Magical Story of 'Bandit Queen': Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Read Shekhar Kapur's 'Kershen' and Sing a Unique Song

Mumbai, October 12 (IANS). There are some voices in the world of music that break the walls of time, boundaries and culture. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was such a voice. A personality called ‘Shahenshah-E-Qawwali’. Nusrat, born on October 13, 1948 in Faisalabad, Pakistan, not only enriched sufi music, but also gave it a new identity on the world scene. There was magic in his voice, that passion, that spirituality, who took the listener on a spiritual journey. Nusrat Sahab’s Qawwalis, ‘Dum Mast Mast’, ‘Allah Hu’, ‘I Pal Chain to Aaye’, was not just songs, but was the call of the soul. There was such a combination of sufi -style and depth of Ragas in his singing that the listener got lost. He brought the hundreds of years old Qawwali tradition to the new generation and gave it a unique color by combining it with Western music. He delivered such a speech in a scene of the Hollywood film ‘Dead Man Walking’ that it became the best scene of the film. His live performances were a magical experience. Nusrat’s enthusiasm on stage, the sparkle in her eyes and the rhythmic movement of her hands, all of it created a world where every listener could dip himself into Sufi music. His voice had the power to connect hearts, whether it is the London concert halls or the now streets of Lahore. There was such a magic in Nusrat Saheb’s voice that it connected the listeners directly to God. Many books were written on him, author Ahmed Aqeel Ruby shared many stories related to his career in his book ‘Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: A Living Legend’. It also shares an anecdote that shows his dedication and depth to his art. This incident is related to Indian film director Shekhar Kapur, when he worked on the background count for his famous film ‘Bandit Queen’. The subject and scenes of the film were extremely sensitive, especially the scenes depicting the Behmai massacre and the suffering of women in its aftermath. Such scenes need deep, spiritual and heartbreaking music. Nusrat Saheb was selected for this work. During the recording in the studio, Nusrat Sahab placed a surprising condition in front of Shekhar Kapur. He said, “Shekhar Ji, you are watching your film and I will look into your eyes.” Shekhar Kapur agreed to his request. Nusrat Sahab pointed his eyes to Shekhar Kapur’s eyes. Once the recording began, there was an uncomfortable silence. Shekhar Kapur realized that Nusrat Sahab not only plays tunes, but that he is reading his soul. At that moment, Shekhar Kapur remembers the characters of his film, their pain and the deep relationships of his personal life. That pain, that longing and that spirituality asked by those scenes came out in Nusrat Sahab’s voice. Shekhar Kapur remembers this moment and says that it was not an ordinary recording session, but a spiritual dialogue that touched the soul through music. This incident is proof that Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was not just a singer. He did not depend on any technology or microphone for his art. His singing was a lively transfer of emotions, energy and spirituality. Nusrat left this world at the age of 48 in 1997, but his legacy is still so alive. His recordings, his songs and his soulful voice still echo in millions of hearts. -—IANS JP/ABM