Music without Borders |  2008-10-21

Will Pakistani singers be able to sustain in Bollywood?

In one of our editions, earlier, The Bitch had raised its concern about the kind of films our Bollywood film-makers are making vis-a-vis the small budget socially relevant films, that the unheard of Lollywood film-makers are making.



While a few of their films have gone down so well with the Indian audience, the question is what kind of response are their singers receiving in India? Should they be allowed to perform, sing or settle down in India?



The music circle has of-late been surrounded with the controversy, about The Indian singing fraternity, vehemently opposing the move to let Pakistani singers sing for our films, or perform here, when our singers are banned from performing in Pakistan.

The rivalry, infact dates way back to the Golden era of music, when our Indian melody queen Lataji was denied a visa to Pakistan, despite Pakistan‘s Mallika-E-Tarrunum Noorjehan being welcomed with open arms and felicitated back in India.



Thereafter Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sang in Bollywood films like ‘Kachhe Dhage‘, ‘Dhadkan‘, and ‘Aur Pyar Ho Gaya‘, for which he also composed the music, and his songs were highly appreciated by the Indian audience.



Now, his nephew Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has been singing quite a few tracks for Bollywood hits like ‘Singh is Kingg‘, ‘Om Shanti Om‘, ‘Kalyug‘, ‘Omkara‘ and ‘Paap‘.

Abhijeet has openly voiced his discontentment and anguish over letting Pakistan singers, sing and perform in India. So much so, that he walked out of reality show, ‘Sa Ra Ga Ma Pa‘, in protest, when he came to know that one of their participants was from Pakistan.
It‘s true that Jagjit Singh was not allowed to perform in Pakistan. However, aren‘t music, art and culture above political differences? Isn‘t it a tool to bridge cultural gaps?



Atif Aslam, former lead singer of Pakistani band Jal, has been doing quite well in Bollywood, with a string of hits like Pehli Nazar Mein, Who Lamhe and Tere Bin and many more Indian music directors are approaching him further. After all it‘s the music that matters, and not the origin.

While sources say, that it was an Indian legend in Asha Bhosle, who spotted Adnan Sami‘s talent, and encouraged him further, to take music as a career despite him being a Pakistan national, what is shocking is, even the harmony of the musical notes couldn‘t avoid the massive bomb blast which claimed several lives just before Sonu Nigam‘s concert in Pakistan.



Pakistan rejoiced as much as India, when Adnan‘s albums ‘Kabhi to Nazar Milao‘, ‘Tera Chehra‘ and ‘Tum jo Milay‘, produced in India, was declared a hit.

That apart its Bollywood, where aspiring singers from Pakistan like Adeel flock, to make their careers.
Abhijeet has had to pay a heavy price in terms of being out of work, after he started his crusade against Pakistani artists, and so did Aadesh Srivastava, after he openly insulted Adnan Sami.

Till date, Adnan continues to win the audience‘s sympathy as well as of the Indian music fraternity.

If these slew of events are an indication, it is the talent, the art which speaks and decides an artist‘s fate and chances of sustaining in the long run. Share your thoughts with The Bitch on this.

Pakistan, Its about time to change!

I completely agree with cultural or national boundaryless music. General public from both sides (Indian and Pakistani) absolutely admire each other‘s artists and music. Its a shame to see that the Pakistani government isn‘t doing much to ease this issue. However, my feeling is that public demand will force the government of Pakistan to change their policies on Indian Artists. Nevertheless, artists like Daler Mehndi, Gurdas Mann, and Jasbir Jassi have performed in front of huge crowds in Pakistan.

Mandeep Dhaliwal
 | Mandeep Dhaliwal

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why the freak was this article written in the first place? i just see it as being too controversial, maybe it‘s just me... but comparisons are always made between india and pakistan.... but whatever! | krishna

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No Genuine Explanation

Good article, but just like all the artists who have been denied a visa to Pakistan, the Pakistani public remains confused as to why they weren‘t allowed to perform here, when certain others like Sonu were. There is no doubt that music should be considered above and beyond any political differences that may exist, but the authorities here should reciprocate the Indians in inviting artists to perform here.

That doesn‘t include Abhijeet and Aadesh though! :-)
Abhijeet is despised here due to his anti-Pakistan sentiments which he has never made secret.  | Salman

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i think these singers are really talented..and a change is alwayz gud..cus at sum point or d other we are bored of sonu nigams,shaans and kks voices..not sayin dat they arent gud ..they do rock..but a change is alwayz gud... | hiba

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i feel they r really talented...and its gud havin change 4m the same old sonu nigam,abhijeet ,shaan and kk etc...i dont mean dat they r not talented or anythin...they do rock...but it doesnt hurt 2 have a change.. | hiba

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