Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali, whose concert was cancelled in Mumbai last year following Shiv Sena protests, today enthralled a packed audience at the Netaji Indoor Stadium here.
"I am always happy whenever I go anywhere, but this time I am very happy. I used to visit Kolkata often, but this year it seems I am coming after 50 years. I was so sad and today my sadness ends," the 75-year-old singer of Patiala gharana said.
Thousands, who gathered to hear him, cheered when he crooned his popular numbers "Chupke Chupke Raat Din" and "Hungama Hai kyon Barpa".
His son Aamir Ali also sang with him at the programme.
Describing Ghulam Ali as "Sangeet Samrat", Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who was present said, "Music has no boundary".
"You have to come next time again as a gift to all of us," she said adding not everyone could be accommodated in the 12,000 capacity stadium due to heavy demand.
Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who was also in the audience, thanked the chief minister saying it is nothing short of a miracle to have the popular singer amidst us.
"We had given up hope few months ago due to the kind of atmosphere that was created in Mumbai," Bhatt said.
His program was organised by the Minorities Development Finance Corporation, which functions under the Minority and Madrassah Affairs Ministry whose minister in-charge is Banerjee herself.
Coinciding with the 153th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the concert was part of the inaugural function of "Milan Utsav", a trade fair for small and medium enterprises.
In October last year, Shiv Sena had threatened to disrupt Ali's concert warning that no artiste from Pakistan will be allowed to perform in the city till terror emanating from across the border is stopped.
