It was an absolute pleasure working with Mahira Khan: Farhan Akhtar

Film-maker has had first-hand experience with the ban for casting Pakistani star in his production Raees

ISLAMABAD: At 44, Farhan Akhtar has had an illustrious career spanning two decades of acting, film-making and most recently, music. After starting off with the groundbreaking Dil Chahta Hai (2001), he went on to star in a number of successful films himself, including the likes of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Rock On!!  And now, he is finally coming out with his very own album, Echoes.

Out of the 11 new tracks, Akhtar has already released Rearview Mirror and Why Couldn’t It Be Me this month, during the internationally observed 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. The Express Tribune caught up with the jack of all trades all the way at his residence in Mumbai to find out more about his upcoming endeavors.

PHOTO: NDTV

“Music has been a passion of mine, all my life. I’ve always been writing but never had the courage or conviction to put it out,” Akhtar began, as we discussed what inspired him to finally go beyond playback singing. “Over the last two-and-a-half or three years, I felt a little burnt-out from doing films non-stop. And with a lot of the things I’d written and the new material I was writing, a part of me just felt I was ready to share it now. There was a certain click that happened in my heart and my head to just go ahead. And that’s what I did.”

Akhtar recorded Echoes in his husky, distinctive voice at Collivo’s Studio in Milan. The album is but a documentation of different phases of his life, highlighting his own evolution and self-discovery. Since he has penned and composed all of the tracks himself, one can expect high-voltage ardor, revealed the superstar.

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“The music is kind of folk-rock in a very contemporary style. It was like a reimagining of the songs because when I’d written them, it was just me and my guitar. So just to see what the producer Tommaso did with all the music was very exciting,” Akhtar shared. “Echoes is very personal. Each song in the album has a very deep meaning for me and is from a certain time of my life… happy times, bad times, times of prospection, grief, separation and mourning. It’s all in there, which is why it’s called Echoes.”

Having spent his formative years following rock music, Akhtar was drawn towards the Beatles, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, blossoming with a “steady and healthy diet” of hardcore, raw and intense rock. Nonetheless, in times where easy-listening and bubblegum pop have taken center stage, Echoes, he feels that it will find its audience. “I think eventually, the music I’ve done is about what I want to say,” he said.


“Somehow, I think no matter where in the world you are, when you’re sitting in solitude or with your friends and want to listen to music that can somehow resonate, more often than not, you end up listening stuff that’s lyrical because that’s where the magic lies,” he observed. “When people want to listen to music that talks about something substantial and comes from the heart, I hope they’ll find Echoes.”

Why Couldn’t It Be Me, for once, aims to reinforce the need to eradicate violence and stems from the 2014 APS attack in Peshawar, where 144 people lost their lives. As a goodwill ambassador for the UN, Akhtar views music differently for its authentic voice that allows him to manifest his own.

“The first difference between film and independent music is that the latter has to be about who you are - not a character you’re playing,” he explained. “So, music allows me to share my thoughts and how I feel. These emotions are universal and I hope people can identify and connect with them. The APS attack was an incident that really shocked the world and I just felt compelled to somehow, be a part of the healing process and help those affected by it.”

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Akhtar also spoke about the ban on Pakistani artists in India, saying that it has only added to division between the two countries. “It’s always unfortunate when art gets affected by politics. Apart from the fact that we had talented Pakistanis working here, we had all kinds of people becoming friends. And it’s true that through such cultural and human exchanges, bridges are created,” he said. “I do hope that we’re at a better place soon.”

The film-maker has had first-hand experience with the ban, seeing as how he was criticised for casting Mahira Khan in his production Raees. The film’s release was threatened and reports suggested that Khan would be replaced. Akhtar, nonetheless, recalls his experience of working with her fondly. “When you’ve signed on anyone, you’re just hoping that they tend to be talented and professional. Mahira’s got heaps of talent and she’s extremely professional so it was absolutely a pleasure working with her,” he noted. “I must say I wasn’t on-set all the time. But Rahul Dholakia, who directed her, and Shahrukh (Khan) speak very highly of her. Every time I met Mahira, it was always a pleasure.”

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Akhtar also spearheads Excel Entertainment with Ritesh Sidhwani and has picked up on the latest trend of web series. After Inside Edge, Mirzapur and the soon-to-be-aired Made in Heaven, he has added another feather in his already-heavy cap. But does he think cyberspace could pose a threat to the silver screen?

“I think there’s space for things to coexist. There is a completely different audience for digital platforms. Of course, there will be some overlap but there’s a huge, completely new section that’s grown up on American shows. So when you’re creating such content, it’s aimed at people who aren’t that committed to going to a cinema,” he shared.

“But because there’s this certain ritual of going there with other people in some kind of a community-way, there are people who will do that regardless. At the end of the day, it’s up to us to create interesting and exciting content for people on both platforms.”

The actor speaks about the reality behind his latest films.

Cinematically, Akhtar has been on over a seven-year hiatus. His last directorial Don 2 (2011) was a blockbuster hit and the rumor mills suggest a third installment is on its way. Though Farhan kept his lips sealed on the possibility, he did reveal what’s kept him from directing. “I’ve been caught up doing other things, be it he music or certain roles that I’ve gotten to play, as an actor. It’s been exciting creatively. I’m sure there are many years to go in my career so at some point, I will get back to the director’s chair,” he maintained.

It seems like a busy year for Akhtar. The Fakir of Venice, shot in 2009, is finally seeing the light of the day next month and he is also an elbow deep into The Sky is Pink, alongside Priyanka Chopra. But what he’s most ecstatic for in the bustling calendar is stepping into alien territory with Echoes. We rounded off our tête-à-tête by asking what has been his greatest takeaway from the album and how he plans on applying that to his future ventures.

PHOTO: FIRSTPOST

“I think the greatest joy was just making the album; to be able to work with some really talented musicians and sound engineers and put together something that was just an idea in my head of what potentially all these songs together could sound like. Just that experience is so fulfilling, it will always bring a smile to my face and a lot of love for the people who worked on it with me,” Akhtar concluded. “Going forward, it encourages me a little bit of more. It has given me the confidence and enthusiasm to want to have this kind of an experience again. But at the same time, I must keep in mind that there was a reason I wrote these songs. I wouldn’t want to write something just for the sake of it. I want it to come from that sauce that this album came from.”

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