'Jab We Met' starring Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor a superhit Bollywood movie is still remembered for its soulful songs.
And one of the most popular songs of the movie, 'Aaoge Jab Tum' not only made it to the radio playlists around the country but also shot Ustad Rashid Khan into the mainstream limelight.
While many traditional classical singers prefer to stay away from Bollywood music, Ustad Rashid Khan had no such limitations.
He says he enjoys singing for films if the music and the content are right.
"In fact, Bollywood music helps popularise our rich classical music," Ustad told SBS Hindi.
Ustad Rashid Khan is known for his songs in ‘Jab we met’, My name is Khan’, Mausam,' Poore se zara sa' and Chakravyuh -' Aiyo Piyaji'.
Ustad Rashid Khan Source: Wikimedia/Krupasindhu Muduli CC BY-SA 4.0
And after the success of 'Aaoge Jab Tum', composer Sandesh once again roped him in film Vodka Diaries.
Besides singing for films occasionally, he has also composed for a film Ishqeria, which was released last year after the delay of three years.
While film struggled for its shelf life, song ‘Assalatul’ did make a mark.
Aaoge Jab Tum: 'I never thought it will become so popular'
Ustad Rashid Khan told that prior to ‘Aaoge jab tum’ he had recorded a song for Vishal Bhardwaj but that never got released.
He had also sung for Ismail Darbar for film Kisna but songs didn’t get much attention.
As he said, initially, he wasn’t willing to sing ‘Aaoge jab tum’ song but composer Sandesh Shandilya was persistent.
He, in fact, followed him to Kolkatta to convince him to sing. Finally, Ustaad Ji agreed.
“When I heard the music, I liked that. I added the thumri component in it. I didn’t expect it becoming so popular” he said.
“I enjoyed the whole process and I think, this way our traditional music spreads and become popular too”, he added.
Though he did like to work with everyone in the film industry, he especially wishes to work with Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle.
Ustad Rashid Khan is the grandson of legendary Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan Sahib who was the founder of the Rampur Sahaswan Khayal Gharana.
Ustad Rashid Khan performance at 'Swara Malhar, A Musical Prayer to the God for Rain organized by Violin Academy on June 30, 2017 in Pune, India. Source: Ravindra Joshi/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
As a child, Rashid Khan was not interested in music. His heart was into Cricket.
And yet he started his training at the tender age of six.
"I enjoyed singing ghazals, film songs. Since I had a beautiful voice, elders encouraged me to learn music," he says.
‘Initially, it was quite boring to go through to that slow pace of learning”, Ustad says.
However, he soon started to enjoy strict disciplined music training. The music of great maestros inspired him to do better.
“I was privileged to have been listening to great maestros - the likes of Amir Khan Sahib, Bhimsen Joshi ji, Ustad Nissar Khan… not only singers but other great artists like Ravi Shanker, Nikhil Bannerji ” he said.
As a child, he was under the tutelage of his maternal uncle Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan.
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Meet the singer Ustad Rashid Khan who sang the hit number 'Aaoge Jab Tum'
SBS Hindi
14:38
And his first concert was at the age of eleven.
His advice to all those who want to pursue music is to learn classical to have a strong base under a guru; work hard; listen to the work of maestros to get inspired and think creatively to develop music further.
He said that today everyone is looking for a shortcut to fame.
Though the training the voice is important “one must also love the music and in present times one has to be an all-rounder like in cricket ready to take up every role in the field of music. Become a complete artist.”
