Bakhuda tumhi ho…
ANJALI SHARMA sang along with others in the audience at Atif Aslam’s Sydney concert
Temperatures were soaring as the crowds lined up at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre – and not just because it was a hot summer’s day.
They were there for Atif Aslam, the Pakistan-born pop singer who has taken the subcontinent by storm. They lined up patiently in the sweltering heat, just tere liye, mate.
In fact, one large enthusiastic mob even regaled others with an impromptu rendition of that huge Atif hit Tere liye, just to show off their fervour.
Atif Aslam is part of a new breed of singers that is changing the entertainment industry in India. He splashed on to the music scene in Pakistan in 2004, and within a year, was invited across the border to sing playback for Bollywood films. With his very first number Woh lamhey (Zeher) Atif made his mark, joining other contemporary singers like KK, Shaan and Kunal Ganjawala in creating that new sound that has come to dominate Hindi film music.
The new kids on the block are like a breath of fresh air – so different from the genre which held the fray for decades before. With their youthful energy and rock influence, they have expanded the boundaries of their art. And they love to perform – even show off – on stage. But this is no grunge: their lyrics are still deep and meaningful, soulful even, and their tunes still supremely hummable. They have made Mukesh, Kishore and Rafi, the greats of a well and truly bygone era.
Of these new artistes, Atif Aslam stands out with his particular style of music. His unique voice-belting technique conveys emotions so passionately that he leaves the young maidens crying out for more. Of course his film-star good looks help just as much…
It is no wonder that Aslam sold out a stadium full of seats at Sydney.
But wish the organisers (Amin Events) had heard the fans in the queue singing Tere liye. And they could not have missed the army of voices screaming ‘Atif Atif’ inside the venue…. the show was scheduled to begin at 7.00 pm, and it was already 8.30.
Still, when Atif finally came on stage and started off with Woh lamhey, it was as if he was telling them to forget and forgive woh scorching lamhey of intezaar. And of course they did!
(Atif’s grand entry was by way of zip line, flying on to the stage amidst cheers, rather like Hugh Jackman during that ill-fated entry onto Oprah Winfrey’s Opera House stage. Unlike Jackman, though, this cricketer-turned-singer made no mistake in applying the brakes at the right time. Well done, Amin Events, for this exciting start to the evening).
Atif truly won over the audience with numbers such as O mere Khuda, Jal mein kahin, and Meri kahani. And by the time those massive Bollywood hits Pehli naza mein, Tera hone laga hun and Bakhuda tumhi ho came along, they had even forgiven the poor quality of the sound, which was a definite irritant. (Something was really not right with the sound system for some time – was it the acoustics of the place, or was the music too overpowering?)
Perhaps the crowd was just too loud. Because, boy, did Atif make them sing! He made them dance too, and he made them wish that disparate worlds could come together as one – reminding them that music can transcend barriers of language and culture and religion…
Atif’s songs spelled magic. Although there was no real mosh pit, fans made their way very close to the stage. And he was good natured enough to throw out a few goodies, take time to high-five the girls, and even pick out a little kid for some special attention.
The girls swooned when the dashing singer dedicated a song to “a special girl” who he described as “yet to come into my life”: Intehaan ho gayi intezaar ki. And then he proceeded to smoke them all out with the smouldering Beedi jalaile. The old classic Saara zamaana seemed to have been written specially for him on this occasion, and just as the audience thought he had cleverly picked this number to end his show, he came back on with Tu jaane na… how little they knew him! And with that final number Juda hoke bhi, he seemed to be telling his Sydney fans, tu mujhmein kahin baaki hai.
