Arshad Mahmood enjoys the status of a romantic singer and can be compared to Indian singer Kumar Sanu. His ditties like Dekha jo chehra tera, Ho sakey to mera ek kaam karo and others gained him international fame. Which was pretty evident on his last visit to India where he was interviewed by many channels. While being interviewed by Mayur for Zee TV, Arshad was requested to hum a few lines of Ho sakey to mera ek kaam karo which he readily did. Soon a group of females flocked around him, excited at coming face to face with the singer, exclaiming, "Oh it's you who has sung this beautiful song." Pens and papers were instantly produced for Arshad's autograph.
Arshad has had his fair share of major blows throughout his career. All of which have made him strong enough to face the odds in life. Yet, he has managed to survive, refusing to give in to the pressures and unjust demands of the showbiz industry.
It all started way back in the mid 70s when the passion for singing surged into the heart of this ambitious college student. So much so that he left his family in Sukkur, as they were opposed to the idea, to pursue his love of music. His has been a difficult journey. The initial three years spent outside the imposing gates of the TV station, waiting persistently for entry, finally happened in the late 70s.
Shahzad Khalil, with whom Arshad used to have frequent sittings, was his teacher as well as a friend, always encouraging him. "During our evening meetings we used to sing. That's when Shahzad advised me to take it up seriously."
His first break came in the form of a Sindhi programme, Chachito, where he had actually come for an audition for an acting part, but ended up crooning. People liked what they heard and that helped him decide what path to follow. So he became a student of Nisar Bazmi where, he says, most of his learning took place. By the early 80s Arshad had succeeded in carving a niche for himself, and was doing three music programmes on PTV simultaneously. In '86 he did his first Urdu programme and then there was no stopping the ambitious young man.
"It was in 1989 in Neelam Ghar that Syed Noor spotted this rising star. This project, Qasam, was a first for both concerned - Syed Noor's first film as a director, Arshad's first at being a playback singer. It was in Qasam that Saleem Sheikh and Erum Hassan made their debut in the film industry. And then started the foreign tours which took up half his time.
At this point Arsahd lets go of his restraint and in his typically pleasant manner says, "It's when I'm on these foreign trips that other singers get a chance to sneak in and take my place." Is this a direct hit at Waris Baig? "I am slightly expensive whereas the new entrants do not charge anything since they are getting their entry in showbiz. Why then would the music director want me when he can get someone on his terms." It was actually him, Arshad says, who was the first choice for Syed Noor's Sangam. But due to a single day's delay he was deprived of it, due to the lobbying against him. When he got to Lahore Arshad discovered that the songs he had rehearsed had already been done by Waris Baig, which was a nasty blow for him. However, the gentleman that he is, he still did a song for Sangam.
Arshad has also dabbled in films as a hero. But after just three, he realized that his singing career was suffering. So it was adios to acting and back to the pavilion he had come from. It was the rendition of Dekha jo chehra tera that created a stir and won him accolades. Initially it was rumoured that it was done in India and Arshad's name was attached to it, which was but just a rumour. The song proved to be a major feather in his cap and ever since he's been in demand with a capital D.
Currently Arshad is completely immersed in his upcoming projects, two of which are Syed Noor's. And he is quite excited about it too. After his Best of Arshad Mahmood, the next album to be released internationally is Seasons of Love.
The stars are definitely shining down on Arshad as he has signed four films as playback singer with Nadeem-Sharavan of Aashqi and Raja Hindustani fame. His single, Cheemo, is his latest rage with the masses. So we can safely say that Arshad is one satisfied soul, but he interjects by saying, "I want to be as successful as Nusrat Fateh Ali and Michael Jackson (to name a few).
