NEW DELHI: Amid calls for a ban on Pakistani artists from working in the Indian film industry, composer Vipin Patwa, who has worked with the Pakistani singers such as Atif Aslam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, says music has become global and talent is beyond nationality.
Last year, Patwa had to fight to keep Rahat’s song Rog Jaane in the film Laali Ki Shadi Mein Laddoo Deewana. A year later, he is back with a collection of songs, some of which have been sung by Pakistani singers Aslam and Javed Bashir.
As to what makes him look for talent in Pakistan instead of India, Patwa replied, “We are living in 2018 and music has become global. Moreover, talent is beyond nationality. And let’s not forget that be it music, story or casting of a film, all decisions are taken collectively by a number of people and not a single person.”
In February, politician Babul Supriyo had asked for a ban on Pakistani artists working in Bollywood. He had also objected to the inclusion of Khan’s voice in Welcome To New York.
Back in 2016, due to cross-border India-Pakistan tension, some Indian political outfits imposed a ban on Pakistanis. A few Pakistani theatres also pulled down Indian movies from their big screens.
The ban came after the September 18, 2016 terror attack that killed almost 20 Indian soldiers in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir.
Does Patwa think it was a good decision to get Aslam and Bashir on board, especially after the producer of the film Daas Dev said that Aslam had refused to promote the song Sehmi Hai Dhadkan?
The composer stated, “Aslam was taken on board because his voice matched the character of the song. The decision was taken way before the controversy started. It’s a coincidence that this controversy has started at the time of my music launch. Which artist wouldn’t want to promote his work? If Aslam has taken this decision, there must be some reason behind it.”
When questioned if there were any talks to remove their songs from the film, Patwa explained, “Removing an artist’s song merely on the basis of some controversy is the worst and most disrespectful thing. It takes a lot of effort and pain to create a song. I had specially flown to Dubai just to record the song.”
However, Bashir travelled to India almost two years ago to record Tain To Uttey. Patwa also mentioned that Bashir, like Aslam, might also get affected by the same controversy. However, he would like the audience to be the judge for that.
Patwa feels that he has always worked as a bridge between the two nations. “If my small efforts can bring two nations together, I would love to be a part of such projects. Moreover, I grew up listening to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan saab and Mehdi Hasan saab. Can you ask people to stop listening to their songs? You can’t because music is beyond boundaries,” shared the composer.
