Jashn-E-Javed

From Sufi to pop, from romantic to dance numbers, there is not a genre in music that this versatile singer cannot sing. Society digs deeper into the life of Javed Ali, who has sung songs for almost all the big music composers, actors and movie directors in the industry.

- Payal Mehta

Hailing from a family that has always been into music, Javed Ali was destined to be a musical wonder. And, having the renowned qawwali singer Ustad Hamid Hussain as his father helped Ali in developing a great taste in music and getting trained by one of the best gurus in music, Ustad Ghulam Ali.

Born and brought up in Delhi, he came to Mumbai at a very young age to explore his opportunities and fulfill his dreams of becoming a singer. Today, it seems that he has achieved whatever he had desired, serenading the country with beautiful songs like Jashn-E-Bahaara (Jodhaa Akbar), Nagada Nagada (Jab We Met), Kajra Re (Bunty aur Babli), Kun Faya Kun (Rockstar), and the more recent, Tu Jo Mila (Bajrangi Bhaijaan), Maula (Wazir) and Yaaram (Happy Bhaag Jaayegi).

“I believe I am not even half way through! There’s still so much to do and so much for me to achieve,” he modestly says when I ask him if he is content with his success. The multilingual singer has now ventured into composing music for the first time and will soon be releasing a single called Rangreziya written by Raqib Aalam and sung by Ali himself. “I feel I can do a good job at composing, so I’ve done this. Rest, the audience will decide.”

It has been quite a struggle for him, from being a nobody to becoming a nationwide phenomenon. We get a sneak peek into his life, his family and his thought-process.

How do you handle your star status—all the attention?

Obviously, it feels very good (the attention). It was a different phase for me when I had no home and no work. And then this phase comes where you work, you get success, your responsibilities as an artiste increase, and you have to sustain that and deliver the best—both phases have an appeal of their own. I believe that time was good too and this time is even better.