Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.' These words might have been famously spoken by musician Jimi Hendrix, but these are words that artistes from India and Pakistan have long been trying to make come true with their music. There have been many instances in the past where musicians from across the border have collaborated with each other, with the hope that one day, there will be peace and harmony between the two nations that share a common history.
And now, Pakistani singer Javed Bashir has lent his voice to a song that he has sung in collaboration with Shankar Mahadevan. The song, Aao Mohabbat Ke Gun Gaaye, is an ode to the love and affection shared by the two nations. Bashir, who is in Mumbai currently for some projects, sounds excited about the song when we speak to him over the phone. `Farhat Shehzad, who is a very famous lyricist and my friend, suggested that we should do a song that speaks of hope for the two countries,` he says.
Shehzad wrote the lyrics of the song, while Bashir got in touch with Mahadevan to collaborate on the song. `I'm a huge fan of Shankarji and inspired by him as well. It's a song that speaks of the love that India and Pakistan share and a hope for a peaceful future. It has come out beautifully and now we want to take it ahead in a big way,` he says. Bashir now plans to shoot a music video for the song.
Bashir has been touring India since 2003, and since then, the Pakistani singer has created quite a fan base for himself here. `I can't tell you how much love I have received from people in India. If Pakistan is my first home, India is my second,` says Bashir, whose parents hail from Jalandhar, Punjab. Bollywood, too, has embraced him with open arms and the singer has delivered gems like Piya Tu Kaahe Rootha Re from Kahaani, Ye Tune Kya Kiya from Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara and more recently, Mera Yaar and O Rangrez from Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. `Singing for Bollywood ensures that even one good song from there reaches all over the world. I think it's a great platform,` he says. There are a couple of projects he is working on with Pritam as well as Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy. In the pipeline also, are a couple of albums with Farhat Shehzad.
