In search of greater glory, many have travelled this path but only a fortunate few have managed to carve the proverbial niche. With a voice that can deliver a hundred chartbusters, Mustafa Zahid looks set to reaffirm the fact that Pakistani vocal chords are music to Indian ears.
The Lahore-based singer’s musical career in Bollywood started on an instant hit note with the Bhatt camp’s Awarapan. Now, a hiatus later, he is once again creating waves with Blood Money.
“I have rendered three songs for the movie, and during the dubbing stage; I remember telling Vishal Mahadkar, the director, that these tunes have the potential to go viral. Without blowing my own trumpet, I can vouch that the songs leave a mark from the word go. The credit goes to music director Jeet Ganguli and Pranay for doing a superb job and creating one of the best music in recent times.”
The songs happen to be clear cut inspirations from Ganguli’s previous work in a Bengali movie, and the Blood Money team has no qualms in accepting this fact. “I was quite thrilled on hearing the original Bengali version of Jo Tere Sang, it generates a certain vibe and in an instance one can be sure, this is a catchy tune. The second number, Teri Yaado’n Sey is a quintessential Vishesh Film song. And I must confess, Gunah Kiya is a personal favourite, not just for its melody, but also for its lyrical content by Saeed Quadri,” the singer shares.
Looking back to his inception as a singer, Mustafa recalls his early days of jamming with harmonium players and classical singers to hone his talent.
“I never acquired any professional training, rather relied on my passion and dedication for the craft,” explains Mustafa, who is a fan of Bon Jovi,
Kailash Kher and Junoon’s Ali Azmat.
The inclination towards all things musical helped Mustafa shed his inhibition and sing on stage for the first time for a college event. “I hummed Adnan Sami’s Bheegi Bheegi Raato’n Mein,” he fondly recollects. That set the ball rolling and his gusto paved the way for the formation of Roxen with like-minded music enthusiasts. “As luck would have it, Roxen kicked off big time. Our debut album topped the charts and every single ranked high on the countdown. During this time, director Mahesh Bhatt heard the song Toh Phir Aao, which was part of our first album and felt that their film Awarapan would be incomplete without the song. I responded with the words, ‘The film relies on the song itself’,” he says with a smile, referring to the Bhatts as the cultural ambassadors between the two nations.
With that brilliant composition, the doors of Bollywood were swung open to welcome another voice from across the border. Instead Mustafa went on a sabbatical. His reasons, “I couldn’t fathom abandoning the rock band, back home in Pakistan. I felt it was important to keep the dignity and integrity of a band while making inroads as a playback singer. When we did Toh Phir Aao, the band was there in the project and featured in the video, along with Emran Hashmi. Later on, the offers that poured in, catered exclusively to me, and I would negotiate a presence for the band as well. In the process, I lost on some really good tunes. That’s when we came to a decision that I should go solo as a playback singer and remain attached with the band also.”
Ready to give a fresh lease of life to his Bollywood innings, there are obviously no dearth of offers for the talented singer.
However, Mustafa prefers to be tightlipped at the moment. “It’s too early to disclose
any names but a couple of projects are lined up. This year is going to throw a lot of surprises,” this is all he is willing to reveal.
Finally, ask him to name the filmi face that will best compliment his voice? And pat comes the reply, “Salman Khan, any day.”