Omani banker becomes Indian superstar after winning reality show
Omani banker becomes Indian superstar after winning reality show
An Omani singer has won top prize in a Hindi-language singing competition in India, winning him millions of fans on both sides of the Indian Ocean.
3 min read
02 Apr, 2017
Rafi won the hearts of millions of Indians in the competition [Twitter]
Omani banker Haitham Mohammed Rafi entered the top Indian reality talent show Dil Hai Hindustani with only modest hopes of success, despite the booming confidence of his backers in his singing prowess.
On Saturday, Rafi stunned Oman - and India - by taking top prize in the Hindi-language singing competition that is eagerly followed by millions of Indians.
Dressed in an Omani dishdasha and traditional massar headscarf - and sometimes in Indian clothing - Rafi crooned to the Indian audiences with mesmeric Hindi classical anthems.
His touching performances won the new singer fans in Oman, while his modesty and respect for the Hindi art form also made him a overnight superstar on the other side of the Indian Ocean.
"I never imagined a simple guy from Oman who left his job aspiring to become a singer would get so much love. I specially want to thank the lovely people of India who gave me so much love and made me feel like home all this while when I was hundreds of miles away from it," the pop star said in a statement.
"The contestants, crew and the judges of Dil Hai Hindustani are like family now, it will be difficult to imagine my life without them. Thank you to everyone who voted for me and making my dream of becoming a singer in India, come true."
This comfort and familiarity with Indian culture and arts is something common in Oman, where hundreds of thousands of Indian expatriates also call the country their home away from home.
The first cinemas in 1980s Muscat screened Bollywood classics, while Indian television is still hugely popular, and Hindi-language pop songs are commonly heard blasting from stereos across the capital. Among the judges was Karan Johar, a hugely popular film maker on both sides of the Indian Ocean.
Rafi told Times of Oman that it was this exposure to Bollywood, and the Indian community at large, that contributed to his lifelong love-affair with Hindi and Urdu languages and culture.
Oman's traditional trading relationship with the Indian subcontinent is likely a deeper-rooted reason for this imbued closeness between the sultanate and India.
From a professional viewpoint, his father, Mohammed Rafi - also a famous singer - served as his mentor. Sanjay Dalal of Talent Hunters Oman worked at his promoter.
"I knew deep from my heart, from the time we were preparing for the great [reality] show Dil Hai Hindustani that Haitham will win," Dalal posted on his Facebook page.
"Every message I sent him, every time I talked to him, I always mentioned 'you will win'. He made my dream come true. I feel very proud that my selection and decision to send him to the show was very fruitful."
Rafi's transformation from Omani banker to Indian pop star could be the start of a brilliant career for the artist while his success and fame will no doubt contribute to the continued closeness between the sultanate and the huge sub-continent just over the water.
Meanwhile, younger Omanis will likely feel more confident in showcasing their talents on a bigger stage.
On Saturday, Rafi stunned Oman - and India - by taking top prize in the Hindi-language singing competition that is eagerly followed by millions of Indians.
Dressed in an Omani dishdasha and traditional massar headscarf - and sometimes in Indian clothing - Rafi crooned to the Indian audiences with mesmeric Hindi classical anthems.
His touching performances won the new singer fans in Oman, while his modesty and respect for the Hindi art form also made him a overnight superstar on the other side of the Indian Ocean.
"I never imagined a simple guy from Oman who left his job aspiring to become a singer would get so much love. I specially want to thank the lovely people of India who gave me so much love and made me feel like home all this while when I was hundreds of miles away from it," the pop star said in a statement.
"The contestants, crew and the judges of Dil Hai Hindustani are like family now, it will be difficult to imagine my life without them. Thank you to everyone who voted for me and making my dream of becoming a singer in India, come true."
This comfort and familiarity with Indian culture and arts is something common in Oman, where hundreds of thousands of Indian expatriates also call the country their home away from home.
The first cinemas in 1980s Muscat screened Bollywood classics, while Indian television is still hugely popular, and Hindi-language pop songs are commonly heard blasting from stereos across the capital. Among the judges was Karan Johar, a hugely popular film maker on both sides of the Indian Ocean.
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| Haithem's final winning performance in the competition [YouTube] |
Rafi told Times of Oman that it was this exposure to Bollywood, and the Indian community at large, that contributed to his lifelong love-affair with Hindi and Urdu languages and culture.
Oman's traditional trading relationship with the Indian subcontinent is likely a deeper-rooted reason for this imbued closeness between the sultanate and India.
From a professional viewpoint, his father, Mohammed Rafi - also a famous singer - served as his mentor. Sanjay Dalal of Talent Hunters Oman worked at his promoter.
"I knew deep from my heart, from the time we were preparing for the great [reality] show Dil Hai Hindustani that Haitham will win," Dalal posted on his Facebook page.
"Every message I sent him, every time I talked to him, I always mentioned 'you will win'. He made my dream come true. I feel very proud that my selection and decision to send him to the show was very fruitful."
Rafi's transformation from Omani banker to Indian pop star could be the start of a brilliant career for the artist while his success and fame will no doubt contribute to the continued closeness between the sultanate and the huge sub-continent just over the water.
Meanwhile, younger Omanis will likely feel more confident in showcasing their talents on a bigger stage.
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