He made his musical debut with the band Jal in 2002,but it was Woh Lamhe from Zeher that proved to be Pakistani singer Atif Aslams ticket to fame in India. Since then,he has sung some soulful film songs,although few of us may know the face behind the voice. That will change,with the reclusive vocalist stepping into the limelight with an acting debut in Pakistani filmmaker Shoaib Mansoors Bol,which releases in India on August 31. He talks to Dipti Nagpaul-DSouza about being an actor in the subcontinent and why making music will always be special What made you look beyond music and turn to acting? As much as I love my music,a kind of monotony had seeped into it. I wanted to challenge myself and see if I could successfully do something else. And acting was the other,natural choice. If people like my work,I dont mind concentrating on films,but without compromising on my music since it comes naturally to me. Why did you make your acting debut with a controversial film like Bol? The matka-jhatka kind of films that other actors work in,dont move me. I wanted to do something with substance,even if it meant that the film does not revolve around me. I am happy to be associated with Bol since Shoaib Mansoor is one of the few good filmmakers in Pakistan. I dont play a six-pack hero,dancing around. Instead,my character is more in accordance to my countrys culture. The idea was not to tell Bollywood that Im here,but to spread a social message. Was the experience in the film gratifying? It was tough,especially since I had to do more than just lip-sync songs. It took a while to get used to memorising the dialogues and delivering them,but I eventually got a hang of it. Despite being a popular Bollywood singer,you limit your projects and social appearances. I run a busy schedule since I also do international tours,and sometimes it is tough to squeeze in trips to India in order to either record or perform live. But if planned well,Id love to perform live in India. I am also considering a few Bollywood scripts and may sign a film soon. However,I will refrain from attending any award functions since many of them promise an award in exchange for my attendance. Apart from an album,you had earlier announced a project with Guns N Roses too. We are together working on an album an attempt to bring forth and highlight Pakistani culture and merge it with the American way of life. My intention is to make the world look beyond the bad press that Pakistan always receives. The project is extensive and needs financial backing too,hence the delay. However,we do meet occasionally to work on the lyrics and the music. But this project will take time.
