AR Rahman to perform at the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab today

3 min readUpdated: Jun 7, 2026 10:17 AM IST

Legendary music composer AR Rahman to perform at the Attari-Wagah Border in Punjab on June 7.

The heavily guarded Attari border, synonymous with the military pageantry of the Beating Retreat ceremony at the Joint Check Post (JCP) Stadium, will resonate with the songs of Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman today (June 7) as he performs at a special tribute concert titled “Jai Ho – A Tribute to the Bravehearts.”

An ode to the BSF (Border Security Force) jawans, the concert, which will take place between 4.30 and 5.30 pm near Amritsar, is also a promotional event for director Imtiaz Ali’s upcoming film Mai Vaapas Aaunga — a Partition saga starring Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina and Sharvari Wagh, among others.

AR Rahman’s compositions in the film, which is slated for release on June 12, are already finding much attention on social media. Ali announced on social media that this is also Rahman’s first trip to Punjab. While Raina and Wagh will be present, the singers from the film, including Mohit Chauhan, Nilanjana Ghosh Dastidar and Pooja Tiwari, among others, are likely to perform at the event.

The concert is scheduled to take place during the Beating Retreat ceremony, which the security forces from both sides of the border have followed since 1959. The ceremony has been considerably scaled down in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack in May 2025. It is now a closed-door ritual, with BSF jawans not shaking hands with Pakistani Rangers.

While there have been a slew of music and dance performances at the Indo-Pak border in the past, one of the most memorable and emotionally charged concerts still remains by Mallika-e-ghazal Begum Akhtar.

During this performance that took place during a cross-border Independence Day event, people gathered from both sides while Akhtar performed in the centre. She famously sang her popular thumri Hamari atariya pe aao re saavariya. Aware that the performance was amid the deep political tensions of the time in the aftermath of a bloody Partition, she improvised on a verse and sang, Aao sajan tum hamare dware, saara jhagda khatam huyi jaaye (Come to my doorstep, o beloved, that will be the end of all our quarrels). It was a plea for peace that is still cited in cultural circles on both sides of the border.

Suanshu Khurana is an award-winning journalist and music critic currently serving as a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is best known for her nuanced writing on Indian culture, with a specific focus on classical music, cinema, and the arts.

Expertise & Focus Areas Khurana specializes in the intersection of culture and society. Her beat involves deep-dive reporting on:

Indian Classical Music: She is regarded as a definitive voice in documenting the lineages (Gharanas) and evolution of Hindustani classical music.

Cinema & Theatre: Her critiques extend beyond reviews to analyze the socio-political narratives within Indian cinema and theater.

Cultural Heritage: She frequently profiles legendary artists and unearths stories about India’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

Professional Experience At The Indian Express, Khurana is responsible for curating and writing features for the Arts and Culture pages. Her work is characterized by long-form journalism that offers intimate portraits of artists and rigorous analysis of cultural trends. She has been instrumental in bringing the stories of both stalwarts and upcoming artistes to the forefront of mainstream media.

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