The man behind the jeans

Ali Haider pulls the curtain back on his personal life

Pakistan has had a slew of pop heroes emerge from the music industry in the nineties, but only one of them has been synonymous with a piece of clothing. That piece of clothing, of course, is the humble pair of jeans — the hallmark of college innocence — and that pop hero is Ali Haider.

During a recent appearance on Ahmad Ali Butt's podcast, Haider, family man to the core, took listeners on a trip down memory lane as he recounted his humble beginnings in the music industry amid student life, his down-to-earth behind-the-scenes persona, and how his life changed after the harrowing loss of his young son in 2009.

The early days

"In my family, there were no singers," remarked Haider. "There was no precedent, and no one had ever done it before – although there was no mehndi in my family that didn't have me singing! I used to listen to all the pop singers of the time, like Nazia and Zoheb."

Haider explained that the fact that no one had laid the groundwork for him made laying the groundwork for a career in pop tricky – but not impossible.

"It might have been easier if there had been someone in my family who had already done it – I don't know," said Haider, looking back. "It was quite difficult for me to come out as a singer, but at the end of the day, I left engineering to pick up a career in music. When you're young, you have so much energy – I was making music, but also clearing my exams at the same time!"

Despite his success in balancing both his studies and music, the former pop star recalled that his family was still not wholly convinced singing was a viable profession. "My father didn't think it was a real job," he noted. "We weren't big shots or anything. I knew I would have to do engineering at some point, but while I was in NED, I kept getting these opportunities to perform."

Haider is cemented in fans' minds as the face and voice behind Purani Jeans, the anthem for college students in the nineties, but he credits the hit song Chahat for proving to be the turning point. "All of a sudden, Chahat came out – and it somehow became a hit in India. I don't know how. HMV India called me, and I had no idea that anyone in India even knew me."

Handling fame

Despite being propelled to stardom with Purani Jeans and Chahat and spending a large chunk of time either performing or on the road touring. Haider maintained that through it all, he remained the same person he had always been growing up.

"When Purani Jeans came out, we were still busy with school and college, but then all of a sudden, we had to travel so much," explained Haider. "All we knew was that we were going on tours, and it was really hard – back then we had shows on weekdays as well. There was a hype and it does have an effect on you, but during that early time, I was still an innocent little kid. I'd be missing my mother on the road!"

Indeed, Haider insisted that his family remained his touchstone throughout his career. "I would tour, record an album, but still come back home to the family at the end of the day, where life would still be going on as normal."

It was not just the prospect of family, but his musical cohorts that helped him remain grounded. "Luckily, the group that I used to hang out with were all educated and just like a family. I didn't feel like we were in a foreign environment," he said. "Yes, we used to party, but I have never denied that. My parents knew this too. I was just a very normal guy."

Family life

Paying homage to his own 'normal guy' image, Haider knew that the wedding he wanted would be pared to the basics. "When I decided to get married, it was very simple. My bhabi introduced us to her best friend, and I liked her. In three days we got our nikkah done."

The couple ultimately got their simple nikkah, and it is a decision the musician has never looked back on since. "It was the best decision of my life," he said warmly. "My wife has taught me the art of patience, and I can't believe she is still one of my fans, even though knows me better than anyone else and knows how moody I can be!"

Haider's life changed forever after the death of his son in 2009, a trauma that altered the course of his career. Halting his love for pop, the singer channelled his pain into more religious offerings, such as naats, and ultimately relocated to the US with his wife and daughters after being unfairly persecuted in his home country for years.

"Of course no place is safe, but at least no one here [in Houston] is chasing us," pointed out Haider. "There was a time once in Pakistan when my wife and I were also chased while the kids were in the car."

Today, Haider is happy to run his own radio show in Houston, although laments how difficult it has become for young musicians to make a name for themselves in Pakistan.

"Back when I started out, I think people were more professional," mused the singer. "There was a set procedure on how to record album, produce it, write it, and release it. Now I think people sometimes just get lucky, and others struggle a lot. Back then, releasing companies may have made you cry a bit if you weren't a hit, but they also had a job to do, and there were so many avenues, so many options."

As for whether anyone in the next generation wants to follow in their father's footsteps? Haider reckons his middle daughter may be the one to take up the mantle.

"My middle daughter has a big love for music," he said fondly. "She even likes Turkish and Japanese music. She's composed her own things as well, but says she isn't ready to show me just yet!"