It’s heartening to be in holy city: Kher

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 14

At 44, Kailash Kher became the youngest commercial and folk singer to receive Padma Shree in 2017. In his own words, he considers his win overwhelming. “I was speechless when I was told that I would be receiving the honour. It feels as if all my life’s work and purpose has yielded results.” The singer, who is known for his unique voice and attitude towards music, was in Amritsar to perform at Wagah on the eve of Independence Day celebrations.

“It’s my second outing in the city and believe me, its heartening. The last time I visited and performed at Wagah, it evoked such emotions from people from both sides. I was also invited by Pakistan Rangers as a goodwill gesture.”

His association with the Bharat Ke Veer initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs had Kailash releasing a single Bharat Ke Veer in January this year. The song is dedicated to the soldiers and martyrs from armed forces. “It is a salutation to the brave soldiers, to these men, who do not have any religion, any caste or any agenda. But they lay down their lives for others. The proceeds from the song and the tour are being given to families of these martyrs.” On the launch day, the song had garnered Rs 13 crore for the families of martyrs.

His association with the initiative, he says, is quite emotional. “There is a boy, who donated Rs 1.5 lakh from his pocket money to the initiative. A widow of a martyr once shared that she has been getting anonymous donations from people across the country. These things prove that we are an emotion-driven country.”

His music, too, he says, reflects his ideology.