He came, he sang and he conquered. 2004 was the arrival of Atif Aslam. 2006 was the year of Doorie and once again, it was Atif who the crowds screamed for the entire year. Come 2008 and the unprecedented superstar of music is back with a new video and an album to boot.
The marketing for Meri Kahani reminds one of the days of Doorie. The video aired with promos in tow and one day (Saturday night to be precise) the album was out. But this time, the shock value was less. In these strangely grim times, press conferences for album releases don't just happen. And even if they do, like Jal's press conference in Lahore for Boondh, they aren't noticed as the nation gears up for elections. Benazir Bhutto's assassination has put a damper on all things and it will take time for things to return to normal, but the release of Atif Aslam's Meri Kahani will help.Atif's album release has thrown everything into a tizzy. His fans are storming shops for copies of Meri Kahani. And it is supremely interesting is to see how many of Atif's fans have reacted to this comeback. When Instep Today searched for reactions to the new video, one came across Pakstop forums and this time around, fans are not pleased with the video. Quite a few of them anyway.
Zoi A has written on Pakstop forums, "I love the song, simply awesome but unfortunately another poor video."
Nitin, another regular writer on the forum states, "It's true that the video is kind of boring and looks Indianised a lot. I mean there was no need for the girl in video no matter how pretty she is! I guess it would have been better if the video was shot with Atif looking back and kids running around and doing all that Atif is doing here."
These forums are delightful and sometimes very snide. After these two critical opinions, one also finds those who favour the new video and love the song.
Jasam1928 has stated, "At least the video suits the song. What more do you guys expect?" Obviously a diehard Atif Aslam loyalist.
Then there is Arsalan, who is disappointed from the video as well as the song. He said, "It's not that interesting. Atif has lost his touch, though the nasal vocals have not been used as much in this song."
Abid has stated that "Atif is again betrayed by Indian directors" while Jasoos is of the view that the song is strictly average while the video is poor.
But despite all this, Atif mania is clearly going strong. On Atif's homepage, the forum is filled with fans, who are extremely pleased with this comeback and can't wait to grab a copy of the new record. Once Meri Kahani is heard by the majority, the inevitable comparison between Atif and Jal will begin. And it will be a close contest, and then there are other factors.
Atif Aslam's album is the first major release of 2008 and we all know how pervasive Atif mania is, but if things go as planned, this year will give him some fierce competition. There are some exceptional albums lined up that will give him a run for his money. They include Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's Charkha, Strings' Dhoop and Ali Azmat's Klashnifolk. And then there are the long-awaited debuts of Zeb and Haniya and Kaavish as well as the new Fuzon album (with Rameez Mukhtar on vocals). For right now, fans just can't wait to get their hands on the copy of Meri Kahani.
And speaking of the album, one must mention that open the CD and the first things that falls out is a booklet of LG phones. Atif has been endorsing LG phones in print and television advertisements as well as on billboards. But the booklet with the album seems like a bit much.
Now it has become a norm for bands to be endorsed by brands. Jal has a little logo of Warid on their album cover while Atif has LG. Both Abrar and Ali Zafar endorse Telenor and hence, have been singing tunes in their advertisements. There is always a good reason behind all this. The advertisements and the brands plug money into the artist, which helps them making moolah. With the current political situation in chaos, concerts have taken a sideline. Endorsements provide finance to the artist and sometimes even back their videos by investing in them. It is a vicious cycle. But a line has to be drawn somewhere. And Atif has perhaps (inadvertently or otherwise) crossed it. Imagine opening the CD with excitement and what do you find? A booklet on LG mobiles! It somehow takes away from the excitement of a rebellious rock star's new album.
For now, grab a copy of Meri Kahani and decide for yourself! And do watch this space for more twists and turns on Atif's kahani.
Atif's "Meri Kahani" doesn't look as good as it sounds
Atif Aslam needs to loosen the purse strings and spend on his music videos. And if he doesn't feel compelled enough to do so, then he should encourage his over-eager sponsors (who have tucked little promo booklets in his album CDs) to do so. Big stars have big images to deal with and they should invest in cultivating images as big as their fans expect them to. Atif Aslam, who is undoubtedly the biggest pop sensation in Pakistan these days, needs to realize that.
His first track from his album of the same name – Meri Kahani – has hit music channels and while the song has a catchy pop-beat to it, the video is yet another disaster. Reminiscing precious moments of his growing up years, the song appears to be a cross between Jagjit Singh's "Kaghaz Ki Kashti" and Ali Haider's "Purani Jeans". The video unfortunately is a sad cross between the videos of his own "Ehsaas" and "Hum Kiss Gali". There is no creative brilliance, or even any creative mediocrity here. The video is a huge let down.
Here once again, we see the singer walking around with his guitar. There are clips of his childhood that match the lyrics and then there appears the quintessential Atif-type model: a buxom babe running around in a 'corn' field. If this were America she would be blonde and nude. But since this is Pakistan (an Indianized version of Pakistan to be exact), she has long hair and is middle aged. Yes, again! Visually, it's as if Atif's stumbled out of "Ehsaas" and straight into the video of "Hum Kiss Galli" via a couple of childhood memories. A thought provoking video this does not make!
One can't help but compare it to Jal's "Sajni", being played constantly these days. Though the lifted snippets of the beast are undesirable (as they are lifted and not originally shot), the video has a wonderfully imaginative air to it. Juggun looks lovely, the band looks well groomed and the shots are slick. There is a 'Beauty and the Beast' theme going in the song which works very well. Ditto for Hashim's "My Moment". The west may have explored digital enhancement but it is still a novelty in Pakistan. And the artiste's eagerness to invest in pushing the envelope impresses.
One wishes the same could be said of Atif Aslam.
source: www.pakvibes.com
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