Last Updated:
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Subhalakshmi Barooah Khan discuss Chants For Unity, her vocal debut, faith, family, AI and music beyond religion in an exclusive interview.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Smt Subhalakshmi Barooah Khan discuss Chants For Unity in an exclusive interview.
“Where is M.S. Subbulakshmi, and where am I?”
Smt Subhalakshmi Barooah Khan laughs, but the nervousness behind the question is real. For decades, music in her life belonged largely to private spaces: shlokas remembered from her years at Kalakshetra, Assamese lullabies sung to her sons, prayers recited at home, and melodies that never needed an audience beyond the family. Chants For Unity changes that. Coaxed by Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash into recording what they had grown up hearing, she now finds herself putting that deeply personal inheritance on record for the first time.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, sitting beside her, is quick to underplay his own role. He says he has simply had the privilege of listening to her since their marriage. She, in turn, describes the album not as a professional debut but as a “humble prayas”, a prayer shaped by Sanskrit, Assamese traditions, Bharatanatyam, family memory and the conviction that devotion does not need to belong to one form of God. The project eventually grew beyond the household, bringing in artistes including Krishna Das, Nina Rao and Sai Shravanam, while the Khan family themselves appear together across several chants.
What makes the album interesting, though, is how naturally its larger idea of unity spills into the way the family speaks about music itself. Amjad Ali Khan moves easily from sa, re, ga, ma to do, re, mi, fa, from sarod to Western orchestras, from chants to folk music, arguing that language may divide people but sound often does the opposite. Subhalakshmi is more cautious about grand declarations. She keeps returning instead to intention, bhakti and the hope that listeners will receive the work in the same spirit in which it was made.
In an exclusive conversation with News18 Showsha, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Smt Subhalakshmi Barooah Khan speak about the making of Chants For Unity, why the album became an intimate family document as much as a musical project, and the difference between preserving a tradition and turning it into a performance. They also reflect on Guru-Shishya Parampara in the age of Zoom lessons, the meeting point between Indian improvisation and Western orchestral discipline, music as a response to an increasingly intolerant world, and why, even after a lifetime spent around some of India’s greatest musicians, Subhalakshmi still insists that this recording is not about being a singer at all.
Here are the excerpts:
Q. I first wanted to understand a little more about Chants For Unity. What does this album stand for, and what was your individual role in bringing it together? Also, for you, ma’am, how did this journey of recording your voice begin?
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan: There is really no contribution of mine, except that I have had the privilege of listening to her sing right from the time we got married. And this is not really a conventional vocal album. It is about chants and shlokas. I think she herself will be able to explain that journey much better.
Smt Subhalakshmi Barooah Khan: One is always singing at home, you know. I think that is what he is trying to say. But there is a much longer journey behind this.
I was born and brought up in Assam, and then I had the good fortune of going to Kalakshetra in the South, where I learnt Bharatanatyam for 15 years under my guru, Srimati Rukmini Devi Arundale. I also had the opportunity to meet M.S. Subbulakshmi. So music, dance and that entire cultural atmosphere became deeply ingrained in me.
Today, when everybody talks about this chant album, I actually get nervous because I think, “Where is M.S. Subbulakshmi, and where am I?” What I have always had, though, is tremendous respect and love for music, and a deep dedication towards it.
I have also always loved Sanskrit as a language. It is not that I know a great deal of it, but during my years at Kalakshetra, I got the opportunity to learn certain shlokas. Those remained somewhere in my mind. Along with them came this sense of devotion and a feeling towards God, the goddesses and the Supreme Being, without necessarily restricting that belief to one particular form.
The atmosphere at Kalakshetra was very different when I was studying there. It had almost the feeling of an ashram. All of that became very deeply rooted within me, and I tried to imbibe it as much as I could.
Later, when Aman and Ayaan were very young, I would teach them some of these things as well. I used to sing Assamese lullabies to them. Assam has its own kirtans and Baul geet, among so many other traditions. And then there were these small, simple shlokas that I would teach them too. The language may be different, the musical tradition may be different, but ultimately I feel the foundation is the same. It is about the feeling that comes from within.
This time, more than Khan Sahab, it was actually my sons, Aman and Ayaan, who coaxed me into recording it. They said, “Ma, you should let this go on record.” I initially thought it would remain something we simply did at home. But when they said they genuinely wanted to bring it out, I became very nervous.
Then I realised that it carries a beautiful message, particularly because there are so many other artistes who have come together for it as well. There is Krishna Das, Nina Rao and several others, including panditjis who have contributed different chants and mantras.
I sincerely hope it carries a message of world peace. For me, it ultimately comes from the belief that there is one God. There may be many different ways of reaching that God.
Even in dance, we were taught that the Shukraniti Shastra speaks about 64 kalas. Anything you pursue with complete dedication and strive to perfect becomes a kala, an art. So, for me, this album is simply a very humble prayas, an offering from the heart.
Q. Khan Sahab, you have always been a very collaborative artiste, and Chants For Unity also brings together several musicians, including Nina Rao and Krishna Das. What was the experience of collaborating with so many different artistes on this album?
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan: I am very happy that maestro Sai Shravanam was involved and did the arrangements. And I would say a lot of the credit also goes to Shavan Datta. She is a family friend, and she coaxed her a great deal into doing this. She kept saying, “Aunt, you have to do it.” They have done a wonderful job.
As she said, we believe in one God. But music itself is a precious gift of God. Music has connected the world. It is the sound of musical notes, whether you call them do, re, mi, fa, sol, la or sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni. Whatever the music may be, from whichever country it comes, whether it is lok sangeet, classical music, chants or recitation, there is ultimately a sound behind it. What is that sound? That is what connects us.
Unfortunately, language creates barriers. Film songs, for instance, often become popular because of their lyrics. But when you listen to shlokas or chants associated with different devis and devatas, eventually it is not merely about the words. We may feel happy because we are thinking about a particular God or deity, but ultimately it is about the Supreme Being. It is about that feeling of Atma hi Paramatma.
Q. Ma’am, this is also something you have never done before. What makes this album particularly special for you?
Smt Subhalakshmi Barooah Khan: I am especially happy and excited about this because, first and foremost, I have never done anything like this before. It has happened rather late in my life, and it was my children who really coaxed me into doing it.
Then I thought, good things should be shared. I am not saying that I am the best. I will never be the best, and that is not the attitude with which I have approached this at all. It is simply about a feeling. If, by my doing something or somebody else doing something, we can contribute in some small way towards world peace, then why not? Unity is very important.
What makes this album even more special is that my husband, my two sons and I have all done it together. I have done one shloka with Aman, one with Ayaan and one with Khan Sahab. And then all four of us have done one together. So, for us as a family, it is something very unique. But I also hope that it carries a message to the world.
Q. There is now a sizeable global audience for chanting albums, shlokas and devotional or meditative music, particularly with the rise of streaming platforms. Do you feel this genre is becoming commercialised?
Smt Subhalakshmi Barooah Khan: I would not necessarily call it commercialisation. I think it differs from person to person. It depends on your approach.
I can only speak for our family and ourselves. This entire album has been made with a great deal of feeling. It has been done genuinely, not because this happens to be the “in thing” today or because this kind of music is becoming popular.
There are so many other subjects one could take up if the objective were merely to gain popularity or follow whatever happens to be fashionable at a particular moment. For us, it is a genuine feeling for the unity and peace of the world.
Q. You have spent years watching Khan Sahab and your sons travel across the world, perform, present their music and carry this legacy forward. After so many years, when you finally came to the other side of the microphone yourself, were you nervous? Was there any hesitation?
Smt Subhalakshmi Barooah Khan: When I initially did the recording, it was because my children had coaxed me into it. I thought it would simply remain for posterity. We would have a recording and preserve it.
Then they said, “No, we would actually like to bring this out.” That was when I became a little nervous.
I had stopped performing on stage a long time ago. But I must tell you, no artiste ever really gives up their art because art remains within you. You may not go on stage anymore, but that does not mean you give up the art itself. There are many different ways in which you can continue expressing your ability and your respect for your art.
After my marriage, Khan Sahab and I performed together as well. I also performed for relief funds and humanitarian causes. There was something for Blind Relief, if I remember correctly, and there were programmes connected with eye care and the Cancer Society as well. Whenever I performed again, it was generally for a good cause.
I think one such performance was around 1985. It was always wonderful to return for something meaningful.
But somewhere along the way, I realised that Khan Sahab had so much to give to the world. And I thought perhaps I needed to take a backstage and give him that kind of support. I would not necessarily use the word “peaceful”, because I do not know whether any household is completely peaceful! But I wanted to provide the kind of support that could allow his art to flourish and, in its own way, enhance our art and culture.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan: We all depend on her. She is the anchor. She is the spirit of the house.
Smt Subhalakshmi Barooah Khan: So, yes, it is a great feeling. There is a lot of excitement, but I am also worried and nervous. I hope people accept it with an understanding of the genuine feeling with which I have tried to contribute.
Q. Khan Sahab, you have spoken about unity and world peace. At a time when we are witnessing so much conflict and intolerance globally, does music become even more important as a common language?
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan: Absolutely. When you see the intolerance in the world and everything that is happening around us, it makes you very sad. We keep hearing about what is happening in America, Iran, Russia, Ukraine and so many other places.
Sometimes I wonder, how can an educated person indulge in all of this? How can a PhD become communal? How can a highly educated person become radical?
We, as musicians and artistes, have audiences that belong to every section of society and every religion. Our audience is very diverse. It is very secular. And that is why, as a family, we feel that we belong to every religion of the world.
Music has no religion. I think musicians, and even genuine lovers of music, rise above these divisions. Music is a great gift of God.
If this family can take that thought and this tradition forward, it is only by the grace of God and because of the love of people.
Our grandchildren, Zohaan and Abeer, are 14 years old, and they represent the eighth generation of this unbroken musical tradition.
Q. We have also seen Zohaan and Abeer perform on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan: Yes, yes. They are the eighth generation of this unbroken chain.
And the credit for teaching Zohaan and Abeer goes to Ayaan because he is their father, along with their mother, Neema Sharma.
As she said, music does not belong to any religion. It is like flowers, air, water, fire, fragrance and colours. They do not belong to one religion or one community. Every religion needs flowers. Everybody needs air and water.
So this is a message of unity. Music is connected to the heartbeat. It is connected to happiness.
An alaap, for instance, can bring calmness and coolness to your mental state. At night, many people listen to music because they want to sleep peacefully. Somebody may listen to Western music, somebody may listen to the sarod or sitar, and somebody else may listen to bhajans or kirtans.
People choose the kind of music they want to listen to. Ultimately, it is about what speaks to the inner self. Atma hi Paramatma.
Q. Your last collaboration with His Holiness the Dalai Lama was also centred around a similar idea, a message of peace and harmony.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan: Yes, yes. Peace and harmony. That was actually the main reason for our coming together with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It was the message of peace that he has been giving to people that attracted us towards doing something together. And we were fortunate that His Holiness agreed.
We have had a long association with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and we have collaborated with him several times, including at his Sacred Music Festival.
Aman and Ayaan, my sons, have not received any Indian award till today. But because of the voice and the message of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, we collaborated, and historically, all three of us received a Grammy Award together. Aman, Ayaan and I received the Grammy together. So, it was a great blessing of God Almighty.
Smt Subhalakshmi Barooah Khan: I would say it is not only about the award. There have been some very interesting moments in our lives.
As I am talking to you, I am remembering how Aman and Ayaan came into our lives as gifts of God. And there have been certain milestones in Khan Sahab’s life where all three of them have experienced something significant together.
Around the time of India’s 50th year of Independence, Aman and Ayaan performed at Carnegie Hall in New York along with Khan Sahab. It was the first time for them at Carnegie Hall, and Khan Sahab was there with them. They were very young at the time, I think around 15 and 18.
Carnegie Hall is such a prestigious venue. I think it is the desire of almost every musician in the world to perform there. So, for them to have that experience together was very special.
Q. Khan Sahab, when you look at the current generation of people who want to learn and practise Hindustani classical music, do you see a change in how they perceive the discipline compared to when you began learning?
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan: You see, the whole thing has changed because today there is so much available through videos, CDs and recordings. There are also many musicians teaching online.
But learning at the feet of the master has a completely different feeling and a different message.
The Guru-Shishya Parampara is a very old tradition. Earlier, the student or disciple would remain with the guru, serve the guru and sometimes even work almost like a domestic help until the end of the guru’s life. There was that kind of commitment, dedication and surrender.
That kind of dedication and surrender is not seen in the same way anymore.
Smt Subhalakshmi Barooah Khan: But times have also changed now. Look at the traffic, look at everything around us. Even if somebody genuinely wants to come and spend that kind of time with a guru, and even if the feeling is there, sometimes they are simply not able to make it practical.
But he is absolutely right. Learning at the feet of the master is very different from acquiring knowledge through books or taking Zoom classes.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan: I have many disciples apart from Aman and Ayaan. But God sends a child into the family, whereas disciples come from outside.
Every father and every mother, in some way, wants to fulfil a certain desire through their children. Somebody who could not play the sarod may want his son to play the sarod. Somebody who could not learn Bharatanatyam may want her daughter to learn Bharatanatyam.
That is also how the traditions and arts of our country continue.
The whole world has tremendous respect for Indian classical dance and Indian classical music.
Q. You have also taken Indian classical music into a Western orchestral framework with Samagam, your sarod concerto. How did you approach composing for musicians trained in such a different tradition?
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan: I wrote a score for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra called Samagam. There are 40 or 50 musicians in an orchestra, while Aman, Ayaan and I play the sarod.
It became a sarod concerto, and many orchestras around the world have performed it since then.
I admire Western musicians tremendously because they can read a musical score and play at the same time. I cannot do that.
Smt Subhalakshmi Barooah Khan: The score that Khan Sahab is talking about, the sarod concerto Samagam, originally began with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. After that, many other orchestras performed it with him, including orchestras in Norway, Singapore, Chicago, Hong Kong and several other places.
So, once again, it becomes a message of unity and of the diversity of Indian music coming together with another musical tradition.
Collaborations between Indian and Western musicians had happened earlier too, of course. But what was special here was that the score itself had been written by Khan Sahab.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan: You see, while composing it, I had to understand the capacity of those musicians, what they could play and what they could perform.
Our music has a great deal of improvisation. Indian classical music has its own grace, its slides and glides. Those are very important to the way we play the sarod.
When you are composing for Western musicians, you have to understand the framework within which they work because they are reading a written score. So naturally, there are certain limitations when you bring the two systems together.
But when they listen to the kind of slides and glides that we produce in Indian classical music, they appreciate them very much. They really enjoy them.
And, in the same way, I admire what they can do. They can read a score and play simultaneously. I cannot do that.
Q. Khan Sahab, technology has transformed music enormously, and now we are also seeing the rise of AI-generated music. When it comes to Hindustani classical music, do you see artificial intelligence posing a threat to artistes in the years ahead?
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan: You see, I am not very sure what AI will eventually do for Indian classical music. I also do not know what the views of South Indian musicians are on this subject. I think Aman and Ayaan would probably be able to answer you much better when it comes to AI and technology.
But we are very happy that Subhalakshmi ji has been able to contribute to this album. Our children grew up listening to the shlokas that she would recite during her puja and in the house. So, for them, there was a very strong desire to preserve those shlokas and chants.
Smt Subhalakshmi Barooah Khan: I am extremely grateful to my children. For this album, I would say we were almost puppets in their hands! They were the ones who really made it happen.
I also have a special sense of gratitude towards Shavan Datta. She is a very dear family friend, almost like a daughter to us, and she kept coaxing me, saying, “Auntie, you have to do it.”
And this is what has finally come out of it.
I have always felt very strongly about music and prayer. When you bring music and prayer together, it can become something incredibly beautiful.
Sai Shravanam has also given a great deal of his time to this project. Then there are artistes such as Krishna Das and Nina Rao, along with the other wonderful pandits and scholars who have been involved.
I feel the album carries something of the essence of all these artistes coming together and giving their best with a tremendous amount of bhakti. That is the word I would use.
There is a great deal of dedication and bhakti in this album. And I sincerely hope that when people listen to it, they receive a sense of peace and harmony, along with its message of unity.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan: Because in India, we all depend on one another. That is our history and that is our culture.
People may know that Amjad Ali Khan plays the sarod. But they may not know who makes my sarods. Hemendra Chandra Sen.
That itself tells you something about the character of our country. We depend on one another.
I hope we realise the value of ekta and akhandata, of unity and togetherness, and understand that none of us exists entirely independent of the other.
This is a message that should reach every Indian and every parent. Parents must teach their children that we have to respect all the religions of the world because every religion carries a beautiful message.
Smt Subhalakshmi Barooah Khan: Of course. I would just like to say one thing.
I sincerely hope that the people who listen to this album receive it in the spirit in which it has been made. For me, this is not a professional endeavour. It is simply a humble prayer.
I say this with utmost humility because I am not a great singer, nor am I presenting myself as one. But whatever I have done here has been done with a great deal of feeling and straight from the heart.
That is all I would say.
About the Author
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he\’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always…Read More
October 15, 2026, 17:37 IST