Pakistani singer Atif Aslam on the lure of Bollywood and what makes India attractive to artistes in the subcontinent
Lured by the huge market, artistes from across the border are increasingly collaborating with Bollywood and the Indian television industry.
“The audience and the amazing culture keeps bringing back artistes like me to India and its people,” says Pakistani singer Atif Aslam who will be debuting on Indian TV in the show Sur-Kshetra.
Atif wants to break misconceptions prevailing across the border and believes that today’s generation doesn’t perceive India and Pakistan as rivals. He says, “It is a message of peace and love from my side and I know that the younger generations on both sides will echo my thoughts.”
When asked about the increasing influx of artists from Pakistan and the spurt in crossover ventures in films and on TV, he says, “Bollywood is a huge market with great infrastructure, high exposure and multiple networks for promotions that makes a singer like me think that this is the right market.” Speaking about the music industry in his homeland, he says, “Back home, we don’t have this kind of infrastructure or channels to promote our music.”
According to Atif, Pakistani music has always been about experimentation but it has lacked exposure. “No one could imagine Urdu hard rock or Punjabi rappers, which is quite a combination. We have no dearth of talent in our country,” he says with a smile and adds that things are changing back home. “More Pakistani films are being made with bolder themes and there is less censorship on content than before. We also get to see foreign and Bollywood films in our cinemas, which is giving us a taste of other styles of film-making.”
Atif is excited about his current and future projects. “I have recorded three songs for Jayanta Bhai Ki Luv Story and two tracks for Race 2. I am happy with the way they have shaped up,” he says. Shedding light on his international projects, he adds, “I have recorded one track with Guns N’ Roses and will be recording more songs with them at the end of this year.”
He looks forward to more joint-collaborations that will cement the love of his “Indian audience who have welcomed him with open arms.”
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