In the state of love, no matter what you do, it’s going to be good. Khatija Rahman, eldest daughter of iconic musician A.R. Rahman puts so much love and gratitude into life and living, the melodious appeal in her upcoming single is hardly a surprise.
Farishton, Khatija Rahman’s second single is releasing tomorrow, 25 October 2020 on all major streaming platforms. The music for this track is composed by A.R. Rahman and the lyrics are by Munna Shoukath Ali. Strings score is by Jerry Vincent, Shubham Bhat, and played by The Sunshine Orchestra, a marquee project of the A.R. Rahman Foundation. The performers are part of the musical maestro’s vision of putting an Indian orchestra on the world map.
Khatija’s mellifluous voice affirms the composition’s divine calmness and peace with resounding clarity. One could write poetic pieces on Rahman’s creative genius and we would still be nowhere close to understanding his ability to emote feelings through music. His music defies description and one can only attempt to put their audial experience into words. Rahman composed the song’s soulful tune specifically for Khatija, bearing in mind the ideals that she personifies, as is evident in the song video. The composition serves as both an aide to her dulcet voice, and as an expression of the emotions portrayed.
Pre-save using this link – https://backl.ink/143254706. Farishton releases on 25 Oct 2020.
The child-friendly animated song video, created by Ghost Animation shows intertwined messages of friendship, science, magic, compassion with an overall message of coexistence. “When ideating on the video, we wanted to encapsulate the message of accepting differences as human beings, uplifting each other, and spreading love. The video shows a young girl who starts her journey from home and passes through various places – a church, a temple, some Jain monks. We wanted to emphasize on coexistence and mutual respect as human beings. The last few years have been chaotic, to be honest, so we thought young children would relate to this. We started out with this idea, and as we developed it, we realized that we were doing the right thing – promoting unity, brotherhood, and harmony. The message might be subjective to viewers, but for me, it also signifies women-empowerment, a cause that is close to my heart,” Khatija explains. The video is inspired by the work of legendary filmmaker and animator, Hayao Miyazaki. “We watched a bunch of Studio Ghibli movies over the last months and we thought fantasy-based animations will be relatable for everyone who watches,” she adds.
Glimpses of the music video
An obvious enquiry in anyone’s mind should be about Khatija’s lessons and takeaways from working with her father who’s an institute in himself. What guiding pieces of advice did A.R. Rahman share with his daughter? On this, Khatija shares, “My father’s most crucial advice has been to remember our roots and never refrain from helping those in need. Some other lessons I strive my best to follow are to never give up, to persistently work hard, and to develop my own style. Comparison is the easiest way to feel unhappy, so the best we can do is embrace and hone our uniqueness.”
Both A.R. Rahman and Khatija Rahman took to their Instagram profiles to share the teaser of Farishton, featuring a captivating visual of her eyes. Fans have been generously pouring their warm wishes on these platforms. Khatija sets a remarkable example of an influencer who uses social media to create more good in the world. Her social handles show us who she is and what she cares about. She makes a proactive effort to engage with her followers, spread the word about causes and indigenous brands she supports, thus growing a nourishing community of fans and individuals who genuinely care about her success.
On the creative process of her father, she says, “He never settles for less. Even if the process takes longer than initially planned, he’d never compromise on quality. He made sure that my voice was recorded and captured in its rawest form. The goal is not to seek perfection, but for everyone to give their best shot. That’s the beauty of it. It was an exceptional learning experience for me because I got to dabble with production too.”
The team is already working on the Tamil version of the song. Mashook Rahman has written the lyrics for the Tamil version. Khatija will launch her YouTube channel with this song and hopes to continue releasing more covers and originals.
Follow Khatija Rahman’s music here: Spotify | Apple Music | Gaana| Instagram
Credits:
Music and Photography – A.R. Rahman
Lyrics – Munna Shoukath Ali (Hindi), Mashook Rahman (Tamil)
Executive Producer – Raheema Rahman
Strings score is by Jerry Vincent, Shubham Bhat, played by The Sunshine Orchestra
Sitar – Asad Khan, Tabla – Sai Shravanam
Creative Director – Sam Madhu
Video Animation – Ghost Animation
Art work – Allan Fernandez | Parth Reshamwala | BToS Productions | Nazeef Mohammed
Stylist – Varshini Natarajan
Shoot team – Ashik Mohammed | Manojkumar Selvakumar | Vikram Ramanathan Sathyamoorthy | Vignesh Vergil | Vishal Ravi
