The Indian film industry has long incorporated Muslim characters, themes, histories and soundscapes into its stories. Musically, some of the more popular sonic aspects are borrowed from Sufi spiritual practices and from the Qawwali genre in particular. Celluloid representations of Qawwali and the inclusion of qawwali as a genre began with the 1944 film Zeenat. Qawwali gradually became incorporated as a regular feature in the Bollywood soundtrack over the next few decades, and is now entering a new phase of popularization with the emergence of "techno-qawwali." Qawwali, however, is more than a musical genre. It is also a devotional practice described by Qureshi as "a method of worship... a means of spiritual advancement and... a feast for the soul" (Qureshi, 1995). How are issues of sacred and secular represented and reconciled?

This paper will include an analysis of the distinctions and adaptations between traditional qawwali and filmi qawwali musical aesthetics, including timbral, architectural, and rhythmic elements as well as their overall picturizations, thematic sentiments and visual-musical representations. How are issues of religious and musical authenticity negotiated both musically and visually? Further discussion will focus on spiritual contexts and how the coextensive nature of religion and music found in traditional qawwali might be altered by the cinematic experience.