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Pakistani
artists have been making the border jump for years , be it acting or
singing, they have done it all and might I add, entertained for varying
reasons. Not only have they managed to perform across the border and
performed but of late have also been nominated for awards which makes us
all back home very proud. And while many people consider it to be
negative, they are doing Pakistan good by showing off our positive and
talented side of us to the world! Here’s a look at the top five people
who have carved a niche for themselves in India and Bollywood despite
professional jealousies, controversies and cultural differences.
 Adnan Sami
Adnan
Sami was probably the first Pakistani artist to cross the border and go
to India to sing. It’s a different story altogether that he never
decided to return, but there’s no denying the fact that he’ll always be
known as a Pakistani. Adnan started his career back in 1991 but a very
few of us would know that the Indian singing legend, Asha Bhonsle
spotted talent in him when he was ten years old. Adnan was at an RD
Burman concert in London where Asha found him and encouraged him to get
into music. He released his first album in Pakistan and also sang a few
songs for Pakistani films before he went on to India to pursue music
there.
 Ali Zafar
Who
doesn’t know about Ali Zafar and Tere Bin Laden? With Tere Bin Laden,
Ali Zafar gave a new definition to border crossing. Not only did he sing
a few songs for this movie but also made his acting debut in Tere Bin
Laden as the lead actor. Even though his first movie was a low budget
film it won the hearts of Indian film critics, who are very difficult to
please. Ali made his place in Bollywood and the hearts of the viewers
with his film. Soon after Tere Bin Laden, Ali signed Yash Raj Film’s
Mere Brother Ki Dulhan which will also star Imran Khan and Katrina Kaif.
Atif Aslam
 Two
words enter your mind when you say the word pop star and they are Atif
Aslam! He officially entered the Pakistani music scene in 2004 with his
first solo album called Jalpari and within days he was all over the
country with people going crazy for his music. Three years down the line
and he wasn’t just one of the top musicians in Pakistan but acclaimed
internationally and today he has reached a whole new level of stardom.
Be it Pakistan, Dubai, Canada, America or the United Kingdom, his fans
are present all over the world and his concerts are the liveliest
everywhere. He sang his first Bollywood song in 2005 and has sung for
several films since then including ‘Pehli Nazar Mein’ in Race, ‘Tere
Bin’ in Bas Ek Pal, ‘Bakhuda Tum Hi Ho’ in Kismat Konnection, ‘Tera Hone
Laga Hoon’ and ‘Tu Jaane Na’ in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, all of
which have been hit tracks in both India and Pakistan.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
 We
all know that Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a star in his own right and
many say that no one can touch his stardom but I think Rahat, his own
nephew sure has that potential and has reached that level already. In
2004, Paap, a Bollywood film featured his hit song, ‘Mann Ki Lagan’ and
marked his debut as a Bollywood playback singer. Since then there has
been no looking back. In the past two years, Rahat has sung for
countless films and all his songs are veritable chart-toppers. There is
hardly any popular film to come out of Bollywood which doesn’t feature a
song by Rahat. That is how Rahat became popular in India. His playback
singing for Bollywood not only gave him international recognition but
also led him to win the Best International Act award at the UK Asian
Music Awards in 2010. Most of you think Rahat’s international
recognition is because of the music he has contributed in Bollywood but
very few know that back in 2002, he worked on the soundtrack of The Four
Feathers in collaboration with American composer of orchestral and film
music, James Horner. In the same year he was featured in the song ‘Maki
Madni’ with The Derek Trucks Band for Trucks’ album, Joyful Noise.
Veena Malik
 Love
her or hate her, you just can’t ignore her or her gutsy antics. Let’s
not go into the old debate of whether she has done us proud or not by
going on Bigg Boss but she sure made her mark! Veena has done
everything from Pakistani films to television including hosting the hit
show, Hum Sab Umeed Say Hain. It was after all this that she got an
offer to be on Bigg Boss and the daring Veena as we all know her,
accepted the challenge! She managed to stay in the show till two weeks
before it ended and made a name across the border. Much was said about
that show but what was impressive was the way she dealt with criticism
and wasn’t afraid to voice her opinion and no matter how against her you
are, you can’t deny that some of her arguments were quite strong. Let’s
hear it for Veena for showing immense girl power!
[Via Hafsah Sarfraz] |
