Pakistan
singer
Zafar
Ali,
who
is
making
his
debut
as
a
leading
man
with
Tere
Bin
Laden,
tells
us
that
whatever
he
has
achieved
till
now
has
been
only
due
to
talent
and
nothing
else
and
asserts
that
he
has
not
ever
been
subjected
to
the
syndrome
of
the
casting
couch
here
or
in
Pakistan.
What
made
a
popular
singer
like
you
to
take
up
the
offer
to
play
the
lead
in
a
Hindi
film
in
India?
As
a
singer,
you
crave
for
glory
but
once
you
get
what
you
seek
you
want
to
do
something
to
explore,
to
feel
excited
and
challenged
as
an
artistic
person.
I
feel
that
a
film
is
the
ultimate
medium
where
a
singer
also
gets
the
scope
to
dabble
with
creativity
in
a
bigger
way.
How
did
you
bag
the
role
of
Ali
Hassan
in
Tere
Bin
Ladan?
The
role
of
Ali
in
the
film
Tere
Bin
Laden
was
offered
to
me
by
director
Abhishek
Sharma
and
I
came
all
the
way
from
Pakistan
to
Mumbai
to
meet
the
director
but
look
at
my
bad
luck.
When
I
came
down
for
the
audition,
the
director
had
gone
to
Pakistan
and
it
was
producer
Aarti
who
took
my
audition.
Luckily,
I
passed
the
audition
when
Abhishek
came
down
to
Mumbai
and
saw
the
DVD.
How
did
you
prepare
for
your
part
in
the
film?
It
was
a
fantastic
experience
for
me
as
an
actor.
It
was
nice
on
the
part
of
my
producers
and
director
Abhishek
to
have
sent
me
to
attend
a
ten-day
workshop
with
none
other
than
Barry
John.
I
read
the
script
thoroughly
and
did
the
rehearsals
to
get
into
the
thought
process
of
my
character
in
Tere
Bin
Laden.
There
I
learnt
from
Barry
John
Sir
the
different
ways
to
execute
a
scene
by
looking
at
the
possibilities
within
the
periphery
of
the
script.
He
taught
me
to
go
out
of
my
comfort
zone
and
limitations
and
challenge
myself
as
an
actor.
Singing
has
its
own
level
of
thrills
but
I
want
to
do
more
films
now.
The
acting
bug
has
bitten
me
fully
after
my
stint
as
an
actor
in
Tere
Bin
Laden.
What
lured
you
to
say
yes
to
the
offer?
What
attracted
me
to
say
yes
to
the
offer
to
act
in
the
film
is
the
fact
that
the
subject
is
very
original
and
different,
jo
ab
tak
kahin
bhi
nahi
bani
hai.
It
is
a
film
which
is
hatke.
It
gave
me
a
big
high
that
the
director
had
thought
of
naming
his
character
as
Ali
Hassan
even
before
he
met
me.
I
enjoyed
working
with
actors
like
Pradyuman,
who
played
the
role
of
Osama
in
the
film,
Nikhil,
Rahul,
Piyush
Mishra
and
Sugandha
Garg.
You
aren"t
the
first
Pak
actor
to
make
his
presence
felt
in
Hindi
Cinema!
I
am
very
proud
of
the
fact
that
I
am
all
set
to
make
history
in
Indian
cinema
as
the
first
ever
Pakistani
actor
who
has
done
a
solo
lead
in
a
film.
All
the
other
actors
from
Pakistan,
whether
it
was
Jawed
Shaikh
or
Nadeem
or
for
that
matter
Muammar
Rana,
have
only
done
supporting
roles
in
Indian
films.
I
have
been
lucky
enough
to
have
been
singled
out
to
play
the
main
lead
in
an
Indian
film.
In
Pakistan
the
film
industry
has
to
be
revived.
Nadeem
is
seen
more
on
TV
than
in
films.
There
are
also
actresses
like
Monalisa,
Umayma
and
Reema.
Tell
me
about
your
role
in
Tere
Bin
Laden!
The
role
of
Ali
Hassan
in
Tere
Bin
Laden
is
that
of
a
go
getter
who
does
not
like
to
quit.
I
play
a
reporter
from
a
news
channel
whose
mission
in
life
is
to
work
for
a
top
American
TV
channel.
Ali
Hassan"s
application
for
visa
gets
rejected
and
he
thinks
of
a
sinister
plan.
He
becomes
a
look
alike
of
Osama.
He
tries
to
get
visa
as
an
impersonator.
I
could
identify
this
character
a
lot
with
my
off-screen
character
because
like
Ali
Hassan
in
the
film,
I
am
also
after
my
goal.
The
only
difference
between
Ali
Hassan
and
me
is
that
Ali
is
a
street
smart
guy
who
does
not
mind
making
ulloo
of
people
and
the
whole
world
to
achieve
what
he
wants,
in
real
life
people
make
ulloo
of
me
as
Zafar
Ali.
How
did
you
find
Abhishek
as
a
director?
It
is
difficult
to
make
a
film
without
a
heroine
and
yet
make
it
very
interesting.
Abhishek
is
much
focused,
passionate
about
his
work,
intelligent
and
knows
his
job
and
also
a
little
crazy.
To
his
credit,
Abhishek
Sharma
has
succeeded
in
making
it
so
interesting
that
you
would
not
even
feel
that
there
is
no
heroine
or
for
that
matter
a
romantic
track
in
the
film.
When
I
heard
the
subject
for
the
first
time,
even
I
did
not
feel
the
necessity
of
a
heroine
opposite
me
in
the
film.
It
is
very
difficult
to
make
a
comedy
film.
I
feel
that
as
an
actor,
if
you
do
a
comedy
with
knowledge
of
timing,
you
can
do
any
kind
of
a
role
including
the
rona
dhona
kind
of
emotional
role.
As
far
as
Tere
Bin
Laden
is
concerned,
I"d
say
that
there
are
also
some
serious
and
poignant
moments
in
the
film.
We
shot
for
the
film
in
a
span
of
forty
days
in
Mumbai
and
Hyderabad.
Who
are
the
actors
in
India
who
have
inspired
you
a
lot?
My
favorite
actors
are
Dilip
Kumar,
Aamir
Khan,
Boman
Irani,
Amitabh
Bachchan,
Naseeruddin
Shah,
Shabana
Azmi,
Tabu,
Kajol
etc.
My
favorite
directors
are
Rajkumar
Hirani,
Karan
Johar
and
Farhan
Akhtar.
Singing
or
acting,
which
is
would
you
consider
your
first
love?
It
is
very
hard
to
choose.
If
I
let
go
anyone
of
the
two
–
acting
and
singing,
I"d
feel
as
if
I
am
letting
a
part
of
me
go
away
from
me.
Till
date,
I
have
come
up
with
two
albums
–
'Hukka
Paani" and
'Masti".
I
had
not
only
written
and
composed
but
also
sung
all
the
songs
in
both
my
albums.
My
next
album
as
a
singer
will
be
a
Sufiana
album
titled
'Jhoom".
Is
it
true
that
your
songs
have
been
copied
in
India
by
top
music
directors?
My
song
Rangeen
Hai
was
copied
by
Himesh
Reshammiya
and
passed
off
as
his
own
song
in
Dillagi
Mein
Jo
Beet
Jaaye
and
my
song
Channon
Ki
Aankhon
Mein
was
copied
as
Chori
Ki
Bathe
Meethi
Chori
in
the
film
Fight
Club
by
music
director
Preetam.
I
did
not
raise
any
objection
or
ask
for
any
legal
compensation
because
my
philosophy
is
'love
and
not
fight".
I
feel
that
love
is
better
than
hatred.
Even
Gandhiji
had
taught
the
virtues
of
tolerance
and
patience.
Sufism
also
teaches
you
to
tolerate
all
religions.
I
have
always
believed
that
forces
of
good
will
prevail
over
all
forces
of
evil,
whether
now
or
later.
Considering
the
fact
that
you
are
young
and
handsome,
did
you
have
to
go
through
the
syndrome
of
the
casting
couch
to
get
where
you
have
reached?
Whatever
I
have
achieved
till
now
is
only
due
to
talent
and
nothing
else.
Frankly,
I
have
not
ever
been
subjected
to
the
syndrome
of
the
casting
couch
whether
here
or
in
Pakistan.
I
would
not
say
that
it
does
not
exist.
Hota
hoga
wahan
bhi
lekin
main
iske
bare
mein
bilkul
kuch
bhi
nahi
jaanta
hoon.