Allah Rakha (sarangi)

Allah Rakha (1932–2000), also referred to by the title Ustad, was a Pakistani sarangi player.

Early life and education

Allah Rakha was born in Muzaffar, a village in Sialkot District of Punjab, in 1932. During early childhood, his family moved to Amritsar, where he was raised. He acquired his initial education in classical music and sarangi playing from his father, Ustad Lal Din. Later, he became the student of three renowned sarangi players, Ustad Ahmadi Khan, Ustad Allah Diya, and Ustad Nathu Khan.

Career

His talent was first appreciated in his early teenage years when he performed in a contest at a local wedding, and was lauded for his performance of Raga Desi.

After partition, Allah Rakha migrated to Pakistan, and settled temporarily in Karachi, where he also remembers to have had the honor of playing live for Mohammad Ali Jinnah. It was also here that he met Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and honed his skills as a sarangi accompanist.

He moved to Lahore in 1948, and for almost two decades, he worked at the Radio Station, and in the film industry as a recording artist. In Lahore, his knowledge of music was further broadened during his association with Ustad Sardar Khan (vocalist), son of Umrao Khan, and grandson of Tanras Khan.

Allah Rakha

Allah Rakha may refer to:

Allah Rakha (film)

Allah Rakha is a 1986 Bollywood gangster film directed by Ketan Desai and starring Jackie Shroff, Shammi Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman. The film is notable as the protagonist, played by Shroff, is a Muslim, unusual in Hindi cinema.

Cast

Music

References

External links