‘Kun Faya Kun’ draws from the Quran and Rigveda, says Imtiaz Ali: ‘It was too powerful’

3 min readMumbaiJun 13, 2026 03:11 PM IST

Kun Faya Kun remains one of AR Rahman's most beloved songs.

One of the most defining moments in Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar comes during the rendition of ‘Kun Faya Kun’, when Ranbir Kapoor’s character, Jordan, appears to slip into a trance-like state while immersed in the music. The scene remains etched in the memories of audiences even today, much like the song itself, which is widely regarded as one of AR Rahman’s most remarkable compositions. Recently, Imtiaz Ali opened up about the making of ‘Kun Faya Kun’, revealing that the song draws inspiration from multiple religious and philosophical texts, including the Rigveda and the Quran.

‘There is the Rigveda, there is the Quran Sharif’

Speaking to Times Now, the filmmaker said, “For something like that, I can’t take the credit. That is AR Rahman. That is Irshad Kamil. That is all of that. And also, there is the Rigveda, there is the Quran Sharif, there is the Bhagavad Gita, all of that is written into it. Do you know that? The line ‘Jab kahin bhi, kuch nahin, bhi nahin tha’ (When there was nothing, not even nothingness) is from the Rigveda. It is the Hymn of Creation from the Rigveda. ‘Kun Faya Kun’ is from the Quran, which is also there in the Bible, ‘Be, and there was.'”

Ali further revealed that Rahman approached the song with immense reverence and a deep sense of responsibility. “And then so much is quoted from so many scriptures in that song. Rahman sir believed it. He said, ‘This is too powerful. Let me consult with some people to see whether we should even make these song lyrics. We don’t want to put it in a contaminated vessel.'”

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Recalling the recording process, he added, “Jab hum log yeh record karne aaye na, toh phir haath-muh, haath-pair dhoke, nange pair aaye” (When we came to record the song, we washed our hands, face and feet, and came barefoot). Because we were carrying something of value, something for which we had to be responsible.”

This isn’t the first time Ali has spoken about the care that went into creating ‘Kun Faya Kun’. A few years ago, during a conversation with Ranveer Allahbadia, he recalled how the team was mindful of the sensitivities surrounding faith. “Rahman didn’t want to offend anybody, and neither did we. Whenever you talk about faith, you have to be careful because it isn’t our intention to hurt anyone. We asked around, discussed it, and finally decided to go ahead, but with sensitivity. We made sure to be careful not only with the song, but also with the visuals, because we didn’t want to offend anyone.”

Meanwhile, Imtiaz Ali’s latest directorial, Main Vaapas Aaunga, released in theatres on Friday.