For most youngsters, music begins as a hobby and stays there. For Fathima Ishtik, it became the centre of life before she even realised it. Today, the hijab-clad singer, practising Kathakali Sangeetham (Kathakali music), along with multiple cover songs from Malappuram, is performing across Kerala and abroad, building an audience for a musical path. Speaking to 'Mathrubhumi', she says music did not happen suddenly; it slowly grew until it became the only direction she wanted to walk.

The advice that changed everything

The first turning point came at WIC HSS Wandoor, where social science teacher Rasheela recognised her potential and encouraged her to pursue the genre of Kathakali Sangeetham seriously. That advice led Fathima to her guru Deepa Palanad, who, coincidentally, had once been her mathematics teacher during UP school days at UCNNM AUPS, Porur.

From Class nine to Plus Two, she represented at the district and state Kalolsavam in Kathakali Sangeetham, experiences she remembers with pride. “Those opportunities shaped me,” she says.

Losing and regaining the stage

The transition to higher studies came with a setback. While doing BA in Music at Maharaja’s College under MG University, she realised there was no Kathakali Sangeetham competition there. “I lost the stage for a while,” she recalls. A comeback arrived during her post-graduation at the Thrissur School of Drama under Calicut University, where she got an opportunity to perform.

A later performance at Kerala Kalamandalam changed everything. The video went viral, drawing audience love and celebrity recognition. Many comments compared her rendering to the iconic Kalamandalam Hyderali Ashan. “I know I am nowhere near him, “but I felt happy that people heard something meaningful in my singing,” she shared the contentment.

 

Encouragement had no barrier

The support did not begin on social media. She remembers performing Kathakali Sangeetham at Punnappala temple during her Plus Two days. “People encouraged me so much. Back then, social media wasn’t active, so there was less backlash.” Negativity did surface later online. Her reaction remains calm: “I faced some criticism, but I continued. My passion mattered more.”

A guru who forms the spine of her discipline

Her musical discipline is guarded closely by her guru, Deepa Palanad, daughter of veteran Kathakali singer Palanad Divakaran. “Both of them polished my Kathakali Sangeetham. Deepa teacher still follows up on my practice. She replaces my laziness. I share all my happiness and sadness with her,” Fathima says, smiling.

placeholder
Fathima Ishtik and her guru Deepa Palanad

 

 

Family: The pillar in career

While followers admire her commitment, she says real strength comes from home. “Still, my parents are more passionate than I am. They make me stand steady in this field.” After marriage, her husband’s support enabled her to take content creation seriously during the COVID period.

Dubai is a bigger stage

Fathima, who currently resides in Dubai, is performing musical shows there too. “I also got opportunities in Dubai to sing Kathakali Sangeetham along with the cover song performances of traditional songs. People were excited to know that I sing something so rare, something usually not associated with our community,” she says.

The profile of a hijab-clad woman singing Kathakali Sangeetham is one the audience often finds unexpected, and that curiosity has helped widen her reach.

Tradition, restrictions and hope

Despite her rising acclaim, venues in Kerala remain limited. “Kathakali is traditionally seen as meant for the Hindu community. Back then, Kalamandalam Hyderali Ashan was an exception. Many temples still follow orthodox restrictions, so opportunities are fewer, considering the religious background. But trends are changing in Kerala. Even another Muslim girl was admitted to learn Kathakali in Kerala Kalamandalam, which is a huge recognition and a path-breaking thing in the field of arts.”

Still, she is preparing for the next milestone, an arangettam (traditional maiden performance), performing a full-length Kathakali story on stage. Recently, she also sang for the remembrance of the veteran Kathakali singer Kalamandalam Unnikrishna Kurup Ashan, a moment she considers a blessing, as Kalamandalam Unnikrishna Kurup was the guru of her gurus, Deepa Palanad and Palanad Divakaran.

Learning, expanding, and looking ahead

Her primary training continues in Carnatic music, a space she says comes naturally to her. She is now also learning Hindustani music under Ajith Subramanian. Outside classical forms, she hopes to explore ghazals and independent music in the future.

A journey without conclusion, only growth

For Fathima, Kathakali Sangeetham is not a strand of music she chose; it has become indistinguishable from the idea of music itself. The two are inseparable now, the way she studies, the way she practises, the way she performs and the way she exists. Whatever stage she reaches next, it is clear that she is not just pursuing Kathakali Sangeetham; she is living it.