Success does not mean leaving behind your roots, it means embracing your culture with pride.
Success does not mean leaving behind your roots, it means embracing your culture with pride.
Sarwar Khan is a Sufi and Rajasthani Folk Singer from a small village Dangri in Jaisalmer.
Sarwar says that he was born in Betina village which is his maternal abode and kept switching between Dangri and Betina for his school education. However, he says that most of his childhood was spent with his Nanaji in Betina.
Sarwar shares that he has sung with many groups like ‘The Manganiyar Classroom’, ‘The Divine Roots of Rajasthan’ and has participated in shows like ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa- Little Champs’ and ‘India’s Got Talent’. He is also a recipient of the Mirchi Music Award for the song ‘Hanikarak Bapu’ from the movie ‘Dangal’.
Sarwar says that he also got a chance to sing a song for Rajnikant’s movie ‘Petta’ and the song was ‘Thappad Mara’. His upcoming projects include songs for some web series and some projects with ‘The Divine Roots of Rajasthan’.
Meeting legends like Asha Bhosle and Preetam along with Aamir Khan and others during the success party of the movie Dangal was an overwhelming experience for Sarwar.
Sarwar says that he has visited many foreign places like Australia, Bangkok, Malaysia, Dubai, and others for his shows. He has also done shows in cities like Pune and participated in festivals like ‘The Rann Utsav’. He mentions that wherever he goes he wears his ‘Rajasthani Saafa’ and performs as a representative of Rajasthan. He feels that we should always promote our culture and tradition and never forget our roots.
Sarwar says that he draws inspiration from his nanaji, Ustaad Hasim Khan, and tauji Ustaad Qutbuddin Khan. He also mentions his maternal uncles Ahmad Khan and Shareef Khan as his mentors. Sarwar says that these people have had a great influence on his life. He has learned everything from them, and they have always motivated Sarwar to work hard in life. Sarwar feels that if he works hard, he will gain recognition for his family, and this keeps him motivated in life.
Sarwar says that his main struggle was to deal with the language barrier when on foreign land. He also says that sometimes his shows don’t get the desired reception and he must deal with it and move on to do better the next time.
Sarwar says that during the Covid pandemic all shows and concerts were canceled. He was doing live interactions on social media during the lockdown phase. He also got time to rehearse new folk songs and practice with his elders. He also learned to play Khartal and Morchang.
Sarwar says that to come into the field of Music one should be completely invested in it. They should practice whenever they get time to do so. He also feels the same about any field we choose. Sarwar believes that no work or interest is small, and we should not look down upon anyone.
If given a Time Machine, Sarwar would like to go back to his school time and relive moments with his friends. He would also like to enjoy the village life like he used to.
In his free time, He likes to spend time with his friends, talk over the phone and learn something from his elders.