FARHAN SAEED
"WE ARE LIKE TOM AND JERRY, WE CANT LIVE WITH OR WITHOUT EACH OTHER!"
He ruled the hearts of thousands when he was a part of Jal . In 2011, he left the band to pursue his solo career and soon we will hear him sing for Bollywood. His conviction of bringing the two nations together through music is remarkable and inspiring! With performances lined up and the hectic schedule that he is on, ThnkMkt team was delighted to meet him! He talks about music, India-Pakistan, bollywood and much more!
What is music for you?
Music has been changing its role in my life. In the beginning, when I was a student, music was something that made me happy, a source of inspiration. Eventually, it became something I used to love doing all the time and now, it's my life, that's what I do. I've actually transformed myself into music and that's what I'll do rest of my life- serving music.
You've traveled to India for performances a lot of times. What's that thing that you like about India? India and Pakistan… what same and what's different?
I've been to India a lot of times and honestly now it feels different. It feels like home now. The best part of being from across the border and coming to India to perform is that when you were growing up, India was the only country you wanted to beat in a cricket match! Indian movies are amazing. There are fantasies that I've never heard about any other country but India since my childhood- some good, some bad. We are like Tom and Jerry, now I've concluded. We cannot live with or without each other. But Inshah-Allah , it'll become healthy, because that's what the duty of people from arts is. Whenever I come here, every single performance is my contribution towards bringing peace between these two countries and I feel very good about it.
India feels like home now. So, any projects in Bollywood that you are doing?
I would love to do and I'm also doing. I sang two songs – one with Mithun for upcoming movie of Vikram Bhatt. I loved how Mithun composes and now after Tum Hi Ho, he is a rage. I recorded it last year; it's going to be out soon. There is another song I recently recorded for an upcoming movie. It's composed by a local artist-a band of Delhi. I like how it is going. People like my voice tone. They bring a song and they say it's your style; it's like how you sing! When I hear that song, it is actually my style. I like that people understand what I sing. So yes, couple of bollywood projects and I'm keenly waiting for more!
So what's next that we are going to hear from you? Any albums lined up?
Yes, I just recently signed an album with Universal. I have already recorded half of the album. An album is very important because from where I come, from a band for 9 years, we released albums. I parted away from my band, I have to release an album and it will happen around the last quarter of this year, which has already started! So yes, very soon!
You parted ways with Jal in 2011, what comes to your mind when you hear ' Jal '?
A lot of things! (Thinks a little) It's a very difficult question. Jal has been everything to me! Jalis how I started; Jal is what I was. I've led Jal for 10 years of my life. I was the face of the band. Jal has given me a lot. I've given my 17 to 27 to Jal ... that's your life! Now it's a sweet memory for me. I'm now pursuing my solo career and I wish my band members good luck for everything. Jal will stay with me till the end of me.
Farhan of Jal. And Farhan now. Different?
Very different! Farhan of Jal was very careless, just go on stage and sing. I told you I started when I was 17, so in teens how everyone is. With time I've matured and now it's different. It's a one man army. I've to be prepared, alert and I have to be everywhere. I have to think what my fans need right now and what my music should sound like. When I meet people, it's all about me now. Of course, it is very different but I think that's how everybody lives. From teenage they become sensible and then more sensible. So I'm going there. I'm on my way.
The genre that you like most.
I love everything. I cannot do heavy metal myself but I love listening to it. The music that I want to do…umm… I just released songs like Halka Hakla Suroor ,Tu Thodi Daer and Kyun Gayi. They are all very slow ballets and I mixed qawali in Halka Halka. Pi Jaun was again another genre. So I'm still playing with different genres. In my new album three to four tracks will be very groove oriented. It'll be two flavors of mine which I'll present to people and let's see what they like. I hope they like both. Apart for metal I'm up for anything. I love singing ghazals too!
Favorite singer?
My favorite singer (smiles), everyone who sings well… I love Sonu Nigam, how he sings. I love Rafi ji, Kishore ji (trying not to sound stereotypical!). But the people who really influenced me to be different are Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Jagjit Singh.
You started a restaurant named CAFÉ ROCK! How did the idea of opening a restaurant come to your mind?
It was in 2010 because there wasn't any musical restaurant/bar in Lahore, where the entire music industry of Pakistan is. It was a little disturbing for me. People loved the idea of getting bands on weekends to perform. However, I parted ways with Jal and I had to give all the time to my musical career. I had to spend a lot of time out of Pakistan which didn't allow me to give much time to it. So I decided to close it that time. But in future yes, I'm definitely going to do something of that sort again. I've a friend who I've asked to take his chain to Pakistan. I'll do every bit of my part to bring these two countries together.
Any confessions?
A lot of confessions, which I don't want to make! (Laughs)! One confession is that I miss my band days a lot. That life was amazing. I wish it could stay like that forever (reminiscing) but then this was my decision too. So, one confession that I can deduce out of it is that I miss my band days- how we used to live, the road trips and all that. That's what I miss!
Is Bollywood going to see Farhan as an actor sometime?
Six to seven months back I used to bluntly say a "No" on this but now I'm thinking. There is nothing in the pipeline as of now, but probably at some point in life I want to discover the actor in me because I have been acting in my music videos. So lets see!
He ruled the hearts of thousands when he was a part of Jal . In 2011, he left the band to pursue his solo career and soon we will hear him sing for Bollywood. His conviction of bringing the two nations together through music is remarkable and inspiring! With performances lined up and the hectic schedule that he is on, ThnkMkt team was delighted to meet him! He talks about music, India-Pakistan, bollywood and much more!
What is music for you?
Music has been changing its role in my life. In the beginning, when I was a student, music was something that made me happy, a source of inspiration. Eventually, it became something I used to love doing all the time and now, it's my life, that's what I do. I've actually transformed myself into music and that's what I'll do rest of my life- serving music.
You've traveled to India for performances a lot of times. What's that thing that you like about India? India and Pakistan… what same and what's different?
I've been to India a lot of times and honestly now it feels different. It feels like home now. The best part of being from across the border and coming to India to perform is that when you were growing up, India was the only country you wanted to beat in a cricket match! Indian movies are amazing. There are fantasies that I've never heard about any other country but India since my childhood- some good, some bad. We are like Tom and Jerry, now I've concluded. We cannot live with or without each other. But Inshah-Allah , it'll become healthy, because that's what the duty of people from arts is. Whenever I come here, every single performance is my contribution towards bringing peace between these two countries and I feel very good about it.
India feels like home now. So, any projects in Bollywood that you are doing?
I would love to do and I'm also doing. I sang two songs – one with Mithun for upcoming movie of Vikram Bhatt. I loved how Mithun composes and now after Tum Hi Ho, he is a rage. I recorded it last year; it's going to be out soon. There is another song I recently recorded for an upcoming movie. It's composed by a local artist-a band of Delhi. I like how it is going. People like my voice tone. They bring a song and they say it's your style; it's like how you sing! When I hear that song, it is actually my style. I like that people understand what I sing. So yes, couple of bollywood projects and I'm keenly waiting for more!
So what's next that we are going to hear from you? Any albums lined up?
Yes, I just recently signed an album with Universal. I have already recorded half of the album. An album is very important because from where I come, from a band for 9 years, we released albums. I parted away from my band, I have to release an album and it will happen around the last quarter of this year, which has already started! So yes, very soon!
You parted ways with Jal in 2011, what comes to your mind when you hear ' Jal '?
A lot of things! (Thinks a little) It's a very difficult question. Jal has been everything to me! Jalis how I started; Jal is what I was. I've led Jal for 10 years of my life. I was the face of the band. Jal has given me a lot. I've given my 17 to 27 to Jal ... that's your life! Now it's a sweet memory for me. I'm now pursuing my solo career and I wish my band members good luck for everything. Jal will stay with me till the end of me.
Farhan of Jal. And Farhan now. Different?
Very different! Farhan of Jal was very careless, just go on stage and sing. I told you I started when I was 17, so in teens how everyone is. With time I've matured and now it's different. It's a one man army. I've to be prepared, alert and I have to be everywhere. I have to think what my fans need right now and what my music should sound like. When I meet people, it's all about me now. Of course, it is very different but I think that's how everybody lives. From teenage they become sensible and then more sensible. So I'm going there. I'm on my way.
The genre that you like most.
I love everything. I cannot do heavy metal myself but I love listening to it. The music that I want to do…umm… I just released songs like Halka Hakla Suroor ,Tu Thodi Daer and Kyun Gayi. They are all very slow ballets and I mixed qawali in Halka Halka. Pi Jaun was again another genre. So I'm still playing with different genres. In my new album three to four tracks will be very groove oriented. It'll be two flavors of mine which I'll present to people and let's see what they like. I hope they like both. Apart for metal I'm up for anything. I love singing ghazals too!
Favorite singer?
My favorite singer (smiles), everyone who sings well… I love Sonu Nigam, how he sings. I love Rafi ji, Kishore ji (trying not to sound stereotypical!). But the people who really influenced me to be different are Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Jagjit Singh.
You started a restaurant named CAFÉ ROCK! How did the idea of opening a restaurant come to your mind?
It was in 2010 because there wasn't any musical restaurant/bar in Lahore, where the entire music industry of Pakistan is. It was a little disturbing for me. People loved the idea of getting bands on weekends to perform. However, I parted ways with Jal and I had to give all the time to my musical career. I had to spend a lot of time out of Pakistan which didn't allow me to give much time to it. So I decided to close it that time. But in future yes, I'm definitely going to do something of that sort again. I've a friend who I've asked to take his chain to Pakistan. I'll do every bit of my part to bring these two countries together.
Any confessions?
A lot of confessions, which I don't want to make! (Laughs)! One confession is that I miss my band days a lot. That life was amazing. I wish it could stay like that forever (reminiscing) but then this was my decision too. So, one confession that I can deduce out of it is that I miss my band days- how we used to live, the road trips and all that. That's what I miss!
Is Bollywood going to see Farhan as an actor sometime?
Six to seven months back I used to bluntly say a "No" on this but now I'm thinking. There is nothing in the pipeline as of now, but probably at some point in life I want to discover the actor in me because I have been acting in my music videos. So lets see!
0 facebook-disqus:
Post a Comment