In praise of diversity

Font Size

Print

Feedback

Email

Discuss

Related Articles

Marathi film on Phalke is India’s Oscar entryIt’s on tonight: great cinema, plenty of glamourThai Major Cineplex in JV with PVRRadical Sikh outfits 'split' over honour to Bachch...

: Blessed with a voice that could move people to come forward and help those in need, I believe that my humble duty is to serve the poor with my talents. This is what Sufism teaches.

That’s Zila Khan, Sufi singer, who sees herself as a divine messenger. “At a time when religions are dividing people, Sufi music has become one binding force that unites people under one roof of humanity. Sufism, like all religions, has always preached oneness of god as well as praised the diversity god has created. Where he can create such contrasting entities like the devil and the deity, why question the diversity that he has introduced in the simple concept of religion,” says Khan, daughter of legendary Sitar maestro Vilayat Khan.

Khan’s tryst with music began early. While she admits that proximity to her abbajaan helped her get started, she lays more stress on her “god-gifted talent” and says her father too had learnt something from her! “I told him that if you could teach and allow other women to perform in public, then the same should apply to me. You shouldn’t discriminate against your family and think that we are the only izzatwale who shouldn’t perform on a stage.” She recalls how her father had made it a point to arrange for a stage show and invite all the celebrities to appalud her musical talents. “It was how he showed his respect towards women,” she points out.

That rebellious streak remains in her as she refuses to be tied down to a particular Sufi order, unlike most of her predecessors for the past millennium. And she considers herself a singer first who is not bound to any order, she stresses. That she feels, would be a limiting factor, something against the tenets of Sufism.

The chosen messenger

“If you believe in something, you can make it happen.” Passionate about her cause, she is confident about her being the chosen messenger. As she stares straight into your eyes, it’s something remarkable to behold.