It would be no exaggeration to say that 2007 in Bollywood was the year of Atif Aslam.
In
the fiercely competitive Hindi film industry, the 24-year-old wonder
from Pakistan has made his mark with a string of hits. He writes,
composes and sings, operating in a set-up closely managed by his three
brothers.
Blessed with boyish good looks and great stage
charisma, Atif has won over a legion of female fans. After the break up
of his first band Jal, his solo career skyrocketed with a song Woh
Lamhe, sung for the Bollywood movie Zeher in 2005.
In his
four-year career, he has bagged numerous awards and nominations. His
music, with influences of Sufi rock, and simple, sweet lyrics appeals
to young South Asians.
Here Atif Aslam, who was in Dubai to perform at the Spring Fever event, tells us what makes him tick.
You stay in Lahore and record your music in Mumbai. How do you manage that?
Pakistan
is my home, but Bollywood has had a huge impact on my career. A lot of
Pakistani singers are moving to India. The people who want me to sing
for them simply send me an invite to perform in India.
Most of
the Bollywood stars I have met have been very nice to me like Sameera
Reddy, John Abraham, Dino Morea. Bipasha Basu is the hottest. Whenever
we have met we have got along really well.
Bipasha is your fan as well. Didn't she recommend you for her upcoming film Race?
She looks gorgeous on camera. And she's a great human being too.
What is your vocal training regimen?
I practice guitar every day. I didn't know how to play any sort of instrument. I learned it all on my own. I discovered sur [melody] through those besuri [off-note] strings. That is how I discovered myself, and my journey began.
Of all my songs, I really like Kuchh Is Tarah and O Jaane Jaan. But the most popular are Aadat and Tere Bin.
There's no routine for me to be creative. I sleep with my guitar and wake up with it. I recollect experiences and memories of my life to write my songs. I have been in love. I fall in love every five minutes. It's very important for my song writing. My inspiration is always nature. There aren't any musical influences at all, I listen to a lot of people who have been in the music business for a long time, from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and A.R. Rehman to Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters. On stage, I am a different Atif, and in the recording studio, someone totally different again.
Are you still friends with ex-band mate Goher Mumtaz?
We were never friends really. He was my senior in college. But whenever we meet, we are cordial.
What's next?
My
next album is going to be more commercial, with collaborations with
different artistes. I am looking forward to doing some Arabic songs.
It's going to be a different experience. I'd love to work with A.R.
Rehman, Peter Gabriel and Michael Brookes.
You operate in a family run set-up. Any disadvantages?
My
brother Shahzad Aslam is our photographer, Shahbaz is my designer and
manager, and Shiraaz is my website co-ordinator. We are a band of
brothers. It's much easier to work with family, they have always been
kind and helpful. My job is to handle the creatives. My brothers also
give me honest feedback. I am a mama's boy at home. I am pampered by
her. To see a smile on her face makes me think I am touching heaven.
Did you know?
Atif Aslam had no formal training in music. He confessed that he learned about guitar melodies by breaking the strings on many.
Atif
was a musical prodigy of sorts, learning all about music from his
brother's collection of 8000 tracks. He first competed on stage aged
15, and won, and then went on singing in various talent contests.
