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Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 6, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth9 December 1973

Age50 Years

BirthplaceFaisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan

ProfessionSinger

NationalityPakistani

Marital statusMarried

SpouseNida Khan

FamilyFather - Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan; Uncle - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Biography

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is a Pakistani singer from a distinguished qawwali family, known for carrying forward the tradition of his uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Early life and background

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was born on 9 December 1973 in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. He grew up inside a well-known musical household rooted in the Qawwal tradition; his father Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan and his celebrated uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan were important musical influences. Rahat began music lessons with his father as a young child and commenced formal training by the age of 13. He performed on stage for the first time in 1985 when he was around 10 during a tour in the United Kingdom with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Career

Rahat belongs to the Qawwal Bachon ka Gharana and developed a career as a qawwali singer before branching into film soundtracks. He made early international inroads when he contributed to the soundtrack of the film Dead Man Walking in 1995. After the death of his uncle in 1997, Rahat continued the family’s musical legacy and later entered the South Asian film music scene. His song Mann Ki Lagan was selected by filmmaker Pooja Bhatt and featured in the Hindi film Paap, which led to his Bollywood debut in 2003.

Across his career he has received a range of awards and recognitions: Pakistan’s Pride of Performance, the UNESCO Music Prize, the Grand Prix des Amériques at the Montreal World Film Festival, and the Arts and Culture Prize from the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prizes. He is also listed in several international compilations of notable artists, including recognition from Time magazine and mentions on lists compiled by outlets such as NPR and CNN. He holds a Guinness World Record for the most qawwali recordings.

Public profile

Rahat is often referred to by the shorthand Rahat or RFAK and has been honored with nicknames that reflect his standing in qawwali circles. He lives a public life as a performing artist and is known to enjoy travelling. Physically, he is described as about 162 cm tall with brown eyes and black hair.

He is married to Nida Khan and is the father of a son, Shazmaan Khan. Rahat’s nationality is Pakistani and his faith is Islam. His public tastes include admiration for several actors and classical and contemporary vocalists that have shaped his musical outlook.

Controversies and incidents

A number of incidents involving Rahat have been reported in media accounts. In late 2013 he publicly denied reports about a divorce that had circulated in the press. At the end of 2015 he was prevented from entering Hyderabad for a planned New Year’s Eve performance due to immigration rules governing entry points for Pakistani nationals into India. In January 2024 a video showing him disciplining a student led to public attention; Rahat later appeared on video with the student and the student’s father and issued an apology. In mid‑2024 Pakistani media reported his arrest in Dubai over a defamation complaint by a former manager; Rahat later denied the arrest reports and asked followers not to give weight to those accounts.

Personal notes

Rahat comes from a family whose musical lineage traces back generations and, according to accounts associated with his gharana, to historical roots tied to the region around Ghazni. He has described his uncle Nusrat and his father Farrukh as inspirations. In 2011 he survived a car accident while traveling in the United States. Details sometimes reported about his personal habits include that he smokes.

Latest updates

In recent years Rahat has remained active as a performing artist and continued to be the subject of media coverage for both his music and episodes that attracted public attention. His career includes stage performances, film soundtrack contributions and international recognition spanning several decades.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Mann Ki Lagan (song featured in film Paap)

Song that led to his Bollywood debut when Pooja Bhatt took it for the film Paap

2003
Contribution to Dead Man Walking soundtrack

Contributed to the soundtrack of the Hollywood film Dead Man Walking

1995
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Career Highlights

  1. First stage performance in 1985 on tour with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
  2. Contributed to the Dead Man Walking soundtrack (1995)
  3. Bollywood debut via Mann Ki Lagan in Paap (2003)
  4. Recipient of Pakistan’s Pride of Performance
  5. Winner of UNESCO Music Prize and other international awards
  6. Holds a Guinness World Record for the most qawwali recordings
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Rahat Fateh Ali Khan born?

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was born on 9 December 1973.

What is Rahat Fateh Ali Khan known for?

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is known for singer.

What is Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s marital status?

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Rahat Fateh Ali Khan married to?

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is publicly listed as married to Nida Khan.