But then there is another side to Xulfi. His mood swings are legendry and so is his knack of being blunt, overbearing, a control freak and bossy. His war of words with a local scribe over his directed music video 'Shayad' in print and then on the purpose of rock music with Humaira Arshad on TV were also fresh in my mind and I awaited sarcastic remarks on my profession, the half baked knowledge of my peers and a long spiel on tone-deaf journalists giving out reviews. Surprisingly there were none and I relished my disappointment.

"Besides, 'Laaree Chootee' is not a love song unlike most exported songs. I have always been an advocate of strong and meaningful lyrics and I don't think I would ever compromise on that."

'Laaree Chootee' doesn't only come as a first for the band in the Indian foray but also as Xulfi as a full fledged singer. Why didn't Junaid sing the song?

"Why people are surprised seeing me sing is beyond me," Xulfi laughs. "In EP's time, I sang in 'Waqt', and 'Aghosh'. And I'm there in 'Bichar Kai Bhee's backing vocals, and on the main vocals in the interlude of 'Soch'. It was about time I sang a complete song!" He sobers up, "But seriously speaking, Junaid perfectly understands what kind of songs suits our voices. Generally Call's songs have a rock tinge, hence he is the normal choice. The melody that I composed for 'Laaree Chootee' however needed a softer treatment to it. On hearing it the first time, the Junaid and Sultan unanimously suggested my voice would suit it."

So would we be seeing more of Xulfi on the mike?

"I definitely hope so!" He adds cheekily, "See, I have always been composing melodies that other people have sung. Most of EP's album was done like that. So don't be surprised if I am singing a complete song again"' True to Bollywood style, a remix version has been made of the song depriving it of its depth. Should this be digested as a requirement to gain regional recognition?

"Bollywood has undoubtedly become the next platform for any aspiring regional singer. Our music scene, in itself, is not an international scene at the moment. That will take time. So, its only logical to gain international recognition through Bollywood," he sighs.

"And, yes it is a fact that in order to appeal to the Indian masses, you have to let go of some of your creative control. India parties all night long to remixes. What they hear at parties stays in their heads which they hum all day long. And what they hum, has a chance of becoming a hit."

Xulfi has his beliefs, but he also has a calculated understanding of the music business in Pakistan and an understanding on the Indian dynamic when it comes to getting Pakistani music to a wider audience.India not only brings good exposure but also puts a floodlight on the disparities in technicality, professionalism and appreciation of talent between the two countries.

"Well there are disparities but the core problem lies that in Pakistan, music isn't considered a profession. I had gone to the passport office to renew my passport and the concerned person there asked me about my profession. I told him I am a musician. He said "Apna profession batayen janab, shoq naheen". That's how it is, sad but true," Xulfi winces. "Clear this problem up, I'm sure the disparities would slowly and gradually diminish."

A week after release and 'Laree Chootee' was already ripped, this time funnily as a tribute to Bob Woolmer and Inzi. While the lyrics 'Qismat Ka Khel Hai Sara' befits the chain of events in the cricket world, but the Abhay Deol monologue is however off tangent.

The song being adapted for a tribute may be hilarious but it cloaks a serious dilemma of intangible presence of copyrights in the country protecting the artist's sole ownership of the song and royalties be paid whenever his song is played or redone.

"Sole ownership, protection etc are all terms that are used and applied in a country where music is an 'industry'," Xulfi sighs. "Until and unless, our music industry evolves from being a 'so called industry' to a real one, where an artist can survive just on the airplay and the sales of his/her music, and not just earning through concerts or using his contacts to earn deals with major corporates, I do not believe that there will be any protection or ownership laws coming into play. Here, lump sum deals with record labels are in vogue, and royalty based deals are rare. The artist eventually is earning nothing through the sales of his/her music most of the times. Even if he signs a royalty based deal with a record label, the chances of his sales figures being even 50 per cent correct are scarce as the piracy rate is so intense that one cannot do anything to stop it."

He shakes his head.

"I remember my album being in the market two days before its release. So if an artist is not really earning through his own music's sales in our country, then it's an impossible proposition that he gets royalties."
So who do we thrust the blame on? Xulfi sits up straighter.

"The music scene itself is to be blamed as no musician in the peak phases of his/her career has ever thought of standing up for the implementation of the copyright laws. Our music scene was pretty nascent with no central controlling powers at that time and any such step might have given way to something happening in this regard. But now if we would want to bring about any change in the present system, a Herculean effort would be required."

But the question arises, is the future really that bleak? "I know for a fact that concerts do not happen for musicians every day. Loads of people stay away from concerts for security reasons; hence a concert culture is still infantile in our country. If a situation comes to a point where an artist can become big either by concerts, or by corporate deals (which is true nowadays), there has to be a third way of revenue because there aren't loads of corporates interested in branding artists, and there aren't loads of concerts that happen in our country," he explains. "Therefore, we artists should actually be scared of the future and at least try to create awareness amongst the musicians about the bleak future of music without the presence of any laws protecting us. And believe me, if that is done, then it would be nothing short of a revolution."

If such a breakthrough is made, how would it help the music industry?

"It would actually transform what you mention as a music industry into what would be an actual music industry. I would have the satisfaction of knowing that I am doing my music my way and it would get its rightful airtime with no bias involved and I would not have to satisfy anyone but the audience and evolve it with my music. And that, I have already done, and still doing."

Having said that, I began to wonder, what evolution Xulfi is undergoing. Call may be one of the loudest and electrifying bands around but still Xulfi hasn't been able to come out of the tall shadows that EP left with the mammoth that was Irtiqa. While Jilawatan may have some outstanding songs but they are neither 'Hamesha', 'Kahan Hai Tu' nor the epic 'Waqt'.

"Jilawatan probably doesn't have a 'Waqt', or 'Hamesha', or 'Kahan Hai Tu', but it has 'Shayad', 'Sab Bhula Kai' and 'Pukaar'," says Xulfi comparing both the bands he has been such a hige part of.

"EP only tended to a certain audience, it did not attain general acceptance. With Call, the aim is go beyond cult status and gain a wider appeal. Besides I don't need to mention all the accolades Call earned in 2006, which negate the assumption that I haven't been able to come out of the tall shadows of Irtiqa."

Winding up, I ask the most important question, what does Call have in store for us?

"I have a tendency to be extremely experimental. You can see shades of that in EP's album. With Jilawatan, that wasn't ever the aim. But definitely a lot more is in store. A new story, a new album, a new sound and a new beginning. We have half of the second album structured. The other half is yet to evolve. I won't give out release dates. I don't believe in timelines. I believe in the growth process and the evolution of songs. I would like to assure our fans and critics that they will be getting undiscovered dimensions of Call. Get insured - it will blow you away!"