His Father’s Son

He recounts that India is still home in many ways. “My grandmother’s grave is still here,” he says,recounting how Mehdi Hassan,who was born in Mandawa village of Rajasthan ,migrated with his family after Partition. “My father longs to visit the country again but he has been ill for more then a year and suffered three paralytic strokes,” says Asif. This brings him to the rumour that originated last year in India about how an ill Mehdi could barely afford treatment. This prompted a flurry of fundraising ventures by fans and classical musicians. “That was a scam. With six sons,one of whom is a cardiologist,how can my father have a financial problem? Some unscrupulous people wanted to cash in on his illness,” says Asif,who performed a few of his father’s famous ghazals like Pyar bhare do sharmeele nain and Ek husn ki devi.

This is his fifth visit to the country,and Asif is planning to test

Bollywood soon. “I had recorded an album of 12 songs with Sony two years back,but its release was postponed due to 26/11. Music composer Ismail Darbar has also approached me for a project,” he says.