Nine Pakistani Artists We Bet You Thought Were Indians

Here’s a treat for you on the eve of I-Day: a list of fabulous singers/artists whose origins you may not have known.

14 August 2016 marks 69 years of Pakistan’s independence.

And on this day, The Quint compiles a list of nine Pakistanis you didn’t know weren’t Indian.

Adnan Sami

As a teenager feeding entirely on Hindi pop culture, Bheegi Bheegi Raatom Mein was my entry into the world of romantic music, and to Adnan Sami’s beautiful melodies.

Sami, born to a Pakistani Air Force pilot, became an overnight star in India with his Govinda-starrer song Mujhko Bhi Toh Lift Karaade. And then there was Kabhi Toh Nazar Milaao, Tera Chehra Jab Nazar Aaye and the unforgettable voice in Saathiya’s Aye Udi Udi.

What many people did not know, back then, was his Pakistani lineage. His massive popularity in India ruffled some feathers back In Pakistan; the singer was accused of being a traitor of sorts.

Sami recieved Indian citizenship only in January 2016, and it is bittersweet irony then that his birthday falls on 15 August, India’s independence day.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

His mystical songs transcended boundaries, his voice left many transfixed and his sheer intensity will remain unparalleled.

Nusrat ji was born in Faisalabad, Pakistan in 1948 and is hailed as the Shehenshah-e-Qawaali for his magnanimous contribution to the world of Qawaalis. Primarily a Sufi singer, he is best known for his songs Tum Ek Gorakh Dhandha Ho, Allah Hoo Allah Hoo, Saanu Ek Pal Chain Na Aawe, Kinna Sona Tainu and Afreen.

Mehdi Hassan

On 13 June, 2012, a legend passed away, leaving behind a rich and melodious legacy.

The King of Ghazal, Mehdi Hassan was born in Rajasthan in India, and moved to Pakistan after the partition of 1947. His fortunes changed when he was asked to sing on Radio Pakistan in 1957. And the rest, they say, is musical history.

Aye Kuchh Abr Kuchh Sharaab Aaye, Patta Patta, Boota Boota, Dil-E-Nadan Tujhe Hua Kya Hai and Dil Ki Baat Labon Par Laakar are some of his most remembered songs.

Saadat Hasan Manto

His writing is distressingly prophetic, daringly poetic and brutally honest and it ceases to matter which country he belongs to.

One of the most prolific and celebrated literary figures (especially during the partition), Manto’s short stories haunt one long after one is done reading them. They are evocative, subversive and unabashed.

His stories Bu, Thanda Ghosht and My Name is Radha were indicative of something that had previously never been witnessed quite the same way: that literature does not need to conform.

Manto’s Toba Tek Singh, based on the partition of 1947, painted a picture of the madness and chaos that ensued after the biggest mass movement known to humankind, in history.

Reshma

It was the year 1983 and a song called Lambi Judaai had suddenly made us sit up and take note of a beautiful, yet haunting voice; that of Reshma’s.

A Pakistani folk singer, Reshma sang at shrines in Pakistan, the place where her talent was first discovered. She recorded her first song Laal Meri Pat Rakhiyo on Radio Pakistan in 1968.

Some of her all-time hits include Dama Dam Mast Kalandar, Hai O’ Rabba Nahion Lagda Dil Mera and Sun Charkhe Di Mithi Mithi Khook Mahiya Meinu Yaad Aunda.

Atif Aslam

To put it simply, Aslam defines the term ‘instant rage.’

This Pakistani singer was propelled to stardom with the band Jal, but split from them to record his solo album, Jal Pari. The album received unprecedented success, after which he recorded two new albums, Doorie and Meri Kahaani.

His entry into Bollywood (and our hearts) was with Woh Lamhey in the 2005 film Zeher. He subsequently went on to sing several stellar numbers, including Tere Bin, Tu Jaane Na and Jeena Jeena.

Ghulam Ali

Ustad Ghulam Ali’s ghazals feature high on the list of my parents’ all-time favourites, and it’s not hard to guess why.

A singer of the Patiala gharana, he started his career, like many others, with Radio Lahore in 1960. His brush with Hindi cinema happened with the 1982 film Nikaah, in which he sang the evergreen song Chupke Chupke Raat Din.

Kal Chaudhvin Ki Raat Thi, Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa, Kiya Hai Pyar Jise are only a few of the timeless ghazals he has lent his voice to.

Ali Zafar

Actor, singer, song-writer and a painter, Ali Zafar crooned his way into our hearts with his first album Huqa Pani.

And that was merely the begnning.

His songs, including Masty, Sajania, Coke Studio numbers such as Allah Hu and Dastaan-e-Ishq ,made him an overnight star. His Bollywood debut in Tere Bin Laden got him much deserved critical acclaim, after which he also went on to star in Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (with Katrina Kaif and Imran Khan).

Abida Parveen

“I’m not a man or a woman, I’m a vehicle for passion,” she had once said. We couldn’t agree more: her soothing presence on stage is beyond compare. The greatest female Sufi singer, Parveen, was born in Larkana, Pakistan in 1954.

Her song Yaar Ko Humne, her rendition of Bulle Shah’s poetry in the form of Tere ishq Nachaaya and Dama Dam Mast Kalandar are spiritual experiences, to put it mildly.

Oh, and for everybody who thought Fawad Khan would make the list, well now that would be a tad bit too predictable, wouldn’t it?