Altaf Raja says Rajiv Babbar gave him blank cheque for Shapath song; claims Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan charged Rs 5 lakh for ‘Dulhe Ka Sehra’

During the conversation, Altaf recalled, “Rajiv Babbar, the director and producer of Shapath, went to Vaishnodevi to offer his prayers. During his entire journey till the temple, he heard my song ‘Tum toh thehre pardesi’ multiple times. After coming back from there, I got a call from his secretary to come and meet him. He said that he wants me to sing for him in a film.”

ALSO READ | Zohran Mamdani fails ultimate Bollywood quiz, unable to guess Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic songs

He added, “I had never wished to become a playback singer. Everyone has their own goal, I wanted to become an album singer, and thanks to God, I even got popular for my albums. He wanted me to sing the song (Ishq Aur Pyar Ka Mazaa Lijiye)  in Shapath because I had a high pitched voice. I told them that I wanted to add sargam to the track. We did a few sittings and recorded the song in around two hours.”

Rajiv Babbar liked “Ishq Aur Pyar Ka Mazaa Lijiye,” and he wanted Altaf Raja to feature in the music video as well. “He liked the song and wanted me to shoot the promo as well. I had to act in it. We went to Mithun da’s hotel in Ooty and shot the track for three days. I hadn’t charged any money till that point of time. After coming back, he handed me a blank cheque, so I asked what this was. He said that you can fill whatever amount you want,” he shared.

While revealing the amount he filled in the cheque, the singer also revealed Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s alleged fees. “I filled Rs 80,000, not even Rs one lakh. I consulted my mother and guru. They said whatever you feel is deserving of your hard work, fill that amount. Even if I would have filled Rs 4 or 5 lakh, he wouldn’t have denied. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan took Rs 5 lakhs for Dulhe Ka Sehra at that time,” he concluded.