Provinces of Pakistan Balochistan People belonging to Singer It has been 60 years since Akhtar Channal Zehri entered the world of art. However, he gained fame in 1990 with the popular song ‘Dane Peh Dana’ which is still as popular as ever.
These days, Akhtar Chanal Zehri arrived here to participate in the International Cultural Fair in Karachi, so we planned to talk to him about folk music, his memories and especially the Afghan Jalebi sung in the Bollywood film Phantom.
Sitting in front of them, he began to turn away from the past. Recalling the past, he said that at the age of 13 he did a concert in Mastung city in 1964, then joined Radio Pakistan in 1973 and Pakistan Television in 1974.
However, he gained fame in 1990 with the popular folk song ‘Dane Pe Dana’.
Recalling the past, he said: ‘A close relative of mine in my native Kalat asked me to listen to a song sung by a faqir. I liked the song but it was not in the form we sing. He was in another form so I said that’s great.’
He further said that he got an idea from this song and started writing it.
‘As if it were an anthem in reference to Balochistan, the scene may say Balochistan. In it there are mountains, waterfalls, shepherds, wealth and cattle, Peer Faqir, Abdal, Ghos and Qutb, I have combined all these and also talked about it with reference to my book Qalat Noori Nasir Khan.
‘Allah willing it became very popular and then I changed its form and the poetry too, but I will call it Takbandi not poetry.’ Akhtar Chanal Zehri sang this song for the first time on TV.
He said that the song became so popular that people of Sindh culture invited him to Karachi and his concert was held. He was then included in the entourage for America and the song later earned him the Presidential Medal of Excellence, which was awarded to him in 1998.
Akhtar Chanal Zehri said that once Benazir Bhutto also took him to London with her and Asif Ali Zardari was also with her in this trip.
Remembering Benazir Bhutto, he said that once there was a program in the President’s House. Farooq Leghari was the president at that time. I was in Baloch costume and Bibi Sahib and Laghari Sahib were standing and talking. So I was passing by and he pointed at me that you know Mr. Laghari. He shook his head that he did not know, then she was angry, this is the artist of your nation, then he is the artist of Bhutto Sahib and you do not know him, so Leghari Sahab felt ashamed.
Few people know that the song Afghan Jalebi, filmed on Katrina Kaif in the popular Bollywood film Phantom, was previously sung by Akhtar Chanal. The film featured a song sung by Asrar, but T-Series also released a song sung by Akhtar Chanal, which became a hit.
About this he said that ‘I was doing a program in Islamabad and I got a call. There was a doctor, now I don’t even remember the name. He said that Akhtar Bhai is in need of you. There is a film in which you will sing a song. I said ok, then he said that it is an Indian film. He didn’t even tell me the name.
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He said that he is Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan in this film, so I said that I am not a playback singer. I am a folk artist. I am among the independent singers. You find someone else. He said no, the filmmaker has said something special. I just said ok if they say I will go. I came to Lahore from Islamabad to his studio. He sang the song Afghan Jalebi. I said the style is very good. The lyrics were a little messed up, so I said I can’t sing it because I’m a Muslim and there’s a word in it, ‘Ek Noor Nabi’, which I object to.’ Later this word was replaced by ‘Ik Hoor Bani’.
He further said that ‘Afghan brothers like this song very much, they ask me to sing it, but I don’t sing it.’
I told them not to release this song. He didn’t use it in the film, but he did it in audio on YouTube, and it became very popular.’
Apart from this, Akhtar Chanal Zehri has done a Bollywood film Mirzia in which he had three songs. The film was inspired by the story of Mirza Sahiban, the title song of which was also sung by Akhtar Chanal Zehri, and Chakura in particular was very popular.
About his trip to Coke Studio, he said that one day when he was visiting America with Zeb and Hania, Zeb told Rohail Hayat on the phone that ‘Akhtar Sahib missed the song, so he said that Akhtar Chanal Zehri is to be found. They were, we don’t find them anymore. So that’s the way to come back and work with them.’
Akhtar Chanal Zahri said that his language is Brahvi, which is the only language of Pakistan belonging to the Daravi language group and he also sings in his own language.
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#success #story #Baloch #artist #sang #Dane #Dana
