Ghulam Ali: Pehli baar concert cancel hua toh dhakka laga, but now I think it's temporary

Cancellation of concerts, protests, debates' in the past few months, Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali has experienced tumult of the sort he says he hadn't experienced in India for years. But he says he is 'unfazed and undeterred' by this recent unpleasantness, which began when his Mumbai and Pune concerts were cancelled last October after protests by the Shiv Sena.
'Jab pehli baar concert cancel hua, toh aisa laga jaise dhakka lagta hai, jaise bhuchaal aa gaya ho. It was shocking, but now I feel it is a temporary phase and all these issues are only with a certain group of people ' they will settle down soon,' says the singer.Recently, there have also been protests against the music launch of the film featuring him in both Mumbai and Delhi.
Ali says that India has always welcomed artists from the subcontinent and given them love and respect, but says he becomes controversial because he is one of the popular names. 'I don't understand politics or what the intentions are of these people who have problems, but maybe because I am popular, these kinds of things have become a pattern in recent times. I am only disappointed because in all my life, I have never involved myself in politics, never spoken ill of anyone' Sur ki baat ki hai jab bhi ki hai. Yeh kaun sa pehlu hai, kaun si siyasat hai jo iss baat pe kuch logon ko majboor karti hai, mujhe nahin pata. Jo achha ya bura lagta hai, main kehta hoon, lekin shor machake shikayat nahin karta,' he says.
Ghulam Ali's Delhi event cancelled after 'threat'
In these tough times, he adds, it is only the 'love of the people' that he has received here that has been his support. 'I remember good things better than the bad ones. I have received a lot of love and respect from India and the number of people who love me is far more than the number of those who are protesting now. When my first concert was cancelled, I was hurt and felt bad for fans. Unke liye mujhe bahut afsos hua. Hum toh gaate rehte hain, poori duniya mein gaa chuke hain, hume koi fark nahin padta. Whenever I am singing on stage and I see someone in the audience not paying attention or not listening, I often point him/her out, main daant deta hoon, samjha deta hoon... Baat usi ko samjhayi jati hai jise samajh mein aati hai. So I feel bad for those people who wait for my concert and come to see me sing,' he adds.
If there is one place in India that he has always felt is like home, it's Delhi. 'Yun toh duniya apna ghar hai, par Dilli mujhe apne Lahore jaisa lagta hai. People here love me so much that I don't worry about anything here. Urdu zubaan ka mahaul Delhi mein milta hai, jo nahin bhi Urdu jaante, hamari ghazal unhe bhi yaad hoti hai, log hume itna sunte hain. I last performed here in September or October, and after my concert was cancelled in Mumbai, the Delhi CM said that we'll have a concert here. Par shayad mahaul aisa nahin tha.' Before his music launch, which was cancelled in Delhi recently, a letter was sent to the Delhi CM requesting him to be the chief guest at the event, but the organizers say they didn't hear from him.
The singer, who is leaving for Pakistan, says that these issues are being discussed in Pakistan as well, and that he will visit Lahore and Karachi with the team of his film and talk to people there too. 'Even people in Pakistan say that things should not be like this. There are people in the world jo apne mulk ke liye bhi achhai nahin sochte. Mulk ke liye achhai ki baat toh yeh hai ki agar koi bahar se aaya hai, woh mehmaan hai, uska satkaar karein, swagat karein,' he says.
Listen to songs of Ghulam Ali on Gaana.com
WATCH: Ghulam Ali to make acting debut with Indian film