The show must go on

Ali Haider opens up about switching to religious recitals after untimely death of his son and debuting in Coke Studio

KARACHI:

Six years ago Ali Haider stepped away from the spotlight — A decision which many people thought had sealed the career of Pakistani pop music’s poster boy. But audiences were taken aback once the singer resurfaced in a more traditional avatar, reciting sufi kalams, naats and hamds.

He looked like a shadow of his heydays; when he would roam around the streets in ‘Purani jeans’ and hum romantic melodies with a boombox lodged on his shoulder.

To many it appeared as if the singer had become overly religious all of a sudden but for Haider, it was the untimely death of his infant son that sucked all the motivation out of him.



“I felt a lack of motivation inside of me; it was not like I wasn’t trying to make music but it just didn’t feel right at that time. I was being approached to sing ‘halla gulla’ type songs but I just couldn’t. It felt as if I was lying to myself,” Haider told The Express Tribune.



While revisiting one of the darkest phases of his life Haider spoke of the emptiness he felt and despite the passage of time he found it hard to move on from the tragedy.

“He was my second child after my daughter Alizeh. Everything felt so complete when he was born, my family, my life — everything.”

And despite being unable to sing mainstream songs; it was in sufi kalams and naats that Haider found unlikely solace. “Contrary to popular belief I had not quit singing, in fact in 2012 I had also released a sufi album with EMI India in 2012 titled, ‘Kee Jana Main Kaun’,” mentioned the ‘Purani Jeans’ singer.

Becoming a little reclusive after the family tragedy it took the ‘Zalim Nazroon Se’ singer until 2014 to realise that ‘life moves on and the show must go on’.

Having grappled with emotional pain and tragedy in his personal life for so long; Haider has returned with a renewed vigor now. And after almost five years out of the spotlight, the singer ended his self-imposed exile from the world of music and has now returned to doing what he does best.

Haider is all set to be part of the eighth season of Coke Studio. Initially called into singing just a single song, the producers (Strings) were so impressed by his music and singing that they held him back for two more.



Despite making his first appearance on the show Haider had already informed the producers to look beyond two of his most covered and signature tracks. “When I was asked to perform in Coke Studio, one of the first things I had requested Bilal and Faisal was to not make me do another version of ‘Qarar’ or ‘Purani Jeans’.”

Music though, has not been Haider’s sole passion. No stranger to acting, he also has two major film projects lined up. Having previously starred in the Lollywood film Chalo Ishq Larain, he would once again appear on the Pakistani silver screen in two completely opposite roles.

“Not only am I acting in a film but I am also writing it. Currently, it is in the pre-production phase but all I can tell you right now is that the film is a musical and will hopefully be released next year,” stated the singer-cum-actor.

While remaining coy about his other project, he refused to divulge any major details about the film, saying, “As of now I can only tell you that I have been approached to play the role of a journalist in a film by Faisal Rajput titled Darkness.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2015.

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