Bollywood felt like coming home: Pakistani singer Zeb Bangash

1 of 1

New Delhi. She always thought that composing music for an entire film in Bollywood was a very difficult task. However, when Zeb Bangash gave music for the Bollywood film – ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’, she became the first Pakistani artist to give music in Bollywood. Recalling it she says it felt like “coming home”.

He emphasized that the film was very special because it required something new. She recalls: “Alankrita Anvita, Ankur Mukherjee, Amrit Mahajan and I shared that feeling and came together. It was really like finding a community. The meetings were held not in the production house but in homes over food and music, jokes and poetry.

Lamenting the current non-exchange of artists between India and Pakistan, she says it shrinks the artistic community.

“The film we made was different, which we all believed in. “That kind of camaraderie between neighbors is very enriching – and I say this from experience.”

On September 30, Jeb is scheduled to perform live in New York’s Times Square. She says: “It feels like a dream come true”

As someone who sings in many languages, when asked which language is closest to her, she laughs and says, “Pashto makes me think of home, Urdu and Hindi open my imagination.” Persian feels like a warm hug, Kashmiri feels like being transported to a magical land, Turkish brings a sense of nostalgia and Punjabi is the closest friend – like a friend.”

Ask him about the secret of the extremely interesting music scene in Pakistan, and he admits that sometimes he is surprised by how tough it is for artists there. “But then I wonder whether the output is exciting precisely for the same reason that it is challenging. In some ways it allows us to work in our silos and focus on our expression without the burden of imagining success.”

Zeb Bangash has learned music from Ustad Naseeruddin Sami, she says that her training in classical music has completely changed her life and musical expression.

She says, “The most obvious change is in my voice. What it can do and where it can go has expanded. Learning Khayal has changed me and my relationships, it’s really brought a sense of calm self-assurance and helped me integrate all my musical influences into perspective.”

During the pandemic, Bangash recorded his solo album. “There is also a collection of regional songs which I am recording in Dubai,” she said. (IANS

read this also – Click to read the news of your state/city before the newspaper.