Ali Zafar


Ali Zafar (Urdu, Punjabi: علی ظفر) also known as Prince of Pop, is a Pakistani musician, actor, painter and model probably most noted around South Asia for his music, including his hit songs like "Channo", "Rangeen", "Chal Dil Merey", "Dekha", "Masty" and "Sajania". He started his singing career with his hit song "Jugnuon se bhar le aanchal" in the film Shararat directed by Pakistani actress and director Samina Peerzada.
Zafar recently won the "Youth Icon" award from the Lux Style Awards 2007, in Malaysia
Early life

Ali Zafar was born in Lahore, Pakistan to two professors who teach at Punjab University. He initially attended the C.A.A. Public School and later moved to the Beaconhouse School System from where he topped in his matric examinations. He later graduated from the National College of Arts as an artist in 2002 with honours. Ali Zafar has often spoken about his childhood battle with obesity and this is reflected in his song 'Pant-Shirt'.
Early career

Before entering the Pakistani musical scene, Ali Zafar worked as a model for several commercial advertisement besides acting in television. He worked in the Pakistani television serial Lunda-Bazar, Kanch Ke Par and in the teenage sitcom College Jeans (which was an immediate hit among youngsters). He was also in the music video of Preeto sung by Abrar-ul-Haq.

Music career

Ali Zafar made his debut as a musician with the album Huqa Pani, released in Pakistan in 2003 and worldwide in 2005. The album was an instant hit, selling over 600,000 worldwide and winning several major awards and nominations. It also put Ali into the league of the most popular artists ever to have come out of Pakistan with a massive fan following locally and internationally. It was described by [[Indians] as "take a Kishore Kumar-like voice, club it with yuppie Ibiza-ish electronic beats, and add a bit of nostalgic lyrics".

His comparison to Kishore Kumar has been frequently made; in one interview Zafar, asked about the vocal resemblance, remarked "you're the lucky hundredth person to tell me that".
Ali won award for "Best Album" category at the Lux Style Awards in 2004 for his massive hit album Huqa Pani. In addition to the album's popularity being reflected in the shops and by critics, it has been widely claimed that Himesh Reshammiya plagiarised one of the most well-known tracks from the album, Rangeen, for the song Dillagi Mein Jo .Soon Pritam too copied his track "Chhano" as "Choreen ki Baatein"(Fightclub).
Ali Zafar launched his second album "Masty" nationwide in Pakistan in November 2006. He has since released four tracks from the album called "Masty", "Sajania", "Dekha" and "Aasman". A press conference for the release of the album was held in Lahore. The album has been released by Fire Records.

Ali Zafar released his second album "Masty" in India in February 2007. The album contains two additional remix tracks and has been launched by "FrankFinn Records".

Ali recently released his third and long awaited single, "Dekha", off his second album, which was the most expensive music video of Pakistan costing more than seven million rupees but song was a failure on charts, video was shot in Malaysia, produced by the Lux Company, and has the famous Pakistani actresses/models, Reema Khan, Meera, and Amina Haq, starring in it.
Ali has a multitalented personality besides a singer, painter, model and an actor, he proved himself as a good music director and producer by directing and producing his music video "Ek Pal" from his first album Huqa Pani which was a big hit nationwide.

Awards
  • Indus Music Award 2005 - Best Pop Artist
  • Asian Bollywood Music Award 2005 - Best Pop Music Album in Pakistan
  • Indus Music Award 2004 - The Best Album
  • Indus Music Award 2004 - The Best Debut Artist
  • Lux Style Award 2004 - Best Music Album

"I had a dream. That dream became reality in 2003 with the huge success of my first album “Huqa Pani”. It was the fulfillment of that dream that made me realize that we only dream what is real. Nothing exists that can only be imagined and not achieved one day. It’s all about working hard and putting the right things at the right time in their right place. For this we’re nurtured with the appetite of hope. But I learned that it’s not only about working hard and putting the right things at the right time in their right place. It’s about Faith. The moment you lose it, it loses you. Your dreams start looking unreal, too big for you. In the course of working day and night on the album traveling to different studios in different countries working with all sorts of people, good and bad, nasty and nice, liars and honest ones, I sometimes almost dropped in disappointment and fatigue thinking to myself that it’s not worth it. But what kept me going was faith. Faith in God. This album is about that and the realization of our dreams that follows. If my music helps one single soul to accomplish his dream, my job is done. Love to all." - Ali Zafar

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