New Delhi, May 5: Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali dislikes Bollywood item numbers like Sheila, Munni and Chhammak Chhallo, but is effusive in his praise for Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit.
Replying to questions in Rajat Sharma's Aap Ki Adalat show on India TV, Ghulam Ali said, "I like Madhuri, because of her fine 'laya' (rhythm) and 'sur' (tune). Mashallah, she is a versatile actress."
In praise of Madhuri, Ghulam Ali sang the ghazal: "Aiy husne beparwah tujhe shabnam khoon, sholaa kahoon, Phoolon me bhi shokhi to hai, kisko magar tujhsa kahoon."
On item songs like Munni, Sheila, Chikni Chameli, Ghulam Ali openly expressed his distaste and said : "Baap Re! I would rather prefer not to sing. I can stop singing songs, but I can never sing such numbers."
On the Munni Badnaam song, the Pakistani ghazal singer said, "maybe people who prefer to become 'badnaam'(disrepute) may like this number."
Asked why filmgoers liked such item numbers, Ghulam Ali replied; "It's because people, please forgive me for making this remark, like songs which are done easily. Such songs come and go away as fast as they appear."
Asked what was his favourite Bollywood song, the ghazal singer said, Lata Mangeshkar's song Baharon mera jiwan sanwaaro in Raag Pahadi. "When I requested Lataji to sing the song, I felt as if there was bahaar inside the whole room."
The ageing ghazal singer said, he has spent 55 years singing ghazals, but has seen hardly two or three films in his entire life, one of them being Baiju Bawra, for its enrapturing music.
Recollecting his days with Mohammed Rafi, Ghulam Ali said, once Rafi told him, "The whole world listens to me, but I listen to your ghazals".
"He (Rafi) gifted me a big gold ring, a shawl and snapped pictures with me. I have kept these as mementos. Such daulat (assets) you can never buy for money, nor will I ever sell them. He was impressed with me, I was impressed with him", said Ghulam Ali.
Ghulam Ali recounted how he left smoking.
"That was 27 years ago in New York. I and Jagjit Singh had gone to the house of a prominent neuro-surgeon Dr Amjad.
"When Jagjit lighted up a cigarette, he offered me one. It was then that Dr Amjad told me- 'I go to work listening your ghazals, perform my surgeries listening to your music, and when I return home, I relax listening your songs. At least for the sake of my life, please do not smoke.' I left smoking that very day."
On wide-ranging differences between India and Pakistan, the singer said, "big powers do not want both our countries to come closer, because they want to sell their arms. " (Yeh badi takaton ka kaam hai, apna maal bechne ke liye hum logon ko alag kiye hue hain)
On this note, Ghulam Ali sang: "Faasle aise bhi honge, yeh kabhi socha na tha".
Do not miss Aap Ki Adalat with Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali in Rajat Sharma's show Aap Ki Adalat on India TV on Saturday (May 5) at 10 pm and on Sunday (May 6) at 10 am and 10 pm.
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