MUMBAI: Jyoti and Sultana Nooran, popularly known as Nooran sisters who crooned ‘Patakha Guddi’ from the film ‘Highway’ are eternally thankful to their parents for not only teaching them music but also for giving them the right to live. Hailing from the state of Punjab, where girls are killed before or even after they are born, their parents instead brought them up without indulging in gender biases.

“We are very fortunate that our parents brought us up and that too in a very nice manner. Whatever we are today is because of our parents. I would also appeal to the people to not indulge into female infanticide or feticide,” said Sultana Nooran.

The musical journey of the sisters began when Sultana and Jyoti were seven and five years old respectively. “Once we were playing in the lawn in front of our house and were singing a song. Our father heard us humming and he played the harmonium to us and asked to sing with it. To his amazement, we sung well and since that day he started training us in music,” reminisced Sultana.

The sisters belong to the renowned Sham Chaurasia Gharana, which has produced musicians like Tansen, an eminent musician in the court of Mughal emperor Akbar. They gained recognition from the Punjabi reality TV show ‘Nikki Awaaz Punjab Di’.

The sisters have been singing Sufi songs in Punjabi and have also recorded a few private albums. Their single ‘Tung Tung da Sound Karda,’ with music composer Sneha Khanwalkar went on to become a rage. It was during one of the concerts that AR Rahman heard them live and called them for recording the track ‘Patakha Guddi’. The track was recorded in presence of Rahman and Imtiaz Ali.

“Recording with Rahman sahab and Imtiaz ji was bliss. The song also bagged us nominations, which was like a dream come true. Everyone including Imtiaz and Rahman sahab praised us,” said Sultana.

It took them a couple of hours to record the track.

Nooran feels that that they have fulfilled their father’s dream. Apart from her father, she attributes her success to her husband Adil, who supports her at every step of her career. “My husband accompanies me for various recordings and other live performances. He is there for me whenever I need him. This gives me a boost to perform better,” she explained.

The Nooran sisters will also be appearing as judges on a Punjabi singing reality show.