Singer Farhan Saeed recently shared his experiences of performing in India as a Pakistani artist, as he recalled singing an altered version of ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ in India.
In a video by Brut India, the singer spoke about his experience of performing in India as part of the band Jal. He recalled how he once worried band members by suddenly starting the Pakistani nationalistic song ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ on stage, before his Indian audiences.
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Farhan recalled “My band didn’t know what I’m about to do…So I started singing. It begins with ‘Aisi zameen, aur aasmaan.’ So when I started this, my band started looking at me [like] what is he doing? We are standing in India and what is he…So I just told them, ‘Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.’ So, I started like this.”
He further added “And then I went like Dil Dil Pakistan, Jaan Jaan Hindustan. And when I did that, the entire crowd went crazy. They started singing with us and everything. So that happened, and my band said, ‘Well done, wow. What a great thing to do. Everybody was so happy. So then it became a ritual we do.”
Luckily for the Jal, Farhan was able to win over the crowd of almost 30,000 people. “When you’re on that stage, and because of that rush, you do crazy things”, he said.
Along the lines of his altered version, Saeed also discussed the political divide existing between India and Pakistan, and its current impact on art and artists. “Arts and sports should be left alone, it shouldn’t be politicised at all,” said the singer who is loved by fans on followers on both sides of the border.
