Singer and actor Junaid Khan talks to Instep about Call’s anthem for Peshawar Zalmi, his passion for music and upcoming TV projects.
Junaid Khan’s story is inextricably linked to the story of Lahore-based music group, Call. They made their debut in 2005 with the record Jilawatan and followed it up with a second album, Dhoom, five years later. After splitting in 2012, the band finally reunited forces and was seen delivering a solid performance on Pepsi Battle of the Bands last year.
Now the same group is back with a new song as Pakistan Super League’s third edition continues to take place in the UAE before coming home to Karachi for the final.
While the likes of Ali Zafar and Shehzad Roy have released their own PSL tunes, Call (featuring Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan, M. Sultan Raja and Junaid Khan) have created an anthem for the PSL team, Peshawar Zalmi, which counts Mahira Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi as its ambassadors.
“We have come up with a unique track for Peshawar Zalmi. It’s a mix of the traditional Pashto beat, blended with Call’s alternative rock style,” said Junaid Khan, lead vocalist of the music group, in an exclusive interview with Instep. “‘Hum Zalmi’ is actually a battle cry. Before going into a battle, the Pakhtoons would perform the Attan dance and a modification of that stomp has been incorporated in the anthem too. The entire motive behind the track is to motivate the players.”
Addressing rumours about the band making a comeback through this song, Junaid explained, “Yes, many people are claiming that, but Call (the band) reunited almost 4 years ago and we re-released a video of the song ‘Teri Haar’ from our second album Dhoom, celebrating our 15 years in the industry. However, ‘Hum Zalmi’ is the first video after our reunion.”
Junaid continues to be a part of Call but in the last several years, he has also made a name for himself as an actor.
Be it Sun Yaara or one of his favourite TV projects Ye Mera Deewanapan Hai or his plays Silsilay, Aadat and Ishq Tamasha that are currently on air, Junaid has proven with time that he is a versatile actor. “Television has a great viewership. Hence, it seems that I am more on TV, which is true to some extent, as music has been quite slow in the past few years,” he continued. “Music was always happening on the sides like I did the soundtracks for serials like Natak and Sun Yaara. Music was always there but slightly in the backseat.”
According to the singer-actor, since reuniting, Call has been so occupied with performances that neither of the three members could make time to compose. But all that is changing since they have a new project in the pipeline.
“There is a really exciting project that we are working on that would be released on March 23. It is a national song. We are excited about it because it is one of the anthems that we really believe in. It is strong and it has a traditional Call style and we have done it with our heart and soul. So, I’m sure our audience will love it and enjoy it. Apart from that we have a national tour lined up and lots of exciting things coming up,” said the front-man.
Talking about acting and singing and what it is like working in the two mediums, Junaid noted, “As far as acting is concerned, I think you are an empty canvas for the director, he shapes you into the character that you are essaying and the writer puts words in your mouth. And you work accordingly. In music, you write about your own emotions and feelings and express it through lyrics or instruments. Music is your own expression while acting is what you make out of the writer and director’s vision. So, if you ask me, I prefer singing more than acting as there is freedom of expression.”
He added: “Even though it is tough to manage both singing and acting, music is my passion and whenever my music calls me I make sure that I am there for it. Music is my true calling.”
With the new wave of Pakistani cinema upon us, when asked whether his fans will see him on the big screen anytime soon, Junaid revealed, “I am still waiting for the right script and the right team to work with. I don’t believe in making a half-hearted attempt on the big screen.”
As far as Junaid Khan’s future projects are concerned, there are two TV plays that he is currently working on. One is titled Khasara in which he is co-starring alongside Sarwat Gillani, Sonia Mishal and Mikaal Zulfiqar. The second serial is called Thais in which the singer-actor will co-star alongside Hira Mani.
In terms of upcoming music projects, after the Peshawar Zalmi song, Junaid will soon be seen in a music video alongside his band, which is slated to release on March 23.
“As a band, we have had a long journey, which we have thoroughly enjoyed and still loving. We are really excited about this song.”
