Acclaimed Classical, Bollywood Hit Singer Rashid Khan, 55, Passes Away

KOLKATA, (IANS) – Acclaimed classical singer Rashid Khan passed away at a Kolkata hospital on January 9. He was 55.

In the morning, his medical condition started deteriorating fast and he had to be put under ventilation support at the private hospital where he was admitted for the last month. Sources close to him said the singer died at 3.45 p.m.

He is survived by his wife, two daughters, and a son.

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar, a host of classical and Bollywood singers expressed shock and sadness.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rushed to the hospital on getting the news. However, then officially, the event of his passing away was not announced.

Later, the Chief Minister came out of the hospital along with the doctor attending to the acclaimed classical singer. Banerjee said that the late classical singer was like her younger brother. “I received a phone call after I came back to the state Secretariat from my district tour. I came here and heard this news. I feel so sad that I will not be able to listen to his songs further,” she said.

On January 10 his mortal remains will be placed at Rabindra Sadan in central Kolkata for his fans to pay floral tributes. After that, first, his mortal remains will be taken to his residence in south Kolkata, and from there it will be taken to a burial ground at Tollygunge in South Kolkata.

Born in 1968 at Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun, Ustad Rashid Khan is the great-grandson of the legendary Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan Sahab, the founder of the Rampur Sahaswan Gharana. He’s also the nephew of Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan.

He migrated to Kolkata when he was just 11 years old and started his career in classical music after receiving a scholarship from Sangeet Research Academy.

A recipient of Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan, Khan was mainly acclaimed as a classical singer. However, his fusion and film number also received accolades.

He weaved magic in Bollywood with his soulful songs such as ‘Aaoge Jab Tum O Saajana’ from ‘Jab We Met’ and ‘Allah Hi Reham’ in ‘My Name is Khan’.