Faiz Mustafa Lends Voice to Vijay Sethupathi in A.R. Rahman’s Zara Zara

Twenty-five-year-old Faiz Mustafa, who has earlier sung for films like Heropanti 2 and Maidaan, has recently lent his voice to actor Vijay Sethupathi for Zara Zara, a song from the upcoming film Gandhi Talks. Composed by A.R. Rahman, the song forms an integral part of the silent film. Faiz recently performed the song at the film’s musical event alongside the maestro and Hinanaaz Bali, drawing warm adulation from the audience.

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Faiz Khan Carries Legendary Legacy of Ustad Ghulam Mustafa

Trained in the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana, Faiz belongs to a family steeped in Hindustani classical music. His grandfather, Padma Vibhushan Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, was the guru to several stalwarts, including Rahman himself, Sonu Nigam, Hariharan, Shaan, and many others.

Faiz remembers hearing the composition for the first time clearly. “When I first heard the composition, I was happy and thankful to the Almighty that Rahman uncle chose me for this beautiful song,” he says. After the recording was over, Rahman turned to him and asked, “Are you the same little boy who sang ‘Aao Balma’?”

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Faiz was only 13 when he first worked with Rahman on ‘Aao Balma’, his grandfather’s composition, which he performed with A.R. Rahman, his grandfather, his father, and his uncles on MTV Coke Studio Season 3. Faiz has since sung ‘Istigfar’, the Arabic track from the internationally acclaimed film The Goat Life (Aadujeevitham), and has become a regular performer at Rahman’s domestic and international concerts.

“My first stage performance at the age of 14 was with him at an international show, ‘Wings of Jibrael’, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, where I opened the show,” Faiz avers. He continues to share the stage with Rahman frequently and is also part of Jhaala, the classical ensemble curated by the composer.

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Beyond the music, Faiz shares a bond with the maestro that he cherishes deeply. “I share a very strong bond with my dearest Rahman uncle. He is like a father figure, an inspiration and a guiding path,” he shares, adding that despite growing into a professional musician, Rahman still treats him with the warmth reserved for a child he has watched grow up.

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