Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash call for more government support to revive live shows

Musician brothers Amaan Ali and Ayaan Ali Bangash rue lack of support by the Indian government to help the creative industry to get back on its feet, after struggling through different waves of the virus crisis. They say that the biggest setback is that the “government is not very fond of art and culture in the country”.

Amaan elaborates, “The government of our country should promote live shows, even if they are limited in number, not for the money part but to emphasise that life is going has to go on. The metros are full, the roads are full packed, people have become responsible, now, the chain of no live shows has to break. While we have been blessed, a lot of musicians, radio artists are going through a tough time. People from the entertainment industry have always given their best to make people happy. Now, they should also be supported.”

Here, his brother Ayaan, 42, points out how concerts are getting back in business in the West gradually.

“They have limited capacity, so a vaccination certificate is necessary, and we need to have counterpart rules like that even in India,” Ayaan shares.

Amaan, 44, feels they (the West) are doing it because of government’s support, which is missing in India.

“There, government is involved in art and culture. Here, we first have to get our attention out of the other thing that we’re focusing on. We have to bring the focus on arts and culture,” he says, adding, “The problem is that government is not very fond of art and culture.”

“I don’t see upliftment of art and culture, be it musician, dancers, painters, actors or theatre personalities. It is finishing because no one is interested, while in the West, people are passionate about it. If we are losing our country’s culture, then it’s our bad luck,” Amaan stresses.

The brothers, who recently collaborated with artistes, including Mahesh Kale, Karsh Kale, Shubha Mudgal, Malini Awasthi and their father Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, for a campaign against child sexual abuse which they addressed through their third EP – We For Love, wants the “government to take initiative and promote a country’s culture”.

“If certain rules and regulations are followed, then it’s all possible. We have to kind of find our way back into the rhythm of life. Having said that, we understand the pressure even the government is going through, and think gradually, we should be able to find a solution,” Ayaan ends on a hopeful note.