New Delhi: A video of Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan physically assaulting a man with slippers is going viral on social media. In the widely circulated footage, Khan, attired in a dark kurta, is seen repeatedly striking the man while asking him about a missing bottle.
Senior journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah shared the now-viral video on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption, “Famous singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan beating his servant for a bottle of alcohol.”
Famous singer Rahat Fateh Ali khan beating his servent for bottle of Alcohol pic.twitter.com/9DZwYxgPmV
— Ghulam Abbas Shah (@ghulamabbasshah) January 27, 2024
The video sparked outrage among netizens who criticized the singer for his treatment of his servant. One user said, “Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan beating his servant. He may be a good singer, but he is a pathetic human being.”
“He should be ashamed of himself but he will repeat this and don’t know what all he has done before,” another user said.
“’Bottle kahan hai?’ Singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan beats his house staff member over one missing bottle of wine. Money and fame can be earned through hard work, but ethical values cannot be taught,” yet another user noted.
'Bottle Kahan Hai?' Singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan beats his house staff member over one missing bottle of Wine.
Money & fame can be earned through hard work, but ethical values cannot be bought.#RahatFatehAliKhan #Rahat pic.twitter.com/PozZm3tqz6— Manie Singh ☬ 🇮🇳 (@manieofficial) January 27, 2024
“Rahat Fateh Ali Khan issued a clarification justifying his viral video, There was Holy Water in the bottle, not Alcohol ! It seems he is compelled the house help to speak words in his favor after the viral video. What say?”
Singer Chinmayi Sripaada also condemned the incident and called it “horrendous”.
Some of these people behave like such gentle, soft spoken souls in public, one would never think they’d be capable of such inhumane behaviour.
If only cameras existed earlier – more of those we celebrate as so called greats would have been exposed for what they actually were to… https://t.co/Touh1w7H2X
— Chinmayi Sripaada (@Chinmayi) January 27, 2024
“Some of these people behave like such gentle, soft-spoken souls in public, one would never think they’d be capable of such inhumane behaviour. If only cameras existed earlier- more of those we celebrate as so called greats would have never been exposed for what they actually were to other people. Horrendous,” Sripaada wrote in her post.
In another video, Khan clarified that the man, who is his student, had made a mistake and was disciplined accordingly. However, he also offered an apology to him.
The person who lost a bottle of ‘dam kiya huwa pani’ (holy water), referring to Khan as his ‘ustad’ (teacher), supported him, claiming that those sharing the video are trying to damage Khan’s reputation. He emphasized that there was nothing wrong with a fatherly figure disciplining his son and accused those causing controversy over the video of trying to blackmail his teacher.
“Ustad ji came and apologised to me. He is my father, murshid, guru and there is nothing wrong in a father punishing his son. Creating a controversy over this video is a way of blackmailing my ustad,” he said.
The victim’s father, standing beside Khan, also expressed that a master disciplining his disciple is not wrong.