INSTEP Magzine


popidol Will the real Atif Aslam please stand up! The Atif Aslam Look Alike Sing Alike contest got a phenomenal response. Atif Aslam himself turned up for the finale in the flesh. It was an idea that put a whole new spin on Pakistan's talent. By Saba Sartaj K

Live studio recordings are tough, to do and to watch. It's never easy on one's backside, but then, it all depends on who is performing and how they are doing so. If it's your favourite music/film or drama artist, it makes it seem like one long, fun and thrill packed joy ride. For the hordes of school and college going youngsters, witnessing the recording of the Atif Aslam Look Alike Sing Alike contest organized by the music channel Aag and to be in such close proximity to their favorite singing sensation was just that. The energy in the studio was electric and tangible, reaching the height of madness once Atif made an appearance (a good two hours late of course, but then, better late then a no show.) Back in the dressing room, the Look alike Sing alike boys were rushing back and forth, getting into outfits that Atif's brother Shahbaz Aslam had designed for them and practicing their singing. Shahbaz designs all of Atif's clothes and oversees the Atif look that has become such a sensation. And the Atif look-alikes were trying to emulate that in the cutest of ways.

Some were already developing diva like attitudes and trying to throw their weight around, which was sweet yet disturbing. "What did you just call me?" said contestant Fatehyab vehemently, to one poor soul who mistakenly called him Fat-ah-yab. "My name is Fa-teh-yab, Fa-TEH-yab!" he exclaimed. He had made his point, no one messed that up again. He knew he had what it took and he knew it all too well. Wearing a grey suit jacket, paired with jeans, a white shirt and a black tie, he was spot on with the Atif look. Now it remained to be seen whether his singing abilities came anywhere near Atif's.

The mix of boys, whose ages varied from a tender 18 to 22, was an interesting one. Fatehyab Rehman, Gibran Siddiqui, Mustafa Mehtab, Talha Aslam and Muhammad Atif were the lucky five to have made it to the top. Talking to them made one realize how big a star Atif Aslam really is and what an impact he has on the youngsters of our country. Atif Aslam is a phenomenon. He commands a cult following that is devotional and has these kids looking up to him like they do to no one else. He is the Imran Khan and the Nazia Hassan of out times. Breaking records, creating a mammoth fan fare and making music history like Pakistan has never seen before. One could argue that the colossal media revolution has a big hand to play in this, nevertheless, credit should be given where it is due. Though criticized for being off key by one too many critics, Atif Aslam has proved he is a force to reckon with. His consistency, spot on album releases and energetic live performances have made him the darling of the majority.

"I cannot contain my happiness and excitement," said the 18 year old keyed up contestant Mustafa Mehtab. "I've loved to sing since childhood but ever since Atif has come to the limelight and ever since I saw a live performance of his, I have found some direction in my life. I am his biggest fan and to be here today and sing for him and like him, is a feeling I cannot put into words. People often tell me I look and sing like Atif and that is an absolute honour for me. I am here today to prove just that!" he exclaims. All the boys were very excited, very confident and very talented. They were amateurs and their performances must be commended. The show, hosted by the ravishing VJ Mahira Khan, was broken down into three segments. The first was a modeling sequence where all the boys were introduced to the audience with an interesting fashion show concept with them walking the ramp and posing. Perhaps this was not the best way to introduce them, since the boys were inexperienced and walking the ramp can be an unnerving. However, the fact that this was coupled with short docus about the boys (like American Idol) made it interesting. These were played on large TV screens and through them we saw the look-alikes singing for the first time and got to know their family and friends that gave us insight into their backgrounds.

Fatehyab Rehman, a nineteen year old student of B.Com realized he could sing three years back while he was singing an Atif number into the mirror, freshly inspired by him after his phenomenal hit Aadat. "I can easily say that I am one of Atif's biggest fans and many people keep telling me I look and sound like him. I want to pursue a career in music and I hope people will like my voice. I am confident I will win this contest," he said assertively. His body language and his attitude already scream 'ATTITUDE!' and one could not help but notice how brilliantly he had designed his outfit which made him look every bit an Atif clone. Mustafa Mehtab at the age of eighteen claims he was born to be a singer. "I love to sing and I've been singing since I was a child," he says. "But it was Atif's music and success that gave me direction. People have often told me I look and sing like him and that is what gave me the confidence to take part in this contest once it was announced. I am very excited and inshallah I will win," he added. He was the closest it got to the Atif Look-alike so it was interesting to await whether he managed to pull off the singalike or not.

Gibran Siddiqui at a mere 22 was the eldest there. He is an English literature student at the Karachi University and is a die hard Atif Aslam fan. "I've been playing Atif songs regularly in school and at family events and everyone has always really praised my voice. Atif has created such a hype amongst the youngsters and we all are avid listeners of his songs. His voice quality is brilliant and I've been practicing religiously to try and match it," he says. His mother has been his guiding star throughout and encouraged him to take part in the contest. It was endearing to see her there in the audience, supporting and cheering on her son. Mohammad Atif is the first to actually have 'classically trained' under his belt. A bathroom singer, this young man started taking classical music training from Guru Nand Lal about a year ago. True to most classical singers, Mohd Atif is shy and very soft spoken. His Guru encouraged him to take part in the contest after he saw his protégé sing and sound like Atif. "I've been to most of Atif's concerts and have been trying to emulate his style of singing for quite sometime. He has a fabulous voice and his style is so unique. I want to be unique like him. I wanted to be a classical singer, but Atif inspired me to turn to pop. No one has told me that I look like Atif but people keep telling me I sound like him," he said honestly. "I don't know if I will win but I'm going to try my best. All the boys here are very talented and if either win I will be happy. My job is to just try my best. The rest is upto god." And finally, Talha Aslam, another B.Com student studying at Sir Syed University, takes his music very seriously. He is another contestant who has had prior training from a classical ustaad and is very anxious to keep his 'sur' intact. It his his biggest worry he says. "I will concentrate on my sur, because I know it will be very difficult for me to keep in sur while I dance and move around on stage," he said seriously. "I was blown away the first time I went to an Atif concert and heard him sing 'Aadat'. That has been his best song till date. Ever since that day, I started learning the lyrics to his songs and started singing them whenever I got a chance. I have my own style and I try to being my own touch into his songs which you will see when I perform." The Atif look-alikes were a fascinating bunch, all individuals in there own right and the brief Q and A round which followed made it all even more interesting. Atif and his brother Shahbaz Aslam, asked them questions where it became evident, with the lack of maturity with most of the contestants handled the questions, that they were of a young age! They were either sweet or brash. The most interesting was Mustafa Mehtab. Atif asked him what he would do if a girl ever rejected him, to which he replied brashly," I would tell her to get lost!" Throwing the audience totally off guard. Atif did however, give him a piece of advice and told him that this attitude would not take him too far in life. The second segment saw them dancing to Atif's tunes with girls who, quite frankly looked like their mothers, but then so do the girls in Atif's videos so one could easily say 'SPOT ON' again for the organisers! With the crowd going wild, hooting and dancing, it was an experience these boys would cherish for a lifetime. The third segment was the most important segment where the contestants had to meet the ultimate challenge, look and sing like Atif. First came Fatehyab with last year hit 'Doorie'. With his confidence, great voice and brilliant dance moves, he nailed! Second came Gibran with 'Rabba Sacchian'. The energy and the confidence he brought to the stage was insurmountable. Though he forgot the lyrics at times, he proved to be a real performer as he head banged his way into the audiences hearts. For Atif Aslam, the performance was just "fantastic". Third came Mohammad Atif with his version of 'Mahiya' which was not taken too well by the audience and Atif. He seemed too conscious of himself and that left his voice a bit strained throughout. Talha Aslam came next with 'Mahi Veh'. He was nervous and trying too hard to emulate Atif which left him unable to fully concentrate on his performace and his voice, which was totally drowned out by the music. Mustafa Mehtab came last singing 'Pehli Nazar'. This boy looked and sounded uncannily like Atif Aslam but was another case of trying too hard. He was so busy trying to look like Atif and act like Atif that he missed some cues and forgot to concentrate on his voice. Back in the dressing room, where one heard him singing and practicing, one could have easily thought he would come out the winner but his performance on stage was a bit of a disappointment. Atif judged them fairly. He wasn't harsh yet he gave them constructive feedback. He was the sweet yet fair Paula Abdul of American Idol. He sensed that some of the boys were a little nervous and could not perform to their full potential due to that. He told them to be confident and self assured. "Don't feel bad. It's your first time on stage and everyone gets a little nervous the first time. I did and I can tell you its not easy," he said empathetically. "You should try and be confident. We are all the same. Nobody here is anything great. You have nothing to be nervous about, even I was just like you once not very long ago. I have been in your place and I know how it feels. Just relax and let your talent flow," he added. One must hand it to Atif, he really did help those boys ease out on stage. Having stood there for 4 hours, the audience was now getting restless and wanted a performance by their heartthrob Atif Aslam who then came and rendered the wonderfully serene 'Pehli Nazar Mein'. It was the ultimate icing on the cake. The verdict was out soon enough. The winner, as expected, was Gibran Siddique. The boy who fought with the lyrics yet gave a steller performance and had a great stage presence. Everyone was pleased with the outcome. The boys hugged and Gibran cried tears of joy as he went home with a new LG phone and a branded guitar. All ended on a lovely note for the contestants and the audience, who could easily stand their all night staring and listening to their favourite star Atif Aslam, went home in a trance like daze. What was a bit disappointing was the fact that after working so hard over the past three months, singing, practicing and making videos, the contestants' short lived dream came to an abrupt end. The winner went home with just an LG phone and a guitar. It would have been nice to see him get a small contract of sorts from a record company, giving him a chance to learn and grow as a singer. "It was not supposed to become this big. We started out with the idea that we would just air their videos and packages on television and the audience would nominate a winner through sms'es," Wajahat Rauf, the head of Aag, told Instep . "But when we got such a phenomenal response and hundreds of applications, we thought we could do something more with this. We never planned to offer anyone a contract," he added. Fair enough! It was indeed an interesting concept and to take to this level in such a short time span was a commendable effort. It would be interesting to see if this concept is taken ahead and turned into something on the lines of American Idol. The show is a hit and there is enough talent in our country for more initiatives like this. The Atif Look Alike Sing Alike contest was a great platform for these boys to present their talent to the country. And to watch so many young people come out and literally worship Atif Aslam was an eye opening experience. Talking to Atif, one realized that he himself is not aware of the kind of following he has. "This is absolutely amazing. I really did not expect this," he said. "It is a great concept but it should have been just Atif Sing-alike and not Look-alike. It is nice to know these boys are following my music so much but it would be great for them to develop their own styles and voices," said the star. And ultimately, Atif hit the nail on the head. These boys will never make it as musicians if they emulate Atif. They have to discover their own unique voice. Here's hoping that meeting and interacting with a superstar who said he was "once just like them" helps them do that. The finale of the Atif Aslam Look Alike Sing Alike contest will air in the last week of May on Aag.