Atif Aslam opens up about problematic childhood, overcoming depression and marriage

Up-and-coming digital talk show AB Talks recently interviewed Pakistani crooner Atif Aslam. Emphasising their friendship, host Anas Bukhash began by asking the Doori hitmaker about his well-being amidst the pandemic.

“I’m truly thankful for this time I get to spend time with my family,” replied Aslam, when asked about how life has been treating him during Covid-19. “My life is the story of any artist - airports to airplanes, tour buses to venues; one continent to another. This time of staying at home has not worked out for many but it has for me in the best way possible.”

Bukhash thereby asked Aslam about his past, his childhood dreams included. “I’m the youngest amongst my siblings. My stubbornness comes from there,” he revealed. “When I was a kid, I never bonded with my siblings because of a drastic age difference. I have always been a naïve, sensitive kid who would disconnect with the world if not feeling right or in the correct headspace.”

He continued, “I guess because of my personality being so disruptive, I never made great friends and went through a lonely patch at that time.”

According to the Tu Jaane Na singer, the strict environment in his household restricted him from being open with his parents. “As a child, I’ve never been expressive so in my household, we have never hugged or cuddled each other. I knew they loved me and I loved them back but to be affectionate towards them was out of the box, maybe because I was too scared of an aggressive reaction.”

Like any other Pakistani male child, Aslam was a cricketer at heart before taking up music. “I was planning to become a professional cricketer; I was an athlete,” recalled the singer. “I worked really hard at it but my parents took it as a hobby and didn’t know how good I was. That led to me giving up on cricket as I was skipping classes, catering to my interest in taking wickets.”

So how did music come about? “I think I explored myself in that I did not have any sort of an outlet and was in dire need of one. I became quiet and lonely,” he confessed, adding listening to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (NFAK) changed his interest.

“About 23 years ago, my brother had introduced me to NFAK. While I felt alone and at my worst, his [Nusrat Fateh] music calmed me, brought me closer to God and when I started praying, I started getting the answers.”

Aslam continued, “During that time, I explored and found my own voice. I didn’t know that this would become my career. It all started when we were shifting, the house was empty as the night sky prevailed at almost six in the evening. I started singing, my voice echoed through the four walls and upon reaching the high-notes, I was scared of my own voice.”

Revealing more about his first song, Aslam shared that he invested his own pocket money into recording that one song he penned in his free time. “I recorded my first song Aadat out of my pocket money. It took me a few seconds to upload it on the internet, when there was nothing like WhatsApp. People started loving it and led to the making of a music video. The rise of my career began from that moment.”

Aslam expressed genuine appreciation for his fans, acknowledging how being a successful male singer leads to a women-centric fan base. The 37-year-old confessed how balancing that with married life is difficult, “In fame sometimes, things get tricky make you feel powerful. You have the opportunity to talk to anybody around the world but if you misuse that... it’s sort of difficult to look in the mirror at yourself that you’ve gone wrong somewhere.”

At the end, the celeb added how he appreciates his wife for standing by his side despite him being difficult at times.