Once upon a time, around 500 years ago, there lived a Sufi mystic in Lahore called Shah Hussain. He was a man who went against the grain of societal norms. Why should we conform to the notions of "good" and "bad"? That was the question he strove to answer. If someone wants to seek spiritual enlightenment, let them have it. But if on the other hand someone seeks intoxicating substances, let them have that too. Such was his philosophy. Most importantly, however, Hussain believed that it's the human ego that shackles people's minds. If you can break free from it, the world is yours.

"He lived during the time of Akbar, and belonged to a sect called Malamati. Their whole pursuit involved detracting attention away from themselves. That's why they wouldn't do anything that's conformist. And Shah Hussain didn't believe that there was only one right path to reach the divine. So, he questioned the orthodox views with which people approached the almighty. In fact, he says in one of his kalams [conversations], 'I'm bad, I'm bad, I'm bad, and my only goal is to be one with the divine," says Radhika Sood Nayak ahead of a performance called Faqeer Nimaana that will serve as a prequel to Kabir Festival, where she will put the mystic's verses to music.