Understanding the Role of Hindi Cinema in Popularizing Sufi Music and Its Rising Appeal among Youth in West Bengal


Authors : Shubhangi Chowdhury

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 1 - January


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/2m77t3da

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/kbccsf3s

DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14651220


Abstract : Sufi music is a devotional music genre that originates from the mystical tradition of Sufism. It plays a significant role in expressing the profound emotions and spiritual experiences of Sufi practitioners, and listeners. Also, it aims to transport listeners into a state of heightened spiritual awareness. Sufi music in India is in high demand; people have incorporated this genre into the Indian sub-continental culture. This led to a rise in the number of Sufi songs as well as Sufi artists in India. Independent music artists have released their songs on popular platforms like YouTube and other digital music sites. Besides, the incorporation of Sufi Music heavily in the last 20 years of Hindi cinema has made it a popular culture in society. Indian city Kolkata is known for its affection towards musical culture. Recently, there has been a rising appeal among the youth for Sufi Music. Young people are frequently seen singing at Sufi music performances and mentioning how the music has affected them. Even due to the flexibility of this genre, there has been a creation of Sufi music over the past few years by audiences' needs and preferences. Therefore, the goal of this study is to examine how Hindi film contributes to the development of a Sufi music culture among young people and the factors that contribute to the growing popularity of Sufi music among them, with an emphasis on the Indian state of West Bengal. To do this, a survey of 100 young people living in different districts of West Bengal and a content study of Hindi movie songs released in the past few years have been carried out in the study.

Keywords : Popular Culture, Sufi Music, Hindi Films, Youth, West Bengal.

References :

  1. Auer, B. (2019). The Origins and Evolution of Sufi    Communities in South Asia Revisited. journal of Sufi Studies, 8, 30-49. https://doi.org/10.1163/22105956-12341314
  2. Boroujerdi, M. (1993). Influence of Sufism on Literature and Art. Contemporary relevance of Sufism, 169-184.
  3. Jaiswal, M. K. (2021). Role of Sufi Music in 21st Century Hindi Cinema: An Analytical Study. Communication Today, 25(3),59-66. https://www.academia.edu/83498008/Role_of_Sufi_Music_in_21st_Century_Hindi_Cinema_An_Analytical_Study
  4. Kataria, P., & Sharma, R. K. (2018). Major Sufi Mystic and Sufiana Singing Styles. Journal of Advances and Scholarly Researches in Allied Education, 15(6), 940–944. Ignited Minds. https://ignited.in/index.php/jasrae/article/view/8638
  5. Khan, A. (2020, July 30). 7 Sufi songs that brought Sufi to the masses through Bollywood. The Plunge Daily. https://mybigplunge.com/culture/7-sufi-songs-that-brought-sufi-to-the-masses/
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  8. Rajan, B. (2014, July). Infusion of Technology and Changing Face of Sufi Music. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318226766_Infusion_of_Technology_and_Changing_Face_of_Sufi_Music
  9. Schimmel, A. (2024, December 21). Sufism | Definition, History, Beliefs, Significance, & Facts. Britannica. Retrieved January 13, 2025, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sufism
  10. Sen, R. (2023, March 03). Sufi Music – A Divine and Spiritually Enthralling Experience. caleidoscope. https://www.caleidoscope.in/art-culture/sufi-music
  11. Wolf, R. K. (2006). The poetics of “Sufi” practice. American Ethnologist, 33(2), 246–268. Academia

Sufi music is a devotional music genre that originates from the mystical tradition of Sufism. It plays a significant role in expressing the profound emotions and spiritual experiences of Sufi practitioners, and listeners. Also, it aims to transport listeners into a state of heightened spiritual awareness. Sufi music in India is in high demand; people have incorporated this genre into the Indian sub-continental culture. This led to a rise in the number of Sufi songs as well as Sufi artists in India. Independent music artists have released their songs on popular platforms like YouTube and other digital music sites. Besides, the incorporation of Sufi Music heavily in the last 20 years of Hindi cinema has made it a popular culture in society. Indian city Kolkata is known for its affection towards musical culture. Recently, there has been a rising appeal among the youth for Sufi Music. Young people are frequently seen singing at Sufi music performances and mentioning how the music has affected them. Even due to the flexibility of this genre, there has been a creation of Sufi music over the past few years by audiences' needs and preferences. Therefore, the goal of this study is to examine how Hindi film contributes to the development of a Sufi music culture among young people and the factors that contribute to the growing popularity of Sufi music among them, with an emphasis on the Indian state of West Bengal. To do this, a survey of 100 young people living in different districts of West Bengal and a content study of Hindi movie songs released in the past few years have been carried out in the study.

Keywords : Popular Culture, Sufi Music, Hindi Films, Youth, West Bengal.

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