meet him , the producer Fizza ( Ali Meerza ) complained to me that I didn ’ t get back to her for Na Maloom Afraad . The truth is I didn ’ t know they were looking for me . So I decided to do a song for the fi lm and that ’ s how ' Dil Dancer Hogaya ' was conceived .” Atif Aslam has been winning hearts in India , Pakistan and even the West . He has a huge fan following that remains unmatched . When asked about the secret of his success , the vocalist has little to say . “ There is no secret to my success . It was a dozen years ago when I started off and people loved my style of singing . Since then I have been touring all around the world , and there came a time where I got
tired of the routine . That ’ s when I needed a break but now I ’ m back to what I ’ m best known for .” In the last one month , Atif Aslam has released not one but four numbers – two for Actor In Law , one each for Rustom and The Flying Jatt , and all of them have gone on to become chartbusters . “ Insecure people don ’ t stage comebacks since they don ’ t leave the scene . I gave my best to the songs that were offered to me and the result is ' Tere Sang Yaara ' ( Rustom ), which had 10 million hits in the fi rst fi ve days of its release . I am thankful to Allah for keeping me grounded and my fans for believing in me . For someone who is not trained but self-taught , the jour-
COVER STORY
ney has been huge . “ Interestingly , I have been loved in both India and Pakistan and trust me , only a few press conferences have messed it up . I have been very successful in handling people who hurl abuse simply by being patient . Ignoring them is the best policy because afterwards it ’ s the fans that criticise these so-called celebrities for their bad conduct . There are good people as well in India and colleagues who praise me . I have learnt from experience that being insecure never helps and neither does pulling anyone ’ s leg .” The man with the magical voice says he believes “ for every rise there is a fall ” and adds that that ’ s the very reason he doesn ’ t want to get into the race for the top . “ I don ’ t care about being No 1 . I just love to do what I ’ m doing . Wherever I go , I am loved by the people – be it Nairobi , the West Indies or even South Africa . I cherish their love and they are the reason I am in the reckoning for so long .” The singer who became a sensation after the song ' Aadat ' refers to his recent concert in Singapore as well as one in Norway six years ago as his best moments on stage . “ There were over 70,000 people in Norway and I have never been more charged . I also cherish the time when I got to perform with Slash ( of Guns ‘ n ’ Roses fame ), the great Peter Gabriel who had worked with Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and the recent team-up with Sonu Nigam in Dubai where we gelled well . I ’ m looking forward to the second leg of that concert later this year .” When asked what song he wishes had been his , he replies by honouring the greats on both sides of the Wagah Border . “ There are many songs of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan that I would have loved to sing . I had no idea that my cover of Mohammad Rafi ’ s ' Gulabi Aankhen ' would go on to become so popular since I fi rst sang it casually in a cafeteria . It has now become one of the most requested songs wherever I go . I would have done anything to have sung it when it was fi rst released nearly 50 years ago .” Travelling back in time , what advice would Atif Aslam give to his younger self ? “ I would like to tell him not to get famous ,” he replies without blinking an eye . “ I really miss my youth . I ’ m not being ungrateful but there was an Atif who used to roam the streets , who didn ’ t care whether his photograph was taken or not , who used to hang out without people staring at him . I miss that carefree life and would give anything for it , even if it only lasts a few moments .”
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