They say that a small tree can never grow under the shade of a big one, but if anyone proved it wrong, it was Asha ji. Lata ji [Mangeshkar] was a goddess [in Hindi playback singing]; no singer could hold their own in front of her. Many singers tried to sing like her. But Asha ji developed her own style of singing and created her own identity. The Mangeshkar sisters ruled the Indian film music industry for over 55 years.

Life experiences create depth, and that was present in both of them. She sang her first song when she was only 10 years old. That means an 83-year career and what an impact she has left!

I will always remember what Ashaji told me once. She said, ‘When you look for happiness in life and relationships, you may be hurt. True happiness lies only in your work. If you think you have done your work well, that will give you true satisfaction.’

Among my favourite songs that I had written for her is Radha Kaise Na Jale from Lagaan [2001]. There is also Kanha Jo Aaye Palat Ke from Sardari Begum [1996]. When I would write the lyrics, I would know that only Ashaji could sing it.

In Rahul Rawail’s film [Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya, 1997], she was to sing a song with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. It was a challenging tune, and Asha ji realized it was her agni pariksha. She heard it twice with rapt attention before going behind the mic. When she sang it, Nusrat Fateh Ali couldn’t stop saying, ‘Waah, waah!’

Javed Akhtar recalled how he interviewed Lata Mangeshkar for a TV channel, where she reflected on her sister Asha Bhosle’s versatility. He said, “Lata ji told me, ‘Asha can sing the songs that I have. Lekin Asha ne jo saare gaane gaye hai, woh saare gaane main nahin gaa sakti’.”

Imagine meeting your idol to compose one song for him, and ending up scoring nine songs. Manan Bhardwaj finds himself in this delightful position with Anurag Kashyap’s latest release, Nishaanchi. His relationship with Kashyap goes way back. “He has been my idol,” says a beaming Bhardwaj, as he opens up about collaborating with the filmmaker, getting closure to his 2009 heartbreak, and why he prefers sitting alone in his room and scoring music over networking. Excerpts from the interview.

Around one-and-a-half years ago, I got a call to compose only one song for the film. I had a Zoom call with Anurag sir, where he explained what he wanted. And today, I have composed nine songs for the film! Our wavelengths matched. Both of us are action-oriented and frank. So, collaborating became fun.

It was Jhule Jhule Paalna. But I made Neend Bhi Teri instead. The situation for this song was specially added in the film. Anurag sir told me, ‘After your songs, I had to increase the film’s length by 15 minutes’.

Anurag sir told me, ‘Manan, make songs not for me, not for the public, but for yourself. Make whatever you want to make and let me hear it’. I kept giving him songs, and he kept putting them into situations. The songs and the film go hand-in-hand.

Also, Anurag sir has been my idol. In 2009, I drove from Delhi to Mumbai to meet him. We didn’t even have Google Maps then. When he says, ‘I added scenes because of Manan’s songs’, it’s bigger than any award.

 

No. I was told by someone that Anurag sir needed a number of songs for his film, and I should come down. I took the whole set-up with me. I went to his office; he was not there. After that, I understood it was a lie. So, I stayed in Mumbai for a day. The next day, I promised myself that it will happen someday.

In the Indian music scene, supply is way higher than consumption. How many songs can a person listen to? I myself hardly listen to one or two contemporary songs, otherwise I listen to the songs of Jagjit [Singh] saab and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan saab. It’s our responsibility as composers to make the listeners engage with both old and new music. I try to make music that has meaning, where the listener is able to relive an emotion that they’ve felt in the past. 

Artistes are corrupting themselves. I stay away from all this. I visit Mumbai only to meet a few special people and do official meetings. I never party here. Why do people visit top music directors’ houses for Ganpati? So that they can build contacts. Those singers haven’t understood that contacts will yield nothing. Instead, if you sit at home and make four songs, one of them may become a hit. The problem is artistes don’t want to work hard, instead they call it a struggle. Don’t you dare call hard work a struggle! Artistes are becoming their own enemies — they should focus on working hard and moving ahead. They shouldn’t harbour jealousy, nor should they unnecessarily expand their circle.

(From left) Stills from the acclaimed series, Churails, and the Fawad Khan-led Barzakh. Pics/AFP, Yogen Shah, Instagram

On May 8, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory directing OTT platforms, media streaming platforms, and intermediaries to remove all streaming content originating from Pakistan. In the ministry’s circular, the platforms were advised to “discontinue the web series, films, songs, podcasts, and other streaming media content, having its origins in Pakistan, with immediate effect.”

This comes amid the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict. In keeping with the advisory, by the morning of May 9, Zee5 had pulled down its much-loved Pakistani shows Churails (2020) and Barzakh (2024). Pakistani dramas Humsafar and Zindagi Gulzar Hai, which used to stream on Hum TV’s YouTube channel, were no longer available in India.

Through its subsidiary Zindagi, Zee5 had introduced Pakistani content to Indian audiences, bringing director Asim Abbasi’s Churails in 2020. Abbasi’s Barzakh too had found takers, as Pakistani actor Fawad Khan returned to Indian screens with the series.

An insider tells mid-day, “Zindagi became defunct right after the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, while the shows continued to stream on Zee5. But now, the shows have been pulled down from Zee5 and its YouTube channel around the globe. The shows’ promotional materials too have been removed. The filmmaker and the cast have no way of accessing their work anymore.”

The advisory affects not only the past and current works, but also those in the pipeline. Jo Bachay Hain Sang Samet Lo, which is Netflix’s first Pakistani original series, will no longer première in India. An insider from the streaming giant reveals, “Though Netflix boasts simultaneous releases across the globe, this show will not stream in India. It’s scheduled for a late June release in the remaining parts of the world.”

The advisory’s reach extends beyond visual media. The legacy Instagram account of late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan as well as that of Pasoori singer Ali Sethi, who lives in the US, have become inaccessible in India from May 9. Audio streaming platforms in India have initiated the process of removing works by Pakistani artistes from their library.

A Jio Saavn insider says, “It will take a while to do this as there is overlapping in certain cases. For instance, Atif Aslam has sung many songs for Indian productions; those can’t be dropped. Nusrat saab is a legend. How do we remove all his music, some of which were in collaboration with Indian artistes?” 

The Internet Freedom Foundation, an Indian not-for-profit organization, opposed the I&B Ministry’s advisory. An excerpt from the foundation’s statement read, “The Internet Freedom Foundation [IFF] mourns the lives lost in the April 22 Pahalgam attack and affirms that national security is a paramount constitutional duty, yet insists that security measures themselves must remain within constitutional limits. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s ‘advisory’ ordering every OTT service, streaming platform, and intermediary in India to remove all content having its origins in Pakistan exceeds those limits.”

Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, who earlier directed films like Lucky: No Time For Love and Sanam Teri Kasam and several music videos, are back to helming a feature film with Yaariyan 2. The duo enjoyed teaming up with Divya Khosla Kumar, Meezaan Jafri and Pearl V Puri in this film about three cousins, their friendship, bond and journey that released on October 20. They talk to us about how the idea for this film was born and how music drives their stories.

Vinay Sapru: So, we had this script, which focused on what happens to the people when they come to Mumbai from outside the city under various circumstances. For example, some come to the city after marriage, while others come here for education or to pursue their careers. It’s a coming-of-age story of all these characters, with the backdrop of great music. When we narrated this musical to producer Bhushan ji (producer Bhushan Kumar), he said he has a franchise called Yaariyan, which is about friendship and coming-of-age, and this film fits into that mould organically. And that’s how it all began.

Radhika Rao: We cannot think of a subject unless it has scope for music, as it doesn’t excite us. We do all the writing with music playing in the background. For us, music is a switch. It keeps us in sync. I don’t know if we will ever make a movie without music, but I am sure we cannot write a movie without music playing in the background. Culturally, we all are very rooted in music. We have grown up on Raj Kapoor films and Yash Chopra films. Over the past decade, music has taken a backseat in Bollywood films. But I am happy that it is coming back with commercial Hindi cinema taking the audience by storm.

Radhika: The good thing is that, given that she’s directed films in the past, she understands the angst of a director and is very considerate on tough shoot days when we are working for long hours and in bad weather conditions. She was a complete actor in this project, and I don’t recall a single conversation where we discussed direction.

Vinay: We did our first project together with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (for the Kinna Sona music video). Since then, we have never looked back. It all falls into place when there’s mutual respect. There are no ego hassles when it comes to our creative ideas. And I think there is a clear demarcation that this is where my turf ends and her turf starts - that is what has kept us going.

Sultan Of Delhi promises to be a signature Milan Luthria fare, complete with larger-than-life characters, well-mounted action sequences and dialoguebaazi. At the same time, the gangster drama marks a departure for the director, who has turned lyricist with the number, Saaqiya. Penning the song was an organic process, says Luthria.

“When the melody was sung to me, I gave them a rough line, but couldn’t go further than that. I have worked with some of the best songwriters of my time, be it Vishal Dadlani or Rajat Arora, and the musical great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. You end up watching and learning from them,” says the director.

After giving the first line, Luthria started thinking how he could take it forward. “That night at home, I said, ‘Forget it, it’s not my job’ and went to sleep. When I woke up the next morning, I realized that I had written the mukhda at some point last night. My assistants, my producer and the music composer loved it. Later, on a holiday, one of my friends insisted that I complete the song, and I did!”  

Now that he is bitten by the writing bug, he is keen to pen more songs. “My mother, wife and daughter loved Saaqiya, as did Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan, Vishal-Shekhar, Pritam, and Manish Malhotra. That has given me some confidence, but I don’t know when I will crack the next one.”  

So, is a book of poems on the cards? Nope, maybe a book on his experience of shooting films, says the director. “I’ve worked with some of the biggest stars, including Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Rani Mukerji, Vidya, Akshay Kumar and Sanjay Dutt. I got to see a side of actors that few see—they are light-hearted, kind and caring. The book [can capture] the behind-the-scenes anecdotes of my film shoots. I’ll start working on it soon.”

Actor-model Lisa Ray, who starred in the popular 90s hit Afreen Afreen, admits to feeling “uncomfortable sharing or celebrating” the track.

Sharing a clip of the song — composed and sung by the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan — on Instagram, she wrote, “The song often plays on cue for events where I am invited to speak and I inwardly cringe while offering a polite smile. Today, as great troubadours I listened to in my youth are passing into the light, I recognise the power of a song to evoke an emotional response in the audience that is tied to who you once were.” She continues, “Hearing this song today is no longer about a personal association but represents a universal rite of passage — in the same timbre of falling in love for the first time, writing your first poem, reflexively planning your future — a pitch, a note, a video that reminds us of a world of beauty and possibility and innocence that once was. But what would be a revelation today is others also comprehending this truth and freeing me from an association with the song, for the reasons and more above (I’m just walking around in the desert after all).”

However, fans and followers urged her to cherish the song in their comments on the post. One fan wrote, “This song is truly a rite of passage for so many of us, I feel it in my soul and in fact it was the song I danced to at my wedding sangeet.”

Another commented, “Look at it with gratitude grace love... It got you fame and you look absolutely gorgeous in this song.”

Over 18 years ago, Milan Luthria had roped in Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to compose the soundtrack for his directorial debut, Kachche Dhaage, starring Ajay Devgn, Manisha Koirala, Saif Ali Khan and Sonali Bendre.

The love ballad, Tere Bin Nahin Lagda, picturised on Ajay and Manisha, remains memorable even after all these years. And now, for his upcoming action thriller Baadshaho, the filmmaker has got Tanishk Bagchi to recreate the late legend's creation, Rashk-e-Qamar. Like Tere Bin Nahin Lagda, this one also features Ajay, but with Ileana D'Cruz. Said to be one of Nusrat's timeless classics, Rashk-e-Qamar is an alluring number that is popular even internationally. The new version, penned by Manoj Muntashir and rendered by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan - it retains Nusrat's voice for the original lines - releases tomorrow. Shot in the picturesque locales of Bikaner, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, the song showcases the strong relationship between Ajay and Ileana's characters.

Milan says that he was trying to find the right flavour for the film, “specifically for Ajay“ and was browsing through Nusrat's songs. “Bhushan Kumar (who is also producing the film) sensed my interest in those tracks and said that he could get Rashk-e-Qamar; it happened very organically ,“ the filmmaker recalls.

Milan adds, “The song brought back memories of Kachche Dhaage, which people tell me was Nusrat's best film album. I have a deep connect with him and it's great to have him return into my life in this way.“

What was the brief for Tutti Bole Wedding Di?
Director Anees Bazmee sir briefed Meet Brothers that he wanted a full-on Punjabi number for Welcome Back. Manmeet from Meet Brothers called up and said, 'Let's do this song.' I was given the brief that it's a dhamaal peppy gaana. I was thrilled because we are all Punjabis. That's what I tried in the song. All the songs I have sung in Bollywood till date are all Punjabi. Ishq Bulaava (Hasee Toh Phasee) was romantic, Ungli Pe Nachalein (Ungli) was a Punjabi number and Yadaan Teriyaan (Hero) is a Punjabi sad song.

How did Yadaan Teriyaan happen?
Jassi Katyal, Dev Negi and I had made the song last August and pitched it to Karan Johar. He liked the song and he archived it for his bank. He gifted the song to Nikhil Advani for the remake of Hero. They wanted a song like Lambi Judai that featured in the original. Yadaan Teriyaan features in the same situation as Lambi Judai. Johar sir locked my voice because he felt I sound like Reshma who's sung the original. He heard the dard in my voice. Being from Punjab, I sing Sufi kalam and Pakistani songs in live shows.

What's your equation with Meet Brothers?
I used to sing a lot of sad and romantic tracks but since I have started jamming with them, I am more into that peppy zone. They are super cool. Everyone knows they are good with rap and dance. I have learnt a lot about this kind of music after having worked with them for a while.The atmosphere in their studio is so good that it feels like family. Everyone is jamming and playing around with sounds.

How did you start off in Bollywood?
Though my roots are in Punjab, I was born in Delhi. I belong to a musical family. My parents, Subhash and Anju Goyal are musicians. Bachpan se main tutla tutla ke gaane gaati thi. I would be around them during their recordings. I used to sing songs of those times like Tu Tu Tara (Bol Radha Bol) so my parents knew that I would become a singer when I grew up. They trained me. I started participating in music competitions at the state level from the sixth standard itself. When my parents used to perform, I would wonder why I wasn't on stage with them. I was so eager that my first show was in Class 12. I am two years old in Bollywood playback. In fact, I turned 24 years old on September 25. I did my graduation in classical music from Hindu College in Delhi. I shifted to Mumbai two-and-half years back. God has been great that I got a chance to sing with good banners. I made my debut with Vishal-Shekhar's Ishq Bulaava and have constant support from people like lyricist Kumaar and Meet Brothers.

Do you like living in Mumbai?
After coming to Mumbai I feel like I can't live anywhere else. I am so much in love with it. The vibe of the city is such that once you get attached to it, you can't let go. This is a sentiment you will hear from other people who have come from different cities. Even when I travel for shows, the moment I land in Mumbai, I feel like I am home.

Which composer would you like to sing for?
A R Rahman. If I sing for him, I know he will bring out a different texture in my vocals.

Which artistes do you admire?
I really like Beyoncé. Everything about her ­ her singing, performance and the way she carries herself on stage ­ is mesmerising. I like listening to the ghazals of Ustad Ghulam Ali sahab. I have learnt a lot while listening to the songs of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sahab.

Who are your friends in music?
I have lots of musician friends.Kumaar sir is my mentor in Bollywood. He's a great support to me and other fellow musicians. I was a novice when it came to playback singing and it was a challenging task. He taught me about beats, rhythm and how much weightage should be given to specific words.

How important is social media to you?
I realised the importance of social media when my fan page got hacked and deleted. It made me aware of how many fans I had lost touch with since the days I was singing in Punjab. My fan page is up now and it helps me connect with my followers.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, 41, is emotional, sensitive and romantic. He is loyal with a clean heart, but he prefers to remain diplomatic as he doesn't want to hurt anyone. He is always smiling and is extremely naughty and childlike. He is shy with a lot of self-respect and like his mother always told him, he has a lot of hausla. Prior to 2011, there was a time when almost every Bollywood film had to have a song by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. But post his Customs case, his singing for Bollywood reduced substantially and so, now his fans wait for any song that Rahat may land up singing. And therefore, it comes as no surprise that his latest song Mere Naina Kafir Ho Gaye from Arbaaz Khan's romantic comedy Dolly Ki Doli has become a hit. In an exclusive conversation, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan opens upto Bombay Times and for the first time, talks about his unfortunate Customs episode, his near fatal accident in the US and why he still cries remembering his mentor Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Excerpts:

How did you come into singing?
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sahab used to always tell me that I have a great memory. I remember as a child, I listening to my dada singing some qawaalis would touch me so much that I would go to the washroom and cry. That was the only place in the house where I could be alone. I could not understand the meaning of the words or the raags, but just the sur touched me and would make me cry. I started singing at the age of 5. After a little practice, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sahab (I was his younger brother's son) heard me and he started teaching me and I performed for the first time on my dada's barsi at the age of 7. I can never play the harmonium like my father, but I learnt to play it from him and try and follow him.

How did Bollywood happen?
I grew up listening to songs of Lataji, Ashaji, Kishore da and Mohammed Rafiji. I would love their singing and always thought in my heart how great they were. Nusrat sahab died in 1997. After his death, I composed and sung songs in an album, but unfortunately the owner of the music company died and so, it could not be released. A few years later in 2002, Pooja Bhatt visited Pakistan and she heard it and loved the song Mann Ki Lagan and took the rights for her film. That was my first song in Bollywood.

Who are you emotionally most attached to?
He is not in this world now, but it is was Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sahab. Kya bataoon ki woh kis tarah ke insaan the. I still cry till today remembering him and some of his compositions. He could not bear lies and would neither speak lies nor listen to it. He was always working towards building a name for his family. He was not interested in any worldly things or issues and was only into his harmonium and his music. He had one quality that always surprised me. Even though there was no net at that time, I would hear his song one day and can you imagine within a week of its release, it would have become a superhit in Pakistan. I don't know how people would find out and listen to it, but it would be on everyone's lips. He loved his family, be it his wife or daughter and me. He was a very pyaara insaan and was very sincere. He was a pure artist, who was not commercial. He was the most respected from our family. He was suffering from diabetes and in his last few months, he was on dialysis. I still remember when I got that call in the afternoon in Pakistan telling me that he had passed away. It was morning in London, when he had died there in the hospital. When I practise a raag he taught me and remember his phrases, I miss him and that's the time I realise that he is physically no more with me. Right from my childhood, I would be glued to him and I don't remember talking to him about anything else, but about music. I was like his kid and he would always compliment me for my memory that once he taught me any thing, I would never forget it. He must be listening from up there on what the world says about me today.

What was your lowest period in life?
I get very emotional when it comes to Khan sahab or my mother. First, Khan sahab died in 1997. Then in 2003, I lost my father. In 2005, my mother was ill and needed treatment. I had no money to get her treated. But somehow, I arranged the money from somewhere. She knew that I had no money and was so not ready to go to the hospital for treat ment. I went home to pick her up, but saw that she was not ready only. 'Aap ready hi nahi huye?,' I told her, 'We have to go to the doctor.' She said,' Kaise jayenge?' I said, 'Why are you thinking about that? The doctor knew papa and he said that he will look after everything.' She knew I was lying and said, 'Speak the truth. Your face is not speaking what you are saying by your mouth.' She started getting ready and just before leaving the house she gave me dua and said, 'Tumhe uparwala bahut dega.' That was the last time she went to the hosipital and she died there. That was the biggest setback for me in life, but due to her dua, my career took off post her death in 2006 and I started singing so many songs in Bollywood and got so much love for it. A mother never leaves you and I can never forget her.