Rider of destiny

interview

Singer and actor Farhan Saeed speaks to Instep about his journey in the entertainment industry, from his time with pop rock band Jal to his upcoming film Tich Button

Buried under a layer of dust in a forgotten corner of a bookshelf, I locate, after a considerable amount of searching, my old university yearbook. Each person in the 2001 batch at the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST-NU) has their own page in this rather hefty volume. It takes me a while to find the entry I am looking for: roll number 1413 – Farhan Saeed Butt.

Several of his friends have shared their comments about him on his page. There is a fair degree of ribbing going on.

“A guy with a beautiful voice and zero coding skills,” one class fellow jests. “I remember the time when I spent a whole night teaching these guys assembly [language] and he got a zero in the final!”

“Jughatain jitne marzi lugwa lo, mazak jitna marzi karwa lo, bus kaam koi nahi kurna,” another japes before warning all his female fans that Farhan “sukht flirt hai and buhat dhokay baaz hai.”

“Ego honi chahiye banday mein, per bila wajha ki nahi,” yet another friend writes, a stuck-out tongue emoticon firmly in tow.

So a lot of glowing testimonials about a promising young man, basically. 

All kidding aside though, there is one thing that nearly all the commentators agree upon: the dude has an amazing voice. It’s this voice that has propelled Farhan to fame.

The story, as he recalls, begins on the grounds of the aforementioned university where a reluctant performance unexpectedly ended up changing his life.

“There was an event at FAST that my friends were arranging,” he reminisces, “and they had a slot of ten minutes which they were not sure what to do with. They asked me if I could perform. I was very dicey at the start, but when they had no other option, I agreed to sing. I did two songs and performed for about 10 to 15 minutes.”

It just so happened that one Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan was in the audience. “I, of course, knew that Xulfi was two years senior to me at FAST. Many members of the band EP studied there, including Fawad who was one year senior to me.” Xulfi heard Farhan sing and subsequently introduced him to Jal guitarist Goher Mumtaz who had, by this time, parted ways with Atif Aslam. They quickly bonded and started recording songs that would end up on the group’s first album, Aadat. The rest, as they say, is history.

“Jal was one of the best time periods of my life,” he states. “It seems like some other life now. It’s been a while. I spent ten years with the band. Some of the best times of my life were with Jal. The band life is, in itself, a great thing to experience. And yes, we had a lot of fun and Alhamdulillah, by the grace of God, we saw the best times any band could see. We toured the world, we saw hardships together, we saw [success] together. I was a teen when I joined Jal, and I left when I was 28, so a decade of my life, my prime youth, was with Jal, and I loved every bit of it! I miss it sometimes, but it’s beautiful and I want it to be like that in my memories forever.”

Did he face any challenges while navigating a solo career after his exit from the band? “It’s a new world altogether when you go solo,” he replies. “You have to do everything yourself. In Jal my role was that of a vocalist. When you go solo, you need to compose, write songs, jam with other people. In a band, when you’re working with one composer, your chemistry and understanding develops. When you go solo, you have to work with a lot of composers and teams. So yeah, it was quite challenging at the start, but by the grace of God, it worked for me. In the early stage of my solo career, Allah really helped me make good songs that people actually liked. That belief and the fans’ trust in my work – that gave me confidence. It was difficult at the start, but then things went smoothly. All that was because of fans accepting my music.”

Looking back at his early solo releases, he is proud of songs like ‘Pi Jaun’, his collaboration with singer Momina Mustehsan; the track ‘Naam-e-Wafa’ which appeared on the soundtrack of a Bollywood movie; and ‘Roiyaan’, a track he wrote with Kumaar when he was in India, and which subsequently won him the Song of the Year trophy at the Lux Style Awards and the Best Solo Single accolade at the Hum Awards.

His next musical release is a collaboration with another popular singer. “Because of COVID and lockdown, I had time on my hands and was able to give time to my music. Very soon you’ll see my new singles coming out. One of them is with Aima Baig. It’s called ‘Akhiyan’ and it will be out in a week or so. It will be followed by two to three other big releases. Fans who love my music … I haven’t done justice to them in the past two to three years, so I’m going to make it up to them. This year and next year will see a lot of music releases. I do hope COVID goes away very soon and we can return to the stage and perform for our fans, because performing on stage will always be my first love.”

Speaking of his serendipitous foray into the music industry, Farhan agrees that fortune played a huge role in the trajectory of his professional life. “I never thought that I was going to be a musician,” he says. “I think it was destiny. Nothing was planned at all.”

Singing, of course, is no longer Farhan’s sole claim to fame. Of late, it’s his acting career that has been keeping the multi-hyphenate entertainer busy.

“Just as music was destiny for me, acting was destiny for me too,” he says. “When I was doing music, both with Jal and as a solo artist, I got quite a few acting offers from India and Pakistan, and I explicitly said no because I never thought I was going to be an actor. I never thought I could act. I hadn’t discovered that side. I wasn’t thinking about that at all, so I said no to quite a few acting projects, one of which was a Bollywood movie.” 

Then the drama De Ijazat Jo Tu came along and enticed Farhan into the world of acting. “When I started doing it, then I wanted to do it perfectly. When I start something, I really want to master the art of doing it. I soon got the [hang] of it. Then came Udaari, which was one of the best projects, one I was lucky to be offered. Then Suno Chanda. Everybody loved these two dramas. So I got the confidence and I really liked being in front of the camera. Working in music and acting complemented each other. It still works for me.”

Farhan sees Suno Chanda as the highlight of his career and the project that made him who he is as an actor. “I never thought it was going to do so well. When you’re doing a project, you do it hoping people will like it but you actually never know if it’s going to be a hit or flop because there is no formula for it.” That said, he sees Udaari as the turning point of his career. “When I worked with such brilliant actors by my side, I learned a lot.”

The latest drama we saw him in was Prem Gali which is another project that is very special to him. “The script was close to me. The family values, the neighbourhood, everything … I really liked the concept. It had social messages that are very important right now. I think it was brilliantly written and above all I had such brilliant actors by my side. Each one of them was a treat to watch. So I learned a lot. Prem Gali was one of the best experiences I had.”

He hopes to keep entertaining his fans with even better performances in the future. Among his upcoming ventures is the webseries Ruswai that is being directed by Wajahat Rauf and also stars Hania Amir. And then there is the film, Tich Button. “Tich Button is a darling project. It’s the first project by our production house Shooting Star Studio. It was tough being a producer for the first time, and then acting in it while also being a producer was a tough job too. But I loved every bit of it and worked really hard. Me, Urwa [Hocane], Qasim [Ali Mureed], we all worked really, really hard. The film stars me alongside Iman Ali, Feroze Khan, and Sonya Hussain. The ensemble cast also includes Sohail Ahmed and Qavi Khan sahib. Faiza Iftiqhar wrote it.” The release of the film has unfortunately been delayed by the ongoing pandemic but Farhan is eager for the movie to be unveiled. “I have a very good feeling about it. InshaAllah people will like it. It was a very good experience and it was also very, very, very challenging. We can’t wait to share it with our audience.”

The aforementioned Urwa is, of course, Farhan’s lovely significant other. Their high profile romance has been keeping gossip columnist busy for the better part of a decade. Lately, however, there has been much speculation about their marriage and rumours have been swirling about a supposed split. That’s a topic Farhan is not inclined to discuss. Speak to him about a lack of privacy though and you quickly realize he has made his peace with it. “The only downside of fame is that there is no private life,” he says. “People can comment on your life, people can comment on whatever you do.” But he understands where that interest is coming from. “At the end of the day that’s what you work for actually. When people love you, they like you so much that they think they have the right to comment on anything you do in your personal life too, because it’s just not about your talent anymore; it’s you as a personality. I think that’s the price you have to pay and honestly I learned this a long time ago, and I live with it. I don’t mind. I know when to close my ears and I usually don’t get affected by that. What I know is that whatever we do is because of the love of the fans and the love we want to get, and all the attention they give us all the time is worth it.”

If he had a do-over, is there anything he would have done or handled differently? “Professionally I don’t know; I don’t think so. Personally, maybe, yeah,” he says before pausing and reconsidering. “Well, I actually don’t believe in regretting something. What you do right is your success. What you do wrong is a success because you learn from it. So I don’t think I would redo anything in my life [altogether], but maybe something here and there.”

Farhan has certainly come a long way from the youngster in our yearbook who was willing to trade his four years at FAST-NU for a Cornetto. He has clearly made the most of the chances luck has given him, and is disarmingly candid about the fact that he still has a ways to go. “I believe I still have to do my best,” he says. “The best is yet to come. I’ll keep improving and I hope that people will like me in the future too.”

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 30th May, 2021 *

Recap: April 2021

roundup

Nomadland continued dominating the award season; Taylor Swift released the rerecording of Fearless; and more international news from the month of April

🎥

- Nomadland won the Best Film trophy at every award ceremony that was held in the known universe.

- Production of the second Downton Abbey film commenced. The sequel will be out in time for Christmas because something good finally has to happen this year, right? RIGHT?!!

- The release of the Top Gun sequel was delayed for the 9271835th time.

- Nia Vardalos confirmed that a third My Big Fat Greek Wedding film is in the works, leaving us all with the question: there was a second My Big Fat Greek Wedding film?!

- There is going to be a fifth Indiana Jones movie? Meh.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge has joined the cast of the fifth Indiana Jones movie? Ok, now we’re listening…

📺

- More anachronistic corsets and striking sideburns are coming your way. Star Regé-Jean Page may be out but the show’s creator Chris Van Dusen confirmed that Bridgerton has been renewed for a third and fourth season, even before the unveiling of its sophomore outing.

- Apparently it takes three years to make a dozen or so episodes of Stranger Things. Fans were not pleased when Finn Wolfhard revealed that we will have to wait till next year for our reunion with the residents of Hawkins. The previous season was released two years ago; that’s 24 in dog years, which is pretty much how long it feels in human years as well.

- The MacGyver reboot was cancelled. It ran for five seasons, so basically five seasons longer than it should have.

- Dominic Purcell was either angry or upset or joking or trolling the press as he announced his departure from DC's Legends of Tomorrow.

- Hank Azaria, who voiced Indian character Apu on The Simpsons for decades before stepping away from the role earlier this year, apologized for reinforcing negative South Asian stereotypes.

- Just when we thought we were finally getting rid of them, Kim Kardashian revealed that her famous family will now have a new show on Hulu that will premiere after Keeping Up with the Kardashians ends. Woe is us.

- There was drama in the world of beauty pageants. Mrs. Ireland, Kate Schneider, was appointed Mrs. World 2020 after reigning titleholder, Caroline Jurie from Sri Lanka, took the crown off the head of the 2021 Mrs. Sri Lanka World winner, Pushpika De Silva, claiming she was divorced and ineligible to win, leaving us appalled by the fact that beauty pageants are still a thing.

🎶

- Following her Scooter Braun masters drama, Taylor Swift released the rerecording of her 2008 album Fearless. Swifties rejoiced, because, being fans of Swift’s music, they clearly like listening to slightly different versions of the same song over and over again anyway.

- Following the release of a YouTube documentary that covered, among other topics, her near-fatal overdose in 2018, Demi Lovato unveiled her first album in four years, Dancing with the Devil... The Art of Starting Over. She then got into a feud with … a froyo shop (!) because … they sell options catering to dietary restrictions … which somehow triggered the singer who has battled an eating disorder.

- The Wallflowers, Twenty One Pilots, The Black Keys, and Steps all announced new albums.

🌟

- Rapper DMX died at the age of 50 after reportedly suffering an overdose that resulted in a heart attack.

- We also lost the lovely Helen McCrory, who died of cancer at age 52.

- Prince Philip, the longest serving consort in British history, passed away at age 99. The fallout from Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah, meanwhile, continued, although the problematic prince did reunite with his family for the funeral of his grandfather.

- Ashley Cain’s eight month old baby daughter Azaylia’s battle with terminal leukaemia broke everyone’s heart.

- Harvey Weinstein, currently incarcerated in New York, was indicted on sexual assault charges in California.

- The downfall of Armie Hammer continued. After dropping out of pretty much all his upcoming film projects, the actor – who is under investigation for sexual assault – will now no longer star in the Broadway play The Minutes.

- After trying to squash breakup rumours weeks earlier, J.Lo and A-Rod changed their minds and broke up. 

- Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song had a baby … is a sentence guaranteed to instantly make you feel old.

- Dwayne Johnson might run for U.S. President. Matthew McConaughey might run for governor of Texas. Caitlyn Jenner might run for governor of California. 

The rest of us might run away to another planet because this one is just getting ridiculous at this point.

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News International - 25th April, 2021 *

In the picture: Love and Monsters

movie review

With its amusing tone and touching relationships, Love and Monsters makes for fun viewing

Love and Monsters

Starring: Dylan O’Brien, Jessica Henwick, Dan Ewing, Michael Rooker, and Ariana Greenblatt

Directed by: Michael Matthews

Had the coronavirus pandemic not thrown a spanner in the works, we would have had the chance to watch Love and Monsters in cinemas earlier this year. But instead of its intended big screen release, the film has now arrived for streaming on significantly smaller screens via Netflix. 

Seeing how impressive the film looks visually might leave you wishing you were watching it in a movie theatre instead.

The dystopian comedy adventure takes us to a post-apocalyptic world where giant mutated creepy crawlies – from cockroaches and spiders to crabs and frogs – have taken over the planet, sending the decimated human population into hiding. Among the survivors is Joel (Dylan O’Brien), a young man who has spent the last seven years living in an underground bunker with a colony of people, all of whom have paired up. All, that is, except him.

The lovelorn Joel – who has an unfortunate habit of freezing when faced with danger – finally decides he must venture out of the safety of the bunker and go on a quest in the hopes of reuniting with his pre-apocalypse girlfriend, Aimee (Jessica Henwick).

His journey is, of course, riddled with peril. But he fortunately finds quite a bit of help along the way as he encounters a plucky dog named Boy (played primarily by the wonderful Australian Kelpie Hero), a damaged Mav1s robot (voiced by Melanie Zanetti), and two fellow travellers, survival expert Clyde (Michael Rooker) and his young sidekick Minnow (Ariana Greenblatt).

It’s in his relationships with those who cross his path that the film truly excels. The premise isn’t exactly fresh and the route the movie takes is fairly predictable, but the writers make sure that you stay invested in the adventure through the strength of the relationships and interactions. Joel and Boy make wonderful companions. Minnow is endearing, and, surprisingly, so is Mav1s; you know a movie is doing something right when even a robot manages to elicit emotions from the audience.

The timing of its release – an apocalypse movie in the middle of a pandemic, one that suggests we should venture out of our bunkers? – may not be perfect, but with its impressive world-building and delightful Zombieland-like vibes, Love and Monsters makes for fun, entertaining viewing. Here’s hoping that by the time the inevitable sequel arrives (they’ve built a sturdy base, now they need more inventive stories), the circumstances will be more favourable and we’ll be able to watch it in all its visual glory on the big screen.

Rating: 3 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 25th April, 2021 *

Aria - Iran's Doctor Zhivago?

book review

Book: Aria

Author: Nazanine Hozar

Reach for just about any book on your shelf and you will find a couple of enthusiastic blurbs on its cover. Each line of praise will try its best to draw you towards the novel, each recommendation raising your expectations of what you are about to read. And when that endorsement comes from an author as well-known as Margaret Atwood, who compares the book to a tome as celebrated as Doctor Zhivago, you are bound to think that what you have in your hands is the next literary classic.

It is with these high expectations that we are introduced to Aria, Iranian-Canadian writer Nazanine Hozar’s debut novel and, as per Atwood, “a Doctor Zhivago of Iran.”

True to the comparison, the novel attempts to deliver a sweeping drama set against the backdrop of political turmoil, as the Iranian revolution collides with a young girl’s life. But the result, ultimately, isn’t quite as riveting as you might hope.

Spanning nearly three decades, Aria opens in the early 1950s in a turbulent Tehran and ends in the early 1980s, soon after the downfall of the last Shah of Iran and the instatement of Ayatollah Khomeini as the country’s Supreme Leader. At the centre of the tale is the titular protagonist, who experiences several trials and tribulations through the various stages of her life, just as the winds of change are sweeping her country.

The book is divided into four main parts, the first three of which are named after her three maternal figures — “a mother who left her, a mother who beat her, and a mother who loved her but couldn’t say so” — while the last reflects Aria’s own journey of motherhood (although none of the sections fully focuses on the character it is named after).

As the novel begins, a newborn infant is abandoned in an alleyway, from where she is rescued by a kind army driver, Behrouz, who names her Aria, “after all the world’s pains and all the world’s loves.” Not pleased with her husband’s decision to adopt a discarded, blue-eyed, red-haired baby, Behrouz’s wife, Zahra, treats the child cruelly, raising her with abuse and neglect.

A series of events eventually lead Aria to her next surrogate mother, the affluent Fereshteh, who provides the girl with a significantly better home and upbringing, but remains emotionally distant. Behrouz and Fereshteh soon start sending the young girl to help out the impoverished family of a woman who, unbeknownst to Aria, is her birth mother, Mehri.

Her parents aren’t the only source of complications in her life. Drama follows Aria wherever she goes. Her friendships — from her childhood pal Kamran, to schoolmates Mitra and Hamlet — all lead to misfortune in one way or another. And then, of course, there is the socio-political turmoil shadowing every turn of the story, as a revolution alters the life of every character in the tale.

Hozar displays a talent for bringing a complex setting to vivid life, and her ability to create unique, fascinating characters shines throughout the novel. Many interesting individuals appear in the proceedings, such as Aria’s friend Kamran — who makes beaded bracelets for her — or Kamran’s father, Kazem, who injures and infects his hand, but continues working as a bricklayer. Or Rameen, a captain in the army who forms an entanglement with Behrouz. But these characters don’t always get the satisfying arcs they deserve. Instead, they often just disappear till the story needs them again.

It is peculiar that, despite all the melodrama constantly surrounding her, somehow Aria is not the most intriguing character in her own book. Far from it. You get the feeling that someone such as, say, Rameen, has a much more interesting story to tell, if only Hozar would let him tell it.

The novel’s scope, perhaps, is a little too ambitious. The author populates her yarn with too many characters and weaves a tapestry that doesn’t quite cohere. Pacing issues plague the narrative, as the story goes from a laconic build-up to a rushed wrap-up. Some incidents are described in more detail than seems necessary, while others don’t get the space they require. Plus, the dry, distant prose makes it hard to stay absorbed in the events or really connect with the strong, but flawed, protagonist.

It also doesn’t help that, all too often, the most important development in the book relies on contrived coincidences (especially towards the jarring end) and the characters behave in ways that don’t seem entirely credible.

Where Hozar excels, though, is in creating a fascinating portrait of a complex nation — one inhabited by Muslims and Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians — on the precipice of change, her vivid descriptions relaying the stark realities of a divided region and poor populace. You will, however, need prior knowledge of the historical developments and figures to fully understand the depth and breadth of the various settings and situations.

All in all, Aria may not be an instant classic, but it certainly has its merits. The story would have benefited from some fine-tuning and the novel could have used some editing, but it is still likely to please readers who enjoy slow-paced, character-driven family sagas and are both knowledgeable about, and intrigued by, Iran’s culture and history.

- By Sameen Amer

Books & Authors, Dawn - 11th April, 2021 *

Xulfi’s new groove

cover story

In an exclusive interview with Instep, the multi-talented musician and producer discusses everything from his career beginnings to what his future holds

Once upon a time, back in the early aughts, I was a student at the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST-NU), stumbling, rather clumsily, through a computer science degree. On the day in question, the object of my struggles was an assignment that required the coding of logic gates, a task that my group members and I had no idea how to accomplish. Taking pity on our plight, an acquaintance decided to come to our rescue by introducing us to one of his friends: a senior who was taking the same course with our batch and who could potentially give us a few pointers. And so we were schlepped to the aforementioned senior … who then took one look at the sorry state of our project and promptly refused to help, dismissing us instead by saying the assignment needed too much work.

So I guess my first question is, what do you have to say in your defence, Xulfi?

“Computer education was never my forte. I helped you by not helping you,” he deadpans, then laughs and adds “I really don’t remember this.”

Insult to injury. We’re off to a great start!

Past

Just as I was being introduced to Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan as the grumpy dude you shouldn’t even bother asking for coding tips, the rest of the country was getting to know him as the guitarist of the rap rock band Entity Paradigm, which itself had its genesis on the grounds of the university where we first met. Xulfi was the president of the FAST-NU music society, conducting auditions for new members. Among the hopefuls were the then-unknown Fawad Khan and Hassaan Khalid. He heard the former sing and the latter play the guitar and thought, why not make a band? That’s how the dream of Paradigm started.

That dream eventually led him to the stage of Pepsi Battle of the Bands, where, his group – merged, by then, with Ahmad Ali Butt’s band Entity – finished in second place. The creation of an album, Irtiqa, followed, but the union didn’t last and the members eventually parted ways.

Now, some two decades later, looking back at his time with EP, Xulfi is left with a sense of appreciation for the experiences he had with the outfit. “When a band breaks up, it can sometimes seem like it’s the end of the world. Obviously, when EP broke up, it did feel like that, but, parting ways leads to the start of beautiful new journeys for everyone involved. You don’t know where the road will take you and when everyone’s paths will coincide again.”

Their paths did indeed cross in the form of reunions. But where, I ask him, does EP stand now? “We talk. We occasionally meet. We all share a good friendly bond. That’s where it stands,” he answers with a smile. “It’s a chapter that involves a lot of emotions and memories, and I honestly feel blessed to have experienced all those emotions and been through it all.”

While working on EP’s music, Xulfi was also learning the ropes of music production. “We recorded Irtiqa at Mekaal Hasan’s studio when I was still a university student. We used to arrange music, sequence drums, and do the musical parts in my room; then we’d take those tracks to Mekaal’s studio and do the guitars, bass, and vocals. I used to sit there when Mekaal was recording and mixing, learning a lot and giving my suggestions as well.

“In fact there was this thing that Fawad and I used to do. Whenever Mekaal would leave the studio for some time, we used to go in the recording room, and if we thought that, say, the guitar’s distortion gain was too low, we used to increase it so that we’d get the sound that was in our heads. Maza aata tha,” he laughs. “Mekaal probably doesn’t know about that till this point.”

Well he does now. Sorry Mekaal!

Inspired by the experience, Xulfi decided to pursue his dream of making his own studio. After graduating from university, he asked his parents for a year to do what he most wanted: set up a studio, work with different artists, and make a career out of it. And he says he has not looked back ever since.

The first album he produced was Jal’s Aadat, using basic equipment and dilapidated instruments. Fast forward to 2021, and Xth Harmonic is now a fully-equipped, high performance studio that has given Xulfi the chance to work with a wide range of talent, including the likes of Atif Aslam, Meesha Shafi, and even his old pal Fawad Khan.

“After the release of the Jal album, my belief kept growing that everything is possible if I put my heart and mind to it. Subsequently, trying to find new musicians and recording their work became the purpose of my studio. The universe always helped me with that. Artists from all over would somehow find me. While recording their work, I’d notice that a band had a talented guitarist, and another had a talented keyboard player or vocalist or songwriter. So I used to think of combinations, putting the talented people together in my mind, and dream of making music with them,” he recalls.

That idea eventually led to the creation of Nescafe Basement, a television series in which Xulfi mentors and works with young artists. “You need to discover and inspire new people to progress the industry,” he believes. “There is so much talent in Pakistan. There had to be something that empowered this talent.” He is happy about the success of the show’s alumni, like Bayaan, a group that formed during Nescafe Basement, then won Pepsi Battle of the Bands, and now has an album out, as well as the duo Soch, whose song ‘Awari’ found popularity across the border and who have since developed their own studio and become successful songwriters. And it’s this part of his journey that has brought Xulfi a lot of gratification.

But while he has always been dedicated to discovering and polishing new artists, he has also continued his own performing career. Before his time with EP was through, Xulfi had already joined another band, Call, previous members of which had included his brothers, Danish and Khurram. And their partnership – a brief split notwithstanding – is still going strong. “Call has been quite an extensive journey for me,” he says. “I have explored a huge palette of colours with my bandmates – Junaid, Sultan, and also our session players Kenny, Bilawal, and Farhan; I’ve travelled a lot with these people.

“From the heavy side of rock in songs like ‘Jilawatan’ to something like ‘Laree Chotee’, ‘Dhadke Jiya’, and even ‘Sab Bhula Kae’, it has been a very diverse journey. A band’s vocabulary is usually not this extensive. But Call ki hai,” and that is something that makes him immensely proud.

Present

Last month, Xulfi was busy with the production and rollout of the anthems for the sixth season of the Pakistan Super League, his second year associated with the tournament. “PSL is a beautiful blessing for our country through which we get thoroughly entertained,” he opines, and he is absolutely chuffed to be involved with the league. “I am fortunate that I have been given this blessing by God to work with PSL for the last two years and I am so proud of what we have done with them. It’s an honour to work for a platform like this and it gives you coverage and accessibility with such a huge audience.”

Last year, Xulfi was approached by PSL for the anthem for the tournament’s fifth season. That’s how ‘Tayaar Hain’ happened. “PSL was coming to Pakistan completely for the first time, so we thought of the message that we are ready for this, hence ‘Tayaar Hain’.” The track was written by Xulfi and sung by Ali Azmat, Haroon, Asim Azhar, and Arif Lohar. “When you make an anthem, it’s not just a song; it’s a complete narrative,” he declares. “Creating it is a progressive, evolutionary process. You have to connect to that purpose and strike the right big idea, and ‘Tayaar Hain’ was that big idea.”

This year, discussions led to the creation of ‘Groove Mera’, an EDM-inspired pop tune with Naseebo Lal, Aima Baig, and Young Stunners on vocals. He describes the experience of working with these artists as “phenomenal”. “Every one of them is special,” he says. 

“I remember when Naseebo Lal’s name came up. I immediately knew she was the one. Her lines were written specifically for her.” When he eventually heard her sing the track, her performance instantly hit him in the feels. “There was a time when I actually teared up. When she sang the line ‘I am ready tay I am sure oye’, it was so beautifully expressed and delivered that I got emotional, and, touched by my reaction, she teared up as well. When someone convincingly makes a universal line their own, like she did, it’s an amazing moment for me as a producer.”

He has nothing but praise for Young Stunners and Aima Baig as well. “I was working with Naseebo and Young Stunners for the first time, and it was a heart-warming, beautiful experience, full of emotions. Young Stunners are very future forward. They understand the power of good content and create a lot of songs. They are special songwriters. They think about life very deeply. Their lyrics in ‘Groove Mera’ are very impressive. Their confidence, hope, and excitement is contagious. As for Aima, it’s always a pleasure working with her because she works hard to understand what kind of personality she has to depict.”

As much fun as making these PSL songs has been for Xulfi and his team, listeners, however, have been far less enthusiastic about their output. Both these tracks have garnered criticism, especially on social media. How does Xulfi feel about the mixed reception and the negative comments? “I am a positive person, and I don’t see things in positive and negative demarcations. I see everything as a process. I love seeing how the narrative unfolds. I enjoy that. To top that, I have a lot of belief in the work I do with my team on any idea, song, or narrative. If you believe in something, the universe assures that it will resonate in people’s hearts. Your work of heart reaches other people’s hearts. So with this belief, I enjoy my journey.” 

But doesn’t the criticism get to him? “I’m a patient person,” he answers. “Change is not easy. It’s always a battle. But at the same time, change in the form of progress is important. When you are battle hardened, you keep fighting. I am happy the song has resonated with so many people and it’s etched in their memory which is the most important thing. Insha’Allah everyone will always remember ‘Groove Mera’ and that, again, is a blessing.”

Aside from his PSL work, Xulfi has also been involved with other production projects, his most recent being rock band Karakoram’s debut album, Ailaan-e-Jang. “Producing a rock album is always a lot of fun. You have to record all the instruments live. With Karakoram, I wanted to create a benchmark sound that sets a standard and expresses their emotion in the best possible way while creating a new paradigm. I wanted people to hear it and say they haven’t heard such big sounding rock music in Pakistan before. It took us a while to nail everything, but these boys are very talented and expressive and they did a wonderful job. This is going to be a game changer for a lot of artists in Pakistan, Insha’Allah.”

Future

With his various projects and ventures, Xulfi has every intention of keeping himself busy in the coming months. 

Apart from music, his content creation agency, Giraffe, is also churning out ideas for brands. And his passion for sports is ensuring that games – he enjoys playing badminton, table tennis, and cricket with friends – remain a part of his life.

His focus, though, continues to be on music. “This year my journey is more about music than it has ever been,” he states.

Rumours have been swirling about his involvement in the next season of Coke Studio, but no matter how much I prod, he remains tight-lipped. “Let’s see what the future holds” is all he is willing to say on the topic.

He does promise that his mission of discovering and empowering new artists is going to continue. He hopes to help create a thriving community of musicians, and also plans to keep doing his own music and collaborating with other artists as well. As for Call, while the band isn’t working on any new content at the moment, Xulfi has an inkling that something interesting might come along later in the year.

So you can definitely expect a lot more from Xulfi in the coming months. 

If you are a fan waiting for new music, he will deliver. If you are an aspiring artist, he will lend a guiding hand. If you want someone to produce your record, then he’s your man. 

Just don’t ask him how to code logic gates!

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 21st March, 2021 *

In the picture: His House

movie review

Compelling characters and terrific performances anchor the drama in the new horror thriller His House

His House

Starring: Wunmi Mosaku, Sope Dirisu, and Matt Smith

Written and directed by: Remi Weekes

Remi Weekes uses haunted house horror to explore the refugee experience in his feature debut His House, a powerful thriller that weaves socio-political elements into the narrative.

The film tells the story of Bol (Sope Dirisu) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku), a South Sudanese couple fleeing conflict. In search of a new beginning, they brave stormy waters to arrive on the shores of the United Kingdom, but lose their daughter, Nyagak (Malaika Wakoli-Abigaba), in an accident along the way. After a stay at a detention centre, the duo is finally granted probationary asylum. Their case worker (Matt Smith) then brings them to their new home: a dilapidated house on the outskirts of London that is in desperate need of upkeep.

But as they try to settle in and adapt to their new life, strange voices and visions begin to haunt them. Rial comes to believe that they are being targeted by a vengeful night witch. The protagonists are thereby left to deal not just with the apparitions that emanate from the walls of their house but also the looming fear of being deported lest they make a single wrong move. 

The ghosts deliver the movie’s jump scares, but the actual horror of the situation lies in the plight of these asylum seekers, who, it soon becomes apparent, are dealing with traumas from their past and struggling with the effects of grief and survivor’s guilt.

The proceedings are often touching and, at times, chilling, even though the movie does occasionally falter. The second act meandered a bit (a more taut screenplay could have perhaps made the drama even more intense, especially towards the middle), while the third act delivers a twist that switches the focus to the protagonists’ actions that cause their guilt, a development that some viewers might find more effective than others.

What massively helps the story though is the terrific performances by the leads; Wunmi Mosaku in particular makes it easy to form an emotional connection with Rial and be invested in her plight. 

His House may not be the scariest movie you will ever watch, but it offers a different take on a well-worn genre. You can’t help but empathize with the characters’ predicament as Weekes dissects prejudices, indifference, desperation, assimilation, and several other issues. This is, for the most part, a well-crafted, well-shot, and well-acted project that takes you on an interesting, engaging journey, and delivers horrors both supernatural and – even more harrowingly – very real.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 22nd November, 2020 *

Over the Moon - familiar but touching

movie review

Over the Moon

Starring (voices): Cathy Ang, Phillipa Soo, Ken Jeong, John Cho, Ruthie Ann Miles, Margaret Cho, Sandra Oh

Directed by: Glen Keane

Netflix made a successful foray into the world of animated features with the release of two terrific films – Klaus and The Willoughbys (both of which are highly recommended if you haven’t seen them yet) – within the span of months. The streaming service continues this trend with its latest animated movie, Over the Moon, a charming fantasy musical that is very likely to entertain its viewers.

The story’s heroine is the feisty Fei Fei (voiced by Cathy Ang) who grows up listening to her mother’s (Ruthie Ann Miles) renditions of legends about a Moon goddess named Chang’e (Phillipa Soo), a lonely immortal heartbroken over her lost mortal love. 

Fei Fei and her family live happily in their village where they make and sell mooncakes. But her mother’s illness and death soon bring sorrow to the youngster’s life. Four years later, when she finds out that her father (John Cho) plans to remarry, an upset Fei Fei decides to build a rocket to the Moon so that she can prove that Chang’e – and therefore true love – is real in the hopes that this will stop her father from starting a new family.

Her subsequent journey does not go quite as she had planned, but she eventually ends up learning the very lessons that she needed.

The build-up is sweet and touching, which makes it easy to care for the protagonist. The film does jump from its initial realistic setting to a fantasy-drenched follow-up, and while the transition is a little jarring, the bright and colourful visuals are still fun to watch. 

Despite its uneven tone, the warmth of the tale is sure to win you over. For the most part the drama is moving, even when the developments are either too convenient or just unclear. It is also good to see Asian representation in a mainstream release. Plus there are several (some would say too many!) lively sidekicks (including a possible step-brother (Robert G Chiu), a pangolin (Ken Jeong), and a cute pet bunny), and the tunes are enjoyable too.

Many of the film’s thematic elements, however, are familiar. Several movies by Disney and Pixar have explored the ideas of loss, overcoming grief, and embracing change. And while Over the Moon may not be as memorable or impactful as instant classics like Up and Coco (and even the recent Onward), it is still a heartfelt, touching, engaging episode that tries to keep you entertained from start to finish.

- By Sameen Amer

Young World, Dawn - 14th November, 2020 *