Bollywood has had its share of Pakistani singers creating a niche for themselves in the industry. And joining popular singers like Adnan Sami and Atif Aslam is pop sensation Ali Zafar. But unlike his counterparts, he skips the musical trail and chooses to act instead for his debut in Tere Bin Laden. Zafar shot to fame with his debut album Huqa Pani and since then he's consistently stayed at the top with hit tracks. Now, the Pakistani ‘Prince of Pop' hopes to woo film critics with his acting in Tere Bin Laden.Excerpts from an interview with the star:
What made you decide to take up acting?
Honestly, I've had an inkling towards acting. I used to act in videos and sitcoms. So when I was offered Tere Bin Laden, I could connect with the character as the story was set in Pakistan. Despite Tere Bin Laden being a Bollywood film, it had a Pakistani essence to it. Moreover, it's a brilliant script and I thoroughly enjoyed doing this wacky comedy.
Tell us about your character.
I play a discontented news reporter in Pakistan who is fed up of covering irrelevant stories and wants to head to the US and work in a reputed international news channel. But that dream comes to a halt when his US visa gets rejected. His life takes a turn after he meets an Osama Bin Laden lookalike and plans to use him to gain mileage. However, his plan doesn't take off as he would've hoped.
You have a flair for comedy as is evident in your fun music videos. Is that why you opted for a satire?
I enjoy comedy and infuse these elements in my music videos. I feel comedy is a great way to entertain along with a message. A script like Tere Bin Laden leaves scope for humour and thought-provoking messages.
So, what next? Do you have any plans to shift base to Bollywood?
It has been a great start and a fantastic experience in Bollywood. I never felt out of place, so I'll definitely take on more acting roles whenever I come across a good script.
Any Bollywood directors or music composers you'd like to work with?
There are many directors who I would love to work with like Karan Johar, Rajkumar Hirani, Imtiaz Ali, Prakash Jha and Ken Ghosh. I'm sure getting the opportunity to act with any of these directors will be an interesting experience. On the music front, A R Rahman is a legend and collaborating with him will be fantastic.
How different is the Pakistani film industry?
I'm aware that in the past the quality of Pakistani films have not been up to the mark. Besides the budget constraints, we've had a lot of conservative film-makers making clichéd films. Despite our shortcomings we have produced a masterpiece like Khuda Kay Liye. I feel our generation will make a difference to the Pakistani film industry. There are a lot of newcomers who want to make movies with different themes. In fact, my production company will start on a new film shortly. I think with the advent of young and talented film-makers, it could be the beginning of great cinema in Pakistan.
Finally, when are you planning to release your next album?
My next album is Sufi-based and is called Jhoom. It should be out after Eid in September.
