspoken Muslim artistes, says this is another attempt to smother these young female voices smacks of a farce. “Who are these people opposing the singing by these two girls? Which section of the Indian Muslim do they represent? These are nothing but a nuisance created for self-publicity. In fact, a few years ago, a leading news channel had a done a sting operation where it was revealed that a fatwa can be arranged in Rs 10,000. Yes, that’s how little it costs to create havoc in people’s lives.”
Regarding a Muslim girl singing a bhajan, he says, “If you’re going to try to punish a girl for singing a bhajan, then please also think back to great Muslim artistes like Amir Khusro, Bismillah Khan, Mohd Rafi, Naushad, Sahir Ludhianvi and Shakeel Badayuni, who have paid rich homage to the Hindu religion. The idea of restricting a singer or an artiste on the basis of religion is ridiculous.”
Sonakshi Sinha promises playback debut to Indian Idol Junior contestant Nahid Afrin
7:50 AM
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 28, 2015)
In an earlier interview to Mirror (July 31), Sonakshi Sinha had admitted that being a judge on the talent hunt show, Indian Idol Junior, has inspired her to brush up her singing skills and could lead to her crooning a song in one of her upcoming films. "Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani are doing the music for Akira. Vishal, who is my Idol co-judge thinks it would be great if I sang," Sonakshi had said.
While one is still unsure about whether the 28-year-old actress will be making her signing debut in AR Murugadoss's remake of the 2011 Tamil hit, Mouna Guru, Mirror has now learnt that she has promised a playback break to one of the contestants, Nahid Afrin. The 13-year-old sang KK's chartbuster from Jannat, Zara si dil mein de jagah tu. Everyone, including the singer, applauded the performance, and an overwhelmed Sonakshi embraced Nahid and requested her to sing for her in Akira. Sonakshi confirmed the news saying. "Yes, Nahid is one of my favourite contestants and with her confidence and passion she can record a song anytime. I requested her to sing for my upcoming movie Akira and I'm glad she's agreed."
Nahid understandably, is over the moon. "This the best moment of my journey on the show," she smiles.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)