Firdous Jamal bares soul over tragic deaths of Ayesha Khan and Humaira Asghar

Veteran actor Firdous Jamal bared his soul as he shed light on the deeply ingrained societal contradictions in the wake of the back-to-back tragic deaths of fellow artists Ayesha Khan and Humaira Asghar.

In a recent podcast appearance, the seasoned star remarked, “If a person does not offer any utility, he or she is a nobody.”

Reflecting on the recent losses, Jamal spoke openly about how rigid and judgmental society can be, particularly in its attitude toward art, saying: “We are a rigid society.  We use objectionable and derogatory words for singers. We listen to music with passion.”  

He added: “If someone from our own circle becomes a singer, we begin to look down upon them. We question their dignity. That’s hypocrisy, but this is how our society is, and we have to live within it.”

He drew a thought-provoking parallel between music and religious recitations, saying: “Nowadays, even Naat Khuwans and Moazzins are doing the same thing. They recite in a melodic tone, a form of singing without instruments.

“Anything that carries melody falls under the category of Raag. They use sur (musical notes) in recitation.”

He continued: “Qirat and Naat often follow Raag Bhairavi or Thaath Bhairavi. People wouldn’t appreciate it if a Moazzin simply recited in a flat tone. They are drawn to the beauty of melody.”

 “Now people will bash me and say I’ve gone mad… that I’m associating Naat and Azan with music. But this is a taboo in our region.”

“Talking about music is frowned upon, and we’ve attached certain stigmatised words to this profession. If I say that a Maulvi recites in a certain melody, people will criticize me harshly … but this is the reality.”