Javed Ali reveals AR Rahman had requested him to perform 'Wazu' before recording ‘Kun Faya Kun’

Indian singer Javed Ali shared an interesting anecdote about the celebrated music composer AR Rahman during their collaboration on the soul-stirring qawwali 'Kun Faya Kun' for the popular Bollywood film 'Rockstar.'

Reflecting on the poignant moment in an interview with an Indian podcaster, Javed Ali revealed that, before recording the Sufi qawwali, AR Rahman had asked him to perform ablution (wazu).

The film 'Rockstar' hit screens in 2011, and its track 'Kun Fayakun' sheds light on the inner conflicts that rock singer ‘Jordan’ (Ranbir Kapoor) faced despite massive fame and success.

Kun Faya Kun' played a pivotal role in the film's success, establishing itself as one of AR Rahman's beloved hits.

The soulful masterpiece was sung by singer Javed Ali along with other singers, its lyrics were written by Muslim poet Irshad Kamil while the music was composed by music maestro AR Rahman.

Recently, singer Javed revealed in a podcast that before recording the said song, musician AR Rahman asked him to perform ablution.

The singer recalled that he had collaborated with AR Rehman several times before "Kun Faya Kun", but "he requested me to perform ablution just before this song."

He shared that AR Rahman informed him that he wouldn't just be singing a song but would also recite a dua (prayer). Thus, it would be better if he performed ablution beforehand.

“I remember I was singing ‘Kun Faya Kun’ and I was just standing there, ready to record. He asked have you done ‘wazu’? He said please do that first, so I did that sincerely. Even after doing ‘wazu’, I put on a cap and that’s when I recorded the song,” he said in a podcast.

Javed Ali further explained that during the song recording, the entire studio lights were turned off, and he began singing in candlelight. Only the musician, the lyricist, and himself were present in the studio.

The vocalist mentioned that the profound experience continues to resonate with him, and “Even now when I perform the song on stage, I cover my head.” He further noted that even for listeners, the song evokes a sense of spiritual devotion.