Always the overachiever, Zafar is now achieving what most people only dream of: super star status as the pop sensation of South Asia. Crowned the “Prince of Pop,” Zafar made his debut as a musician with his album, “Huqa Pani,” which was released in Pakistan in 2003 and worldwide in 2005. The album, having earned him several major awards and nominations, ignited the Ali Zafar craze that is still growing.
Now, Zafar is a veteran to the stage and a paparazzi. Moreover, with his new Bollywood film due for release this year, “Tere bin Laden,” teenage girls all over the continent chanting his name will only get bigger and louder.
Arab News got the chance to catch up with the pop star in Dubai during Dubai Fashion Week. He was there to debut his new song “Jhoom”, which he serenaded from the catwalk of designer and longtime friend, Hasan Shehryar Yasin.
I began singing at the age of 16,when I was in college. Our college had a music society that provided a platform for young people to explore their talents. Moreover, I had a very supportive family and teachers to guide me through.
I feel that I am because I feel soul lay more in old school music. Modern day music is now highly commercialized by and hence has a shorter life. I want to create timeless music.
Pop enjoys the liberty to fuse anything into itself; it is not always that. I like to inject traditional composition styles in my music. I don’t reason with reason — I just create what comes to me intuitively and naturally, which can sometimes be a mix of traditional and modern music.
I am mostly influenced by singers — Ustad Baray Ghulam Ali and Salamat Ali Khan — and poets —Mirza Ghalib, Meer and Iqbal.
Winning “Best Album” on my first album made me extremely happy, but I think the “Youth Icon” award was a big honor.
Well, I don’t let the crown bloat my head. The only pressure I take is in perfecting my art.
They are all parts of my personality: they create me more than I create them. I let them take the stride, but for now, I am ridden primarily by music.
I thank God for every moment of it because this is what I always wanted, except for respect which I desire more than fame.
My first feature film, “Tere Bin Laden,” and my third album, “Jhoom.”
“Tere bin Laden” is a Bollywood movie that is a tongue — in — cheek comedy. It talks about an ambitious young news reporter, Ali, who is from Pakistan and desperate to migrate to the US in pursuit of the “American dream.” His repeated attempts to immigrate are shot down as his visa is always rejected. But, when things couldn’t look any worse, he comes across an Osama bin Laden look-alike. Ali then hatches a scheme to produce a fake bin Laden video and sells it to news channels as a breakthrough scoop! Unfortunately, there are serious ramifications as the White House gets involved and dispatches an overzealous secret agent on Ali’s trail. I did it because the idea was exciting and the script was hilarious and I love the genre of comedy. The role had a lot of margins to have fun.
Recently one of my songs, “Dekha,” has been taken to be featured in “Wall Street Part 2-Money Never Sleeps,” directed by Oliver Stone and starring Michael Douglas. I would love to do more work in the West.
I wish to see the day when love takes over everything.
