In harmony: Adnan Siddiqui ropes in Sukhwinder Singh for ‘Seeta Bagri’

Actor wants to create awareness regarding minority issues with debut production

KARACHI: In a fitting move to maintain harmony within the Indo-Pak artist community, Adnan Siddiqui has roped in Sukhwinder Singh for his debut TV production Seeta Bagri. In fact, the track has been composed by Indian composer duo Sajid-Wajid, who has previously given music in films such as Dabangg (2010) and Partner (2007).

Speaking with The Express Tribune, Siddiqui revealed that he has known the composers for over a decade. The actor actually relayed a story about how they came up with the tune. “I was having dinner with Sajid-Wajid in India and I told them I was working on a serial about the Hindu community in Pakistan. Then we were driving back to my hotel and on the way, Wajid started playing a tune on a cigarette packet,” he said. “We finalised the melody right there.”

But Siddiqui always envisioned Singh to be a part of the soundtrack. “Bagri is a Hindu tribe of, you can say, gypsies. I needed the right voice for the song and I thought Sukhwinder has that vernacular feel,” he shared. “He has a tremendous contribution to the Indian film music and has done a great job for Seeta as well.”



Apart from Seeta, three of the other songs have been composed by the local band Udan Khatola. “There is a Holi song, a Karvachauth song and a wedding song,” revealed Siddiqui. “There’s a difference between film music and television drama music. A lot of our film music sounds like they are made for dramas but I would say the Holi song could very well fit into a film. They have done a great job.”

When asked which, among the four, would be his personal favourite, the A Mighty Heart star said he could not choose one. “It’s our baby project and I can’t just choose any one. It’s like asking if I like my son’s nose or his eyes better.”

Commenting on whether an Indian vocalist singing for a Pakistani project would be a reflection of mutual respect and friendship between the artists on both sides of the border, Siddiqui said, “When we were working on it, there was no tension. But definitely, in the light of recent events, it should promote the friendship between people on both sides.”

The actor said he felt the need to produce a drama about minorities in Pakistan because none are being made nowadays. “Back in the day, we used to have dramas about the Christian, Hindu and even Parsi communities. Nowadays, there are no such dramas. It should be emphasised that even they are Pakistanis first,” he said. “There is a term called CSR, which stands for Corporate Social Responsibility. I replace Corporate with Celebrity. I think we, as artists, have a responsibility to tackle issues and talk about our communities.”

Seeta Bagri stars Sarwat Gillani, Bushra Ansari, Qavi Khan and Hassan Niazi amongst others. Ansari and Gillani will also be seen in a dance sequence choreographed by Nigah Hussain. The serial will mark the debut production of Cerial Entertainment, established by Siddiqui and Akhtar Hasnain, and has been written and directed by Iqbal Hussain. It is slated to premier on TV One on November 17.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2016.

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