India-Pakistan peace wish of most of us: Rahat's message with Lata Mangeshkar's songs

Lata Mangeshkar’s iconic song Allah Tero Naam, Ishwaar Tero Naam from Dev Anand’s Hum Dono is all set to be recreated. One of the men behind this project, Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, is joining hands with a few others to recreate the song as a part of an Indo-Pakistan peace project. It is spearheaded by The Fusion Project — an Oxford-based band of western and Indian-classical musicians.

Talking about the importance of the initiative, Rahat says, “Peace between India and Pakistan is not just my wish. It is perhaps the wish of most of us. After all, we belong to a very similar culture. There are shared looks, beliefs, values, and the love and affection I get from across the border is beyond words. It hurts to see the relationship between the two nations get exploited for political reasons — be it music, art or exclusion of our cricket players.” Of course, music binds people across borders. “If you look at the work done between The Fusion Project, myself and my producer Salman Ahmed it shows what we can do if we are united,” the Pakistani singer hopes. With one of Lata Mangeshkar’s better-known songs, the project might just hit the right note.