Atif Aslam Refuses To Promote His Bollywood Song

Pakistani singer Atif Aslam has refused to promote his song Sehami  hai dhadkan in Sudhir Mishra’s Daas Dev, leaving the young music director  Vipin Patwa confused,  anxious and  somewhat  angry.

Says Vipin, “I am relatively new to Hindi cinema , just a small-town boy taking baby steps in showbiz.And I can  ill-afford these controversies at such an early stage  of  my career.This is my second song by a  Pakistani singer to  have gotten in the crossfire.Earlier in  the  film Laali Ke Shaadi Mein Laddoo Deewana, Rahet Fateh Ali Khan Saab had a sung a  song for me. That too had  got into a crisis. Now the Atif number in Daas Dev.”

Vipin says Aatif Aslam has dissociated  himself from his own song.  “Atif was  fine while recording it. But when  singer-politicianBaabul Supriyo made  the comments that Pakistani artistes should stay away from Bollywood Atif simply cut himself  off.”

Vipin  did have a talk with Atif. “But he was tight-lipped. He wouldn’t tell me why he decided to  stay away from promoting his song. I feel his hands are tied. Rather his voice is gagged. Baabul’s  statement made the situation worse.”

 Vipin feels music and  the arts should be  freed from politics. “I feel music has no borders. In  the past we’ve always welcomedRahat Fateh ali Khan , Atif Aslam and  many other singers from Pakistan.Abb kya ho gaya? You say there is escalated tension at the border. But when I recorded Sehmi hai dhadkan with Atif things were  not so bad between the two countries. Now of course everybody is trying to prove his nationalism  by clamouring to ban Pakistani artistes.”

 Vipin won’t be cowed down. “If  in the future I feel a Pakistani voice suits my song I will use it. Though the singer cannot come to India  his song can be heard anywhere anytime. There are so  many listeners on  youtube wanting to know why Atif has refused to promote the songs.  I think Baabul’s statements shook Atif.”

Baabu Supriyo feels this tantrum from across the border is  a warning to Indian composers. “If this is how he’s behaving with  filmmakers  in India  who have braved the national backlash to invite Pakistani artistes to  then we  have a strong case for  alifetimeban on  Atif. I suggest that Sudhir Mishra and the music composer  get the song dubbed by any singer from those umpteenth musical reality shows on television. If  the composition is good the  song will be  a hit.”