“A world without differences, which celebrates diversity in a positive way” is what Khatija Rahman said when asked to describe her recently released Tamil single Farishtha ( Farishton in Hindi).
The young singer has collaborated with her father, music composer A.R. Rahman, for the song in both Hindi and Tamil. A three minute and forty second animated music video was released on October 28, and Ms. Khatija said working on the song was an experience she cherished.
“I had the opportunity to share my ideas and reflect on what I would like to sing about through the process,” she said.
Composed by Mr. Rahman, the song has lyrics by Mashook Rahman in Tamil and Munna Shaokath Ali in Hindi. The A.R. Rahman Foundation’s renowned Sunshine Orchestra, too, was part of the project.
The animated music video follows the pilgrimage of a young girl Amal.
“We wanted to break the existing stereotypes associated with a hijabi, and show a character who is both empowered and empathetic. She is not afraid of exploring the world but at the same time, she respects where she came from,“ the singer said.
Ms. Khatija said they were keen on having a video that appealed to people across age groups. “Animated movies are something that most of us love, irrespective of age. We often want to become a part of that world and I wanted that effect to come through here,” she said. Artist and designer Sam Madhu was the creative director for the project. The Video has been animated by Kolkata based Ghost animation, and additional animation was by Ek Number Studios. “I truly hope each person can be a Farishtha or an angel in somebody’s life. Just a kind gesture, however small, would go a long way and make someone happy,” the singer said.
She credited singer Lata Mangeshkar as being her greatest inspiration. “Feedback from my father and my teachers has helped me evolve my style of music over the years,” she added.
Earlier in September, Ms. Khatija had collaborated with musician Ricky Kej and had sung for her first single, Iltaja . “Independent music projects are a great opportunity for musicians to experiment and dabble in a variety of styles. It is an exciting time for such music projects and collaborations,” said the singer, who is also a director and trustee at the A.R. Rahman Foundation.
