Azaan Sami Khan has released the title track of his debut album Main Tera, along with a music video just in time for the day of love. The song features Khan taking over the vocals and songwriting units for the first time. Meanwhile, the music video features Khan, alongside a newcomer Maheen Siddiqui.
Backed by some serene visuals, the video shows us glimpses of the couple – Khan and Siddiqui – engaging in an adorable meet-cute.
“It’s a very nostalgic ode to all the traditional, classic love stories that we, our parents and our grandparents have grown up watching,” says Khan while talking about the song. “It is a very simple, straightforward video. Rest assured, if you watch it in any part of the world, you still get what’s happening even if you don’t understand the language.”
“It’s about the pure innocence of that first date or when you first interact with someone you like, and whenever you recount that feeling,” he explained.
The music video of Main Tera has been directed by Ehteshamuddin, who has previously worked with the singer on Superstar.
“It’s always an incredible experience working with him, and ever since Azaan started working on his album, he had wanted me to direct his first music video, despite me not having worked on music videos before. We’re really great friends and companions, and always learn a lot from each other. When two similar minds collide, it leads to great things,” said the director.
The track is produced by Meghdeep Bose and features Baqir Abbas on flutes.
Khan also performed a rendition of the track at the HUM Bridal Couture Week last week and garnered favourable reviews from the industry and fans alike.
Sharing the pictures from the event, Azaan said: “I put a piece of my heart out there last night for all of you… zara khayal mera rakh lena.”
Shehzad Roy is not one to keep it subtle. From social issues to the lack of infrastructure and utilities in Pakistan, the singer and musician aptly uses social media to raise his voice and create awareness.
Known for his timeless songs like Laga Reh, Roy has returned to the music industry with yet another masterpiece. Titled Kon Kis Ka Aadmi Hai, the song highlights Pakistanis curiosity to know who is working for whom and their habit of making assumptions rather than seeking the truth.
The most plausible aspect of Roy’s songs in their ability to address serious issues with a touch of humour. Kon Kis Ka Aadmi Hai adds elements of hip hop and street dance to an otherwise simple song which features Roy performing with a guitar.
Most interestingly, the song manages to mention Modi and the current farmers’ protest in India, the capture of Wing Commander Abhinandan by Pakistan, and the two-faced nature of people, all of whom have some sort of agenda to fulfil.
The cherry on top in the video directed by Faisal Qureshi is the presence of Roy’s son, Sikandar Alam Roy, on drums followed by his punchline at the end of the song. Pakistan-based Australian artist Gabrielle Brinsmead also makes a special appearance in the video with a Cello.
The song has been gathering praises from its listeners who definitely seem enthusiastic about Roy returning to the world of music with yet another powerful song.
Best song with msg after decades. Love it❤️ the best part.. Your son on drums
Azaan Sami Khan has announced that his upcoming solo album will debut on February 10.
The music composer of Superstar unveiled the album cover on Instagram, along with an exciting tracklist. Titled Main Tera, the album is Khan’s way of branching into something far more intimate than just producing music for chart-topping movies of recent times.
According to a press release, the first single from the album, also titled Main Tera, is expected to release on February 10. Khan will be taking over the vocals and song-writing units for the very first time in this album.
“I wanted it to be extremely personal. It’s almost biographical in some ways. I have delved into the first time I fell in love with somebody, the first crush, the first heartbreak, you’d basically witness a lot of firsts in this as it’s my first album,” said Khan while talking about Mera Tera.
The singer also revealed that the 9-song track list includes a collaboration with Ustaad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.
“For me, the fans and the listeners are the most important,” stated the singer. “So far, they have given me so much love for my compositions in films, so it is equally important for them to know that I haven’t compromised anything when it came to sharing my own album with them. The idea is to give them the absolute best experience that I can,” he said.
The album announcement completes what has been a remarkable period for Khan, who gave us hits after hits in films like Parey Hut Love, Superstar, and Parwaaz Hai Junoon.
While a release date for the complete album is yet to be announced, we’re looking forward to seeing what the single has in store for us. The album will be released under the banner of HUM Music.
Meanwhile, Bilal Ashraf, Mahira Khan, Maya Ali, Amanat Ali and Shafaat Ali congratulated Khan on his new feat and wished him luck.
“Super excited for you Azaan. All the best my bro,” wrote Bilal on Instagram.
“Mubarak! Can’t wait to hear this one,” said Maya.
Osman Khalid Butt has reacted to Bilal Saeed’s viral video in which the singer was seen physically assaulting a young man and woman. Along with sharing his thoughts on the matter, Butt also requested social media users to stop making memes of the unsettling incident.
“Following the Bilal Saeed hashtag and – just so we’re clear, he instigated it,” wrote Butt on Twitter. “This is physical assault, not meme fodder. Please understand this is not normal behaviour; it cannot be condoned or played for a laugh.”
“You don’t hit women. Please, have some decency,” he added.
In a follow-up tweet, Butt said: “You can choose to hate feminist activism, but don’t let that hate spring from ignorance.”
“In plainer words, no, please, this is not what women mean when they’re asking for equal rights,” he concluded.
You can choose to hate feminist activism, but don’t let that hate spring from ignorance. In plainer words, no, , this is not what women mean when they’re asking for equal rights.
On Thursday evening, a video of Bilal beating up a man and woman, purportedly his brother and sister-in-law, in the presence of the Dolphin Force went viral on social media. Later, responding to the video, the singer shared another video of his house with broken items and claimed that the destruction was done by them in his absence.
“I know how to respect women and I know how to protect a woman too! I raised my hand to protect my family,” wrote Bilal in the caption. “This is what they did to me while I was away from my house!”
The singer further said that he has been a victim of blackmailing.
“And that’s not about it I have been the victim of their blackmailing and unfair behaviour for a very long time,” claimed Bilal. “I stayed quiet because obviously as an artist my priority is my career but these people have been taking advantage of my situation for a very long time.”
The singer also apologised to his fans for the video, writing: “I am sorry that my fans had to see this side of me and I do not intend to support or promote violence.”
The singer also shared an official statement which read: “Every human has the right to live with dignity and security, regardless of gender. I am a believer of peace, however, I also believe in establishing boundaries when that peace is repeatedly compromised by another, regardless of gender.”
“When the safety and dignity of a person is violated and jeopardized over and over again, he unfortunately is left with no option but to react,” he added.
When the safety and dignity of a person is violated and jeopardized over and over again, he unfortunately is left with no option but to react.
A romantic number, Ghalat Fehmi featured in Mahira Khan and Bilal Ashraf’s Superstar, which released in August 2020. The film was directed by Mohammed Ehteshamuddin and released by Hum Films.
Zeb Bangash is disappointed with Bollywood’s version of Bibi Sanam. Performed originally by Zeb and Haniya on Coke Studio, the international hit landed up in the Hindi film Cabaret, where it was sung by Usha Uthup.
In an opinion piece published on Scroll India, Bangash wrote: “From the moment my cousin Haniya and I released our version of Bibi Sanam on Coke Studio, it resonated with people from Kabul to Kolkata and beyond, becoming one of our most-loved and celebrated numbers. Its success spawned many other versions on YouTube and it was a delight to see and hear people from all over the world engaging with the song with so much love.”
She continued: “In time, many classic versions were uploaded. In 2013, inspired by Ustaad Shamsuddin Masrur’s performance of the song in the 1960s, I recorded an entirely fresh version of Bibi Sanam with my Brooklyn-based band SANDARAA. Not surprisingly, this version became a crowd-pleaser on SANDARAA tours even to predominantly Western audiences in North America.”
Zeb further wrote: “I came across a recently uploaded Bibi Sanam video from a Bollywood film. The film was completed a few years ago, but I hadn’t heard of or seen it. I was eager to see what space had been carved out for this beautiful folk classic by the multi-billion dollar industry we all follow and participate in so actively. The names attached to the project heightened my excitement. Usha Uthup, whose beautiful spirit and voice has inspired me since childhood, and Richa Chadha, an actor I respect as someone who stood up against objectification of women on the silver screen.”
However, the song left the singer disappointed.
“I finally heard the song, I was unsettled, disappointed by its re-imagining. I could not find Richa’s spirit or Usha’s voice in the song, neither could I find the soul of Qandahar, Tajqurghan, Kabul jaan, or Sisstaan — all the places the song has referenced,” wrote Zeb while expressing her thoughts on the rendition.
“Instead, the song was forcibly put in a place it was never meant for. I must admit it deeply disturbed me to see a cover of our loving tribute/rendition juxtaposed against the general ongoings of a forgettable Bollywood item song. What was infused into the innocence, the freshness, and sweetness of Sistaan is unwanted aggressive sexuality. Sadly, it felt perhaps for the first time a version has compromised the beauty of an ancient poetic, musical and spiritual tradition.”
Zeb said that the Bollywood version depicting gyrating women dancing around poles raises a stream of uncomfortable questions for her.
The singer further wrote: “The past 12 months, we saw social movements promoting inclusion and equality, we participated in them virtually and created a real global social impact. Social media provides an opportunity for authentic and discerning collaborations. In the context of this hyper-connected environment, I need to ask whether we as artists and content creators are making lazy and uninformed artistic choices?”
“When you sing a song in a new language, you acquire an intimacy not only with the music, but also its people, as you gain access to its stories and histories. You then suffuse it with your own histories and culture – if done right, it is always a process of inclusion. This is especially true for rich spiritual soundscapes. Is it too much to hope that this can culminate in evolution beyond the item number?” she questioned.
“When a dominant cultural machine imposes its careless vulgarity upon lesser-known spiritual traditions, it can undermine the culture and ultimately re-form and warp an identity from sacred to profane.”
“Bibi Sanam has always possessed a mesmerising quality, magic kept alive for centuries, by artists and audiences, meshed with their personal memory, experience, and history. For me the Bollywood version is a disservice to the song’s meaning and the culture it comes from,” she concluded.
Zebunisa Bangash is a Pakistani singer-songwriter from Lahore. Her family originally hails from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Given her prolific career and her ability to sing in various languages and appeal to audiences of all ages across cultures and continents, it is no wonder that Zeb has a huge international fan following around the world.
Meanwhile, Shadab Khan and Azam Khan were concerned about Asim’s revelation, with Shadab asking if “this batsman is available for PSL” and Khan asking Azhar to stop stealing his job.
However, Azhar Ali gave Asim’s batting a thumbs up.
Farhan Saeed has lauded polio workers for their dedication and hard work.
Sharing a video of female polio workers walking in blankets of snow to deliver the vaccine to the children of Azad Kashmir, Saeed said: “All heroes don’t wear capes, some wear yellow vest[s].”
Pakistan’s first polio vaccination campaign for 2021 started on Monday, January 11. The national polio immunization drive will last for five days and aims to vaccinate over 40 million children under the age of five across Pakistan.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has reportedly sent Atif Aslam a tax notice worth 58 million after the audit of his income for the year 2018.
According to reports, Aslam has been given one month’s notice to pay the tax. If the singer fails to pay the due amount, the revenue board will make the recovery by freezing his bank accounts.
This is not the first time a member of the entertainment industry has come on FBR’s radar. In October 2020, the FBR launched an inquiry to investigate Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s sources of income.
Earlier in 2019, the FBR also launched an initiative to collect tax from the citizens and requested showbiz and media personalities to declare their assets, warning them that if they don’t they will also face disciplinary action.
Meanwhile, Atif is one of Pakistan’s biggest stars. Earlier, the singer made it to the inaugural Forbes Asia’s 100 Digital Starslist. The list highlights celebrities from across the Asia Pacific region who have taken the digital world by storm, according to a press release.
