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Pakistani band Strings return to Bollywood after 26/11 fall-out

Strings talk to DNA on their comeback, the fall-out of 26/11, and what to expect for Shootout in Wadala.

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The dynamic duo of popular Pakistani band Strings, Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood are back in the Indian musical scenario, all set to weave their magic into the hearts of Indians, once again.

On returning to Bollywood after three years, Faisal says, “It seems a bit unreal. After 26/11 we thought that it’s all over for Pakistani musicians in India. After that event, we saw a very strong bond between all the Indian Music Industry stakeholders. The free flow of Pakistani musicians came to a halt. Some of the Pakistani Artists continued doing playback since it did not require public appearances, but our number of concerts dropped drastically.”

“India which was once our second home, started looking like an alien country to us,” adds Bilal.

But it was a dream when Sanjay Gupta offered them Shootout At Wadala. “Somehow Sanjay believes in our music and our ability to understand the script and deliver accordingly,” says Faisal.

Strings had worked closely with Sanjay for Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007) and Zinda (2006). This time around, they are coming on board as the composers not just for one song but for most of the film. “Last time we composed only Aakhri Alvida. Now we’ll be making around four to five songs. We might sing a couple of them but for the rest we’ll be looking for appropriate singers. Genres are quite varied. There’s a celebration cum item number and an uplifting qawwalli,” informs Bilal.

Talking about the present musical scenario in Bollywood films, Strings believe that Indian cinema has become very vibrant. Faisal explains, “Music has changed a lot. Now you cannot pinpoint a particular genre and say that this is Bollywood. Producers are now ready to take risks.”

They also believe that to compose music for a Bollywood film requires one to come out of their comfort zone. “. But then as musicians we crave to do a project like this where the possibilities are endless. We just have to keep pushing ourselves till we get something that is groundbreaking,” adds Faisal.

Though they haven’t worked with any Bollywood composer as yet, their favourites are Amit Trivedi and Vishal Bharadwaj. Apart from working on singles they are in the process of locking dates.

And will soon announce their concert dates in India. Lastly, they sign off saying that how their last two singles, Mein Tou Dekhoonga and Ab Khud Kuch Karna Parega were political in nature, inspired from the turmoil in their country.

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