Pakistani playback singer, songwriter and composer Atif Aslam is a name very dear to music lovers, having captured thousands of hearts over the years with his soulful renditions of tracks across various industries, including Bollywood, Punjabi and Bengali. Now, Aslam is poised to make his debut in the Malayalam film industry by lending his voice to the Hindi song “Hijr”, composed by debutant Nandhagopan V for the upcoming romantic drama Haal.
“Always fun to sing a beautiful composition and meaningful lyrics. The song is contemporary and I hope the film will be as amazing as its music,” Aslam told Rolling Stone India in a statement as the music project also marks his first foray into South India.
Helmed by Prasanth Vijayakumar and scripted by Nishad Koya, Haal stars Shane Nigam in the lead role and is set to hit screens later this year. Expressing that Aslam’s songs have been an “integral part” of his life, Nandhagopan V, who has previously sung in Malayalam movies like Luca, Kho Kho and Kasargold, told Rolling Stone India, “I can tell you that this will be one-of-a-kind romantic emotional melody […] For this, I have used a mix of Western and Eastern instruments as well as weaving some ethnic, electronic textures along with an addition of ambient soundscapes.”
Nandhagopan further revealed that the idea of approaching the singer struck him and actor Shane Nigam, both fans of Aslam, while they were listening to the artiste’s “Aadat” on repeat during their free time together. “It so happened that the initial composition of the track was naturally in Hindi. Instantly, both of us just thought how great it would be to have Atif sing our song. It was initially just a wish. However, when I was done with the composition, I could not think of anyone better than Atif.”
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“He was very patient and there was a lot of give and take. Of course, he’s added his signature vibratos, which has worked magic to the song. It was truly an enriching recording experience,” he added.
Elaborating on why a Malayalam film features a Hindi song, the composer emphasized its setting in Kozhikode and how the city has a “rich influence of Hindi and Urdu languages”.
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