CHENNAI: In a film that chooses silence as its language, music becomes the soul that speaks. In Vijay Sethupathi, Arvind Swami and Aditi Rao Hydari-starrer Gandhi Talks, Faiz Mustafa’s voice moves like a whispered confession. With Zara Zara, the Hindi version of Yetho Yetho, he allows every note to unfold with patience and intent. There is an aching tenderness in his rendition, a quality that feels almost reverential, as though the melody itself is aware of the stillness surrounding it.
Grounded in Hindustani classical discipline and shaped by a rich musical lineage, Faiz is the grandson of the late Padma Vibhushan Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan.
The vocalist grew up witnessing practice sessions by AR Rahman, Sonu Nigam, Hariharan and Shaan, among many others, as Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan mentored them all.
Faiz’s first performance itself set a remarkable stage, as he performed alongside his grandfather, father, uncles, and the Mozart of Madras himself for Coke Studio’s Aao Balma.
Recalling his interaction with AR Rahman, charged with shyness and hesitation, the vocalist shares,
The young vocalist was 13 when he started working with ARR.
With heaping praise for his first song, Faiz is also a part of AR Rahman’s band, Jhalaa, and tours with the Oscar-winning composer for Sufi and other concerts. Moreover, the singer and the composer collaborated on the Arabic song Istigfar from Prithviraj Sukumaran-starrer The Goat Life.
Besides this, he has earlier sung in films like Heropanti 2 and Maidaan, among others.
Having worked across different genres, he tells DT Next that genre doesn’t matter to a singer.
Faiz expresses gratitude to his grandfather for his early exposure to music and says he learned from him to give his best without thinking too much about the result.
Describing his musical journey with ARR as a fun-loving one, Faiz credits the two-time Grammy winner as a source of guidance and inspiration.
Talking about how audiences have evolved, Faiz believes, “It is crucial. Earlier, people loved listening to live instruments like the flute, keyboard or tabla. Now, I think the focus is also on EDM music (he performs two notes for live instruments and EDM for quick understanding). This exposure to a variety of music is quite healthy.”
Among his upcoming line-ups are a Marathi number and a few more singles. Without revealing much, Faiz informs us that Tamil audiences will soon be listening to his voice.
“I have come to Chennai many times and visited neighbourhoods like Vadapalani, Kodambakkam, Adyar and Arumbakkam. I love everything about the city, especially the people and their deep respect for music. It is a city that balances development while staying rooted in culture,” he signs off, ending the chat with a nandri.