BOMBAY, 8 October 2003 — Pakistani singer Amir Jamal will soon be heard across rival India as he lends his voice to a Bollywood potboiler.
Jamal, who lives in Jeddah, will pitch in at least two songs for the crime mystery thriller “Murder”, produced by Mukesh Bhatt who has a string of hits to his credit from over the past couple of decades.
Both Jamal and Bhatt hope their artistic collaboration can, in a small way, help dent the prevailing mistrust between the two countries separated at independence in 1947. “My brother Mahesh Bhatt heard the voice of Amir on one of his albums, Kaho Na Kaho (Say Or Do Not Say), and he told me that I should take him for my new film,” Bhatt told AFP.
Mahesh Bhatt was himself the producer of hits from India’s Bollywood film industry but has retired, although he continues to be the creative force behind his brother’s productions.
“When I heard the voice for the first time, I knew we had got a golden voice in Pakistan. I immediately felt that I should bring him to India and introduce him to Bollywood,” Mukesh Bhatt said.
But bringing Jamal to Bombay was not a simple task, as India and Pakistan give few visas to each other’s nationals.
“I requested to our External Affairs Ministry to clear a visa for him and I am thankful to them that they cleared his visa in seven working days. And, I feel that it is high time that the Berlin Wall between both the countries disappears and we work together for the betterment of both,” Bhatt said.
Bhatt is confident Jamal’s voice will work its charm on Indian audiences.
“I am very sure that his songs will create a tremor and be the rage in Bollywood. It will be a trendsetter,” Bhatt said.
Jamal, who has half a dozen recordings to his credit, often blends Urdu vocals with the Arabic of his adopted Saudi Arabia.
“We have used Arabic lyrics in between his songs. This is the best part of his voice. He knows Arabic as he is based in Jeddah. He sings in Arabic and then immediately translates that into Hindi in the next line,” Bhatt said.
Jamal, visiting Bombay, was upbeat about working on an Indian film. Sharing a similar culture and language to Indians, many Pakistanis are avid consumers of Bollywood movies, despite the occasional official crackdown.
“The most common bond between Indians and Pakistanis is Bollywood. And I think Bollywood can make a great move by bridging the gap,” Jamal said.
“For Asians, Bollywood is the ultimate. When Bhatt called me, I said, ‘Thanks for recognizing me and giving me the honor’,” Jamal said.
Well-known Pakistani singers lent their voices to Bollywood in the 1980s and 1990s, including the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Ghulam Ali, Mehndi Hassan, Nazia Hassan and her brother Zohaib Hassan. The appearances led to surges in their music’s popularity in India.
“Murder” will be shot in Bangkok and the Thai resort Pattaya at a cost of 50 million rupees ($1.1 million). It also stars newcomers such as Imran Hashmi, Ashmit Patel and Malika Sherawat, while the director’s cap will be worn by Anurag Basu.
