Ever since last year’s Coke Studio brought him into the spotlight, Asrar has been carving a niche for himself in the local music industry. His powerful, raw vocals and Sufic inclination make him one of the most interesting new artists of the current generation. It’s not surprising that his talent recently landed him a gig across the border, for one of the most controversial films coming out of Bollywood this month, the Saif Ali Khan-Katrina Kaif starrer Phantom. Sung by Asrar, the song “Afghan Jalebi” from the movie has managed to make headlines not only for its jiggy beat but also for the fact that this is one dance number that doesn’t see sexy Kat shake a leg. In fact, she doesn’t do more than pout at the screen as she walks around, covered head to toe, amongst a group of dancers
During an interview with an Indian website, Asrar revealed that to be the very reason he agreed to do the song. “The best part was that the song did not objectify women and that’s one of the reasons why I agreed to do it. I believe that when you praise someone’s beauty, you are automatically praising the creator,” said Asrar.
Phantom, directed by Kabir Khan, focuses on the aftermath of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai and is being deemed a political thriller along the same lines as Khan’s earlier offerings such as Ek Tha Tiger and New York. It is already creating waves for its controversial subject matter that points a finger at Pakistan and there seems to be little likelihood of the film getting a green light from the local censors. Will it be a typical masala action flick spouting jingoism or will it show some depth at tackling the subject of terrorism? We’ll have to wait to find out.
