Sonu bhai ne kuch galat nahi kiya: Ustad Rashid Khan

The recent video of singer Sonu Nigam bashing music labels saying they have started a “mafia culture” in the Indian music industry has led to a myriad of opinions coming in from a lot of people from the industry. While many believe that Nigam was right in pointing out the unfair practices taking place in this sector, a lot of young singers and musicians have said that they came up on their own and got fair chances to prove their talent. But acclaimed classical singer Ustad Rashid Khan firmly asserts his support for Nigam, and says these things do happen here.

“If young people are getting work, then it’s good. But there are, of course, many kids and young people who don’t get an opportunity. The people who make music have a set four to five artistes who are given all the songs, and all the opportunities are exhausted just on these people. What

Sonu bhai is saying is absolutely correct. I am in complete support of him. The rest of the people in the industry also believe the same, but they should come out and talk about it in the open. If one person has taken it upon himself, the industry should support him. Sonu bhai ne apne upar itni takleef uthai hai... bohot log unko dhamkiyaan bhi de rahe hai. But Sonu bhai ne kuch galat nahi kiya” he says.

Khan also believes that there is a fair amount of arm twisting that happens in the industry. He says that these honchos have a lot of people under their thumb. “Dara ke toh rakha hi hai. Main toh filmon mein bohot shaukiya gata hoon, aur isliye gaata hoon kyunki mujhe acha lagta hai kabhi kabhi. But that is not my profession. My main thing is classical music.

But politics exists in this field also. And earlier, record labels used to sign contracts for multiple years and tie talents with them. Nobody should be scared, if someone is a good singer and wants to come up, then why shouldn’t he/she? Har cheez mein dadagiri chalegi kya? Main toh dadagiri kisiki maanne wala hoon nahi and I don’t care,” says Khan, who has sung the very popular Bollywood song Aaoge Jab Tum (Jab We Met; 2007).

Ustad Rashid Khan; (inset) Sonu Nigam