I didn’t like the video of ‘Afghan Jalebi’: Asrar

Vocalist comes clean on Bollywood debut, says he wants to make music on taboo subjects

LAHORE:

If there is one Pakistani musician who has only recently emerged on the scene and taken it by storm, it has to be Asrar. His unkempt look and rustic voice, accompanied by tremendous vocal prowess, have earned him more fame than most of his contemporaries have managed to achieve. Be it the dance number Shakar Wadaan Re or the whimsical Malango, the soulful Ishq Ka Dastoor or the Bollywood chart topper Afghan Jalebi, there’s no questioning Asrar’s versatility and remarkable promise.

Although it has been a while since the Phantom song came out, the singer chose to remain tight-lipped over it and never once shared it on the social media. Talking to The Express Tribune about his Bollywood debut with the controversial film, he said, “I was contacted by Pritam whom I hold in high regard. When the composition and lyrics were shared with me, I was happy and I went for it.” However, Asrar was not impressed with the song’s video that saw Katrina Kaif in a tavern full of revellers and belly dancers. “I am not saying that I am very pious. It’s just that I was in another zone altogether and when the film got banned, I didn’t talk about it,” he said. The song went on to become one of the biggest Bollywood hits of recent times. “It was a huge deal for me because Pritam picked me over several big names in both India and Pakistan.”





Folk singer Akhtar Chanal Zahri also sang a version of the song and recently claimed that he wasn’t paid for his services. When asked whether Asrar had a similar experience, he said, “There were some problems but I would not like to get into the details.”

Nonetheless, Afghan Jalebi bought him all the more attention across the border and he now has more Bollywood projects in the pipeline about which he is not yet ready to disclose much.

Asrar credits much of his success to Coke Studio and said that the show gave him a major boost. He holds the guidance of Strings in high regard. “On Coke Studio one gets the chance to work with a lot of senior musicians and Strings gave me full creative control so it was a good experience,” he said. His songs Shakar Wadaan Re and Sab Aakho Ali Ali were among the highlights of the show’s seventh season. The former also made it to Asim Raza’s Ho Mann Jahaan and went viral in the run up to the film. Asrar personally likes the Coke Studio version better. “The Coke Studio version was phenomenal because Strings made a brilliant build-up in the intro. For the film I had to make it a little catchier and also make a short version for the Dubsmash competition,” he said.



A cursory glance on his releases shows Asrar is a musician whose influences and body of work are quite diverse yet his outlook and popular works portray him in the stereotypical mould of a Sufi musician. He, however, has no reason to worry. “I think artists stereotype themselves. If one song of theirs catches on, they stop experimenting. I don’t worry about acceptance so I keep experimenting.”

The singer has no plans of releasing an album, however he will continue to put out singles, one after another. “There are no record labels in Pakistan so it doesn’t make sense to sit idle and wait. Social media is much better,” he said.

He plans on making songs about taboo subjects that the younger generation refrains from addressing. “Problems like child abuse, sex and extra marital affairs are some of things on my mind but we need some more time before I put those out.”

He recently released a single, titled Malango. The song met with mixed reactions and there were people who cooked up several theories explaining its video. “Since I dyed my hair and beard for the video, people think I am doing something wrong ... promoting alcohol or something. People are quick to form opinions and seldom look for the actual message,” he maintained.

For a major chunk of the creative input in his work, Asrar owes it to his producer J Ali. Together the two run a studio in Lahore, called Soul Speaks. The singer has plans of continuing with the partnership for a long time.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 29^th,  2016.

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