Ali Zafar says singing for fans is his passion

In this time of the pandemic, since most of the entertainment mediums like cinemas and concerts have taken a backseat, don’t you miss singing live?

I miss singing live. Singing for my fans is my passion and the high you get on a live stage is the best moment for an artist. But the current situation demands that we must prioritise our health and everyone’s safety over everything. Having said that, the arts industry has suffered immensely as it’s dependent upon artists having to perform in public, which is why through the Ali Zafar Foundation we are helping deserving musicians who had no means to make it through these times.

While the world today measures success numerically through indicators like TRPs, number of downloads or likes and so on, do you think that it’s the right way to gauge an artist’s work?

Any expression of art, be it a song, a film or a painting has also a subjective value to it. It is not necessary that a painting that fetches millions of dollars is the best painting out there. In an ideal world, I feel commerce should not be the right barometer to judge art. However, in the modern world and with social media turning out to be stronger than ever, numbers are seen as the barometer for success. For any artist, having his work appreciated by large number of people is always heart-warming. So, if a song is seen and enjoyed by large number of people, I won’t lie by saying that it doesn’t feel good.

As a top musician, we are sure that by now you could make a tune almost instantly. How do you decide that a particular tune is perhaps the best one?

I do make my tunes very fast. Sometimes they just come like a stroke of lightening and sometimes it takes a little longer. Making a tune or a melody is largely based on your intuition. If you ask me, over time, musicians develop this sense which indicates or guides them that this is the melody which is hitting the right chords and hence you decide on that one.

They say that turning forty is a major milestone for anyone. How do you feel now that you are in your forties?

I think we are always growing or changing and it’s a part of our individual and collective evolution. I hope that I have changed for the better. I feel that I have! It has been a splendid journey with few bumps on the road but all I can say is that I have never felt happier.

Have your idols or inspirations changed over time?