"Bol is not a musical movie. Music is the only lighter and happier side to the film. Khuda Kay Liye completely revolved around music.”

– Atif Aslam and Shiraz Uppal talk about Bol’s music and what makes it so special

Shahzeb Shaikh

Critics and fans have given their verdict on Shoaib Mansoor’s Bol. In Pakistan, the film is a huge success. Amidst super glamourous Bollywood films and slick Hollywood, Bol has managed to stand tall on sheer merit. Now that the film has opened in India, UK, USA and UAE, the response is even more thrilling. And a huge part of the film’s success is its chart topping music. Weeks into its release, the soundtrack of Bol is still selling like hotcakes.

And there are quite a few players involved in the brilliant run of Bol’s music. Topping that list is singer Atif Aslam who also marked his acting debut with Bol. The role wasn’t a plum one but Atif provided musical relief with his singles, ‘Hona Tha Pyar’ and ‘Kaho Aaj Bol Do’.

Describing the soundtrack of Bol,  Atif Aslam tells Instep Today, "It’s neither too pop nor very arty; it strikes  the correct balance between the two and brings out the real and the commercial  Atif in one. I like the music because I’ve composed it myself, especially the  song ‘Hona Tha Pyar’. I really want to thank Shiraz Uppal because he arranged  all of the music. He’s very good to work with, since he listened to what I  needed and always delivered.”

Shiraz Uppal is of course the ‘Jhuki Jhuki’ man. But Shiraz isn’t just a great singer with albums like Jhuki Jhuki and Ankahi under his belt, he is an exceptional composer and songwriter who has worked with the likes of Noori and Zeb and Haniya in the last few years.

Shiraz also has only good things to say about working with Atif Aslam.

"It was nice working with him. I like the timber of his voice and he was pretty quick in delivering the best takes.”

And this team up transpired when Shoaib Mansoor called on Shiraz Uppal.

Shiraz tells Instep Today, "Mr Shoaib Mansoor explained the situation on which the song was to be picturized.

Atif came up with the basic melody and I composed the rest. Then, I gave the music for ‘Hona Tha Pyar’, recorded, mixed and mastered it.”

It was the collaborative effort of Atif and Shiraz that has made ‘Hona Tha Pyar’ the (un)official song of the year.

Of course comparisons are inevitable. And in the case of Bol, comparisons are being made to the soundtrack of Shoaib Mansoor’s previous effort, Khuda Kay Liye.

For Atif Aslam though, it was Sajjad Ali who really set the tone for the soundtrack. "I really like Sajjad Ali’s ‘Din Pareshan Hai’ and I think his music comes off excellent on the big screen.”

Differentiating the two films further, Atif says, "Bol is not a musical movie generally; music is the only lighter and happier side to the film. Khuda Kay Liye completely revolved around music.”

Meanwhile Shiraz Uppal believes that Bol and KKL have one superlative tune that makes both albums stand out.

"All are situational songs so I can comment better after watching the movie. Both films have one key song each and I think the public knows which songs I am talking about. Having said that, I would add that people are crazier for Bol’s music. According to the record label, the first day sales of Bol’s music were way more than expected. I have already received a lot of appreciation from across the border regarding my song.”

{Via insteps }