ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani-Indian music label behind Atif Aslam's most recent hit says it is planning to release every month collaborations bringing together artists from Pakistan and India — two neighboring countries that have been locked in enmity for the past seven decades.
While relations between Pakistan and India have been tense since the partition of the British-ruled subcontinent into Muslim Pakistan and majority Hindu India in 1947, the independent music record label, Tarish Music, seeks to create a bridge between them by bringing together artists from both countries.
The label was established earlier this year by producers Omer Ahmad and Tarun Chaudhary.
"The plan is to release 12 songs a year with six singers from India and six from Pakistan," the label's Pakistani co-owner, Ahmed, said in a recent interview. "We’ll release a song every month."
Their latest track "Rafta Rafta," which features Pakistani stars — the singer Aslam and actress Sajal Aly — was released on Wednesday, on Eid Al-Adha.
Shot in Pakistan's scenic mountainous northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan, "Rafta Rafta" was written by Indian singer and songwriter Raj Ranjodh and Pakistani director Hassam Baloch.
Having crossed 1 million views on the day of release, the song has now been listened to over 2.4 million times on YouTube and is currently the platform's third top trending piece.
"It was an amazing experience working with Atif Aslam, everyone knows how loved he is in the subcontinent," Ahmad said. "In terms of music, he always comes up with something fresh, innovative, and different. His vocal skills are on another level."
"It has been a truly delightful experience overall."
