PremiumPakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan issues multiple clarifications after a video of him thrashing student with shoe goes viral
Well-known artist Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's video assaulting a man goes viral. Later on, he released a clip of clarification.
Last Updated: 12.10 PM, Jan 28, 2024
Renowned Pakistani singer Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, who has also provided the voice for numerous Bollywood films and Pakistani serials, sparked controversy today when it was revealed that he had assaulted someone inside his home. A widely shared video purportedly shows him brutally beating a man with his shoe, who he claimed to be a student.
The well-known Qawwali artist can be seen continuously hitting and slapping him in the video while he asks about a "bottle". The man is heard begging to the singer, claiming he is unaware of it. Then it showed some individuals attempting to rescue the student by pulling the singer away.
The man was identified as his employee by Pakistani station Samaa TV, which also noted that violent behavior among musicians is an alarming trend.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's clarification video
Later, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, his disciple, and the disciple's father—whom he had previously abused—released a clarification video. He clarified in the video that the bottle he had asked for contained holy water that had been blessed by a religious priest who had spoken verses over it, rather than alcohol. "Ye Jo hua videos aap dekh rahe hai, ye ek Ustad aur Shagird ke beech ki baat hai," says Rahat Fateh Ali Khan at the beginning of the clip.
In the video, he also stated that he is like his son and if he does something wrong, he gets punished. Following the incident, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan said he had also apologized to him.
The disciple explained that the bottle contained holy water
The man who was beaten acknowledged in the clarification video that he had misplaced a bottle of holy water, which was the reason for the incident, but he made it clear that his acts were not harmful. "He's like my father. He loves us a lot. Whoever spread this video is trying to defame my ustad," he added.
The now-viral video of the singer beating his student raises a lot of questions and concerns. It's disheartening to watch the unsettling video, which shows physical violence over a misplaced bottle. This raises questions about how famous artists act off-camera and how such videos may cause them to lose a lot of fans who look up to them for inspiration.