Earlier this month, Diljit Dosanjh’s rendition of Sanson Ki Mala at his concert at Wembley Stadium went viral. The Sufi devotional song, popularised globally by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, was Diljit’s tribute to the legendary singer at the concert. Now, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s student and nephew, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, has reacted to Diljit’s performance.
‘Diljit has done complete justice to it’
A video has been doing the rounds on social media, which shows Rahat Fateh Ali Khan praising Diljit for paying tribute to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He lauded Diljit’s attempt at singing Sanson Ki Mala and shared that while many artists are scared to sing the late legendary singer’s songs, Diljit did justice to it and sang it from his heart.
He said, “It would be an understatement to say that even the biggest artists get nervous while singing Khan Sahab’s songs. But Diljit has done complete justice to it. As much as he could, he sang it with sincerity and with all his heart. We can see that, and we can hear it too.”
For the unversed, Sanson Ki Mala Pe started trending recently after it featured in the hit film Mirzapur: The Movie during a pivotal mid-credit scene featuring characters like Beena Tripathi (Rasika Dugal) and Birju Lohar (Mohit Malik).
Diljit at Wembley
Diljit made history by becoming the first Punjabi artist to headline Wembley Stadium. His September 12 concert, part of his Aura World Tour, was reportedly attended by around 90,000 people. Wembley itself had billed the show as Dosanjh’s historic first Punjabi headline performance at the venue.
He also addressed his fans during the concert and reflected on the significance of the occasion. “This moment will go down in the history books,” he said. During the show, he performed Sanson Ki Mala as a tribute to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, with fans holding up their phone lights and singing along.
Diljit has built a worldwide following over the last decade. He has collaborated with artists including Ed Sheeran and has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon twice. Host Jimmy Fallon had previously introduced him as “the biggest Punjabi artist on the planet” and even joined him for some Bhangra moves.