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Zila Khan interrupted

Updated on: 16 December,2009 08:47 AM IST  | 
Shashank Shekhar |

At Women's International Film Festival

Zila Khan interrupted

At Women's International Film Festival

Words speak louder than actions. If it is true then the fifth edition of Women's International Film Festival, which had women emancipation as its theme, did a great disservice to the cause it was organised for.

At the opening day function, Sufi singer Zila Khan had been invited, besides 13 underprivileged children. Though when the singer reached the venueu00a0-- Vigyan Bhawanu00a0-- with her troupe, she was in for a rude shock.






"They all just shout loud slogans, nobody actually cares about women empowerment. Apart from me 13 under privileged children were totally ignored by the organisers," Zila Khan told MiD DAY.

The eminent Sufi singer had specially trained the children, one of whom is a blind girl, for the opening song. The children were from Salwan School. "The kids were so excited about the event but when we reached the venue, leave alone the organisers, not even a sound system was there," she said.

"For hours nobody told us that the programme has been cancelled," she said.

However, the organisers blamed it on Vigyan Bhawan administration. "The Vigyan Bhawan administration informed us at the eleventh hour that day one of the programme's schedule cannot be held for technical reasons," said Chandan Rai Choudhary of Women's International Film Festival.

Pioneer

Zila Khan, one of the top women Sufi singers in the country, launched the album 'Zila, the girl child' on the Saregama label on March 8, 2008.

The album talks about various emotions of a woman, including her sensuality.

Khan is the seventh generation of an unbroken line in what is the oldest school (or Gharana) of Sitar and Surbahar in India, the daughter of the incomparable sitar maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan.

Zila is the one and only singer in the Imdad Khani Gharana and she is the first woman from the family to have been empowered to sing in public.


The Other Side

We had invited so many eminent guests. We tried to communicate the cancellation to each one of them. However, by the time we could reach Zila Khan she had reached the venue. The festival will run according to the schedule from December 16-22.
Chandan Rai Choudhary of Women's International Film Festival

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