ATAULLAH KHAN TO SING IN INDIA

Ataullah Khan, the poet and singer from Pakistan, who sometime back had created waves with his heart-rending lyrics, was in India last week. He also performed for a selected gathering at a suburban five star hotel, singing his famous songs and the songs from his forthcoming album. Singer Hemlata, who features in his forthcoming album, and who was responsible for the singer’s trip to India, said that she wanted to present the singer to the Indian music lovers and the film industry here. “He is a good friend of mine and after his concert in Bahrain, when he came to India, I acted as the bridge between him and the people here.”

To take you back, Ataullah’s songs, adapted in Gulshan Kumar’s Bewaffa Sanam, had become the craze of the nation. The songs, composed by Nikhil-Vinay and soulfully rendered by Sonu Nigam, were lapped up by music lovers. Especially the songs Achcha sila diya tune mere pyar ka, Ishq mein hum tumhen kya batayen and Waffa na raas aayee o harjaee provided solace to estranged lovers. And the film, supposedly based on the life of Ataullah himself, starring Krishan Kumar and Shilpa Shirodkar, was a runaway success.

Ataullah will now be making frequent trips to India since he has got a lot of offers to sing for Hindi films and albums, informs Hemlata. In fact, an album titled Sarhadein, which has ghazals and geets sung by Ataullah and Hemlata will soon be released. Says Hemlata, “We planned this album to celebrate 50 years of India’s independence. We wanted to prove that music, love and culture has no boundaries, no sarhadein.”

The lyrics for the album, penned by Ataullah himself, are typical of his style, romantic and meloncholic. “He is a rota Ram, a ‘crying beauty’,” smiles Hemlata, “and only he can convey the anguish through his simple but effective poetry. That’s what makes him popular with the listeners.”

Hemlata, who earlier had sung hit songs in most of Rajshri films, has lately been doing a lot of charity shows, in India and abroad. “I had performed alongwith Ataullah for a charity show in London in aid of Imran Khanji’s cancer hospital. This was the first effort from an Indian singer for Pakistan, which is a matter of pride for me and my country,” she declares, “I feel nice when I work for others. And the London show I did was for humanity, to help sufferers of a dreaded disease, not for a country or a person.”

At the recent two-hour concert in a hotel in Mumbai, a sneak preview of Sarhadein was presented. “Ataullah sang all the songs from the album, while I sang a duet with him, Tumhara pyar bhulaoon hai mar jaaon, which is my favourite. The response to it was great and I have bagged four top banner films after that. So I am all set to come back with a bang,” she says happily.