Humming a new tune

Pakistani singer-turned-actor Ali Zafar on his first Bollywood outing with “Tere Bin Laden”

Ali Zafar in a poster of the film.

Pakistani singer-turned-actor Ali Zafar is playing the lead role in debutant Abhishek Sharma's forthcoming flick Tere Bin Laden slated for release on July 16. The film is a satirical take on the Al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden. The pop singer, who has to his credit albums like Huqa Pani and Masty, is enacting the role of a journalist in the movie. The versatile artiste was in Delhi for the film's press conference. Excerpts from an interview:

How was your journey from Pakistani pop music to Bollywood?

I am an actor now but actually very few people know that before I started singing I had acted in television shows and dramas, and even in my music videos I preferred to work myself.

What exactly is Ali Zafar: - actor or singer? According to me an actor should have a singer in him and vice-versa.

Singers in Bollywood have a track record of not doing well as actors. How do you think it will work for you?

Nobody can predict the future in Bollywood. If I were thinking like that, I would have started my career from a romantic movie or a romantic comedy, because singers can easily fit into that role, but I wanted to do something challenging.

Giving your film tough competition will be “Udaan” and Rahul Dholakia's “Lamhaa” set in Kashmir. What are “Bin Laden's” chances?

It is my first film with a debutante director, and we all were passionate about our work. We have no fear. According to me, if you are passionate about something then you will surely get success, so we are just hoping for the best.