Atif Aslam is sincere in his approach and does look like he has made an effort to go beyond the Atif Aslam imagery. How the drama unfolds remains to be seen.

With musical icons like Hadiqa Kiani and Atif Aslam taking on acting, it will create an interesting dynamic within music and make room for younger musicians.

That said, both have released new music in 2021, so their fling with television will not take away from the place they have in music. The question mark is Atif, since these are just teasers. How the narrative unfolds and whether his loyal fanbase will accept him as an actor, or not, is yet to be seen.                                                          https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/917552-turhan-james-to-open-for-martin-garrix

https://images.dawn.com/news/1189105/hania-aamirs-upcoming-drama-sang-e-mah-highlights-the-social-evil-of-ghag - Hania Aamir's upcoming drama Sang-e-Mah highlights the 'social evil' of 'ghag'

https://images.dawn.com/authors/11 - IMAGES STAFF

DESK REPORT

She defined it as a custom in which men force marriage proposals onto women without their consent.

I pose a rhetorical query: When Saife opted to include Atif Aslam in the cast, he must have expected the dramas hype to magnify. Yes, but not to this extent! People have been messaging me constantly ever since we started releasing the teasers. I have gotten queries not just from Pakistan but also from India and Bangladesh. I have even been added to groups on social media that have been created by Atifs fans.

The Aadeez? Yes! I am one of them now! laughs the director.              For Atif Aslam, the hype is testament to his star-power and the love of his fans. However, it does bring the pressure on him. Talking about his role in Sang-e-Mah, Atif observes, The fact that people dont expect a mistake from me is very intimidating. Acting as Hilmand was certainly something new for me but that didnt mean that I should stop taking risks or accepting challenges.

Discussing the acting process, he says, It was amazing to step into another character and learn so many new things. Memorizing Hilmand was a role and a half in itself. It was difficult for me to unlearn Atif Aslam and become this new person. I am hoping that the audience likes Sang-e-Mah. Fingers crossed!                                        How did the veterans on set feel about having one of the countrys most powerful rockstars suddenly take a turn towards acting and share screen space with them? This is a question that I pose to Sania Saeed, one of Pakistans most powerful actresses. I think it was a brave move made by Atif and I saw him working very hard, she says. He knew that was he in strange territory and in the company of seasoned veterans and he was very focused. I think that it was always promising to see new blood enter the field. There are roles for everyone. An older actor cant do the role of a younger character. There is a space for everyone to make his or her mark.

She continues, Saife is also an actor which I feel aids him when he is directing. He knows exactly how he wants the scene to be. I used to tease him that he would never say Shabash! to me after a scene was shot but he would say it to Atif! He would joke back that I could act as soon as I woke up from sleep while this was Atifs first time, she laughs.                                                                                                           On that very promising note, Sang-e-Mah-Mah gears to make its TV premiere. The first episode will also be premiering on the cinema screen and theres no denying that it is preceded by a great deal of anticipation. The inclusion of Atif Aslam particularly places the drama in the spotlight, which is both a blessing but also a burden. The drama could become an overnight hit  but it also runs the risk of being criticized rampantly.

Hopefully, people will like it, says Saife Hassan.

Hopefully, yes, they will.                                                                          https://www.glossetc.com/curtain-raiser-glimpses-from-inside-sang-e-mah/

A few of the fans are praising his acting by heart and wishing him luck. Others are writing famous Akshay Kumars dialogue,  Uday Bhai Yeh Kis line mey a Gaey Ap . Many are saying that acting is the job of an actor and Atif should only focus on singing. One fan said that expressions and voice didnt give that impact. One fan said that hes nothing in acting and Nauman Ijaz is great at acting. Many fans actually didnt like the dialogue Iblees ka Baap , a few said that such nerrative portrays wrong image of Pakistan. However, Atif Aslams fans were posting loving emojis under his clip , they were just waiting for his dramas. Many fans gave Atif Aslam an advice to stick to singing instead of acting. A few fans said that drama will be a Block Buster.                                                                                           https://dailytimes.com.pk/864954/public-reacts-to-atif-aslams-acting-skills/

I wouldnt call that acting. That role was just a value addition to Bol, Atif said. There was a lot of editing as well, a lot of my scenes werent included in Bol. The role wasnt really fleshed out, given the subject of the story, he explained.                                                          The shoot started on August 13, 2021 and finished by December 6. The entire series was shot in 77 Days in villages around Bughadh Mang and Sumn in Azad Kashmir, including a 12-day shoot in Islamabad.

Did Atif take up any acting classes for the roles, or were his experiences of doing music videos enough to take on such a diverse character?

I was actually watching a lot of Netflix. When everyone was hit by Covid-19, there was nothing else to do, Atif replied.

Its a strange way to attune ones senses as an actor, but to each his own, I guess.

The fact that I didnt adopt any acting pattern is what made me act naturally as Hilmand, Atif elaborated.                                                 Yes, it was a challenge, and I wont say I was ready for it. I was anxious. There was anxiety. Kya hoga, kaisay hoga. Director kaisa hai, loag kaisay hain. Saamnay jo actors hain, woh kitnay barray barray giants hain, loag kya kahengay [What will happen, how will the project pan out. What is the director like, what are the rest of them like. How will I perform in front of giants of the medium, what will people say], he said, listing off his apprehensions. And then, you know, there would be inevitable questions such as your singing career is still in its prime, why would you take the panga [unwarranted challenge] of acting?                                                              But playing Hilmand of Sang-i-Mah wasnt a panga for me. I wanted to do it, and I have thoroughly enjoyed doing it, he said. Actually, it was very easy for me, because everyone made me comfortable. I had heard a lot of things about Noman [Ijaz] bhai being difficult to work with and all that. I found him to be a thorough gentleman. He complimented me a lot, and told me to continue acting. He has been acting for years now, so coming from him thats something.                                                                                          Hilmand was a bit of a novelty as a character, so we were not looking for actors one often sees in television, Saife said.

Casting eventually settled on Bilal Ashraf, but the production couldnt start on time and Bilal had other commitments. Then Momina came up with the idea of Atif Aslam doing the role, he said.

When they first met, Atif told Saife that he knew of the directors amiable nature but that, when it came to his performance as Hilmand, Saife should be as blunt as possible, if need be.

Atif is a very concerned actor. In fact, he is still hounding Saife to dub a scene he may have fumbled in. Saife cant recall the scene Atif was referring to as we speak.                                                                     One can see Atifs dedication on the big screen  but Sang-i-Mah is bigger than Atif Aslam, the pop star-turned-actor who, as he himself confesses, is now bitten by the acting bug.                             https://www.dawn.com/news/1669773/spotlight-shooting-for-the-moon

Atif shared that fans could expect to see more of him on screen if the script is good.

I waited many years to pick up the right script and this was it!                                         https://www.khaleejtimes.com/music/whatever-i-am-today-because-of-fans-says-atif-aslam-ahead-of-dubai-concert

While the latter was laser-focused on the story, with each character assigned to a skilled actor, Sang-i-Mah has made good use of Atif Aslams star power and pulled in the crowds, racking up millions of YouTube hits. By episode 12, we see author Mustafa Afridi has spun a web of intrigue around the family of Haji Marjaan (Naumaan Ijaz), whose stepson Hilmand (Atif Aslam) suspects him of murdering his father.

Afridis masterful script is reminiscent of classic suspense novels as each episode reveals new information, shifting the perspective of the viewer along with the understanding of each protagonist. In an atmosphere of secrets and suspicion, even what should be the cooling shade of forgiveness ignites a confrontation, pitting brother against brother. Once again director Saife Hassan is slowly reeling in the scattered threads of this story, but fans of the first season still expect that the creators to pull off a few shocks and twists.     https://www.dawn.com/news/1682092                                                                                                                   

I have been getting acting offers all these years but I was waiting for something special. I wanted to do something crazy. I was initially skeptical as to why they wanted to cast me. But when I read the script I knew that this was something I wanted to do. It was poetic, there was a rhythm to it. I felt a lot of the character was close to me.

Had he read Hamlet and was he aware of how complex the character was?

I actually havent seen Hamlet and when I asked, I was told not to, he says. So I had to tap into my inner Hamlet. It wasnt easy for me; it was tough to set the level of madness in the character. The monologues were long and complex, often they were tongue twisters, and it was difficult to do it for the first time. I looked within and found the poet and the philosopher and just enhanced those qualities.

Im not revengeful though, he laughs.                                                       I was scared, I was nervous and I questioned whether I should do it or not, he says. Everyone I met, from my family, to my industry, to my friendseveryone said I shouldnt do it. I was the only one adamant that this is something I want to do. I didnt want to regret not trying. I was unsure of how it would turn out but then the feedback started rolling in and I realized that people are loving it.

Did he agree with critique on the near-perfect disposition of a character that lived in the wilderness? Whatever he goes through will throw him off track and his appearance will eventually get disheveled. But yes, I think right now he has too much hair spray on hand! he laughs again.                                                                       https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/950492-atif-aslam-on-how-to-be-or-not-to-be

Sang-i-Mah was shot in Dadar, near Shinkiari and Balakot. Its up in the mountains and a fairly remote area recalls Saife. Atif Aslam was supposed to arrive on set in three, four days, and we suddenly got a query as to whether his vanity van was ready.

Up there in the mountains, there was no concept of a vanity van. We quickly made enquiries in Lahore and there was no van that was free. Karachi was too far off to be a possibility.                              He continues: We then decided that, instead of arranging a van, we would find a nearby location where Atif and his team could retire in between shoots. This turned out to be difficult. The nearby homes were occupied by [conservative locals] and there was no concept of allowing unknown men into their homes to rest.

Finally, we found a shed where a man used to tie up his cattle. It was near the location where Atifs character would rest and spend time at the graveyard. Within four days, we cleaned up the shed. We eliminated the smell of cattle and we made it so comfortable that Atif and his team would sit there all day and they never realised that animals would be tied up in this very room!

Saife has more anecdotes for Sang-i-Mah fans  and Atif Aslam fans.

Atif was very generous. When his acting spell ended, he handed out money to all the crew that had been working in the drama. There were three or four boys and they got 50,000 rupees each. The rest of the crew got envelopes containing 100 dollars.                       I was sitting with Naumaan Ijaz at that time and I asked him what I should do if Atif gave me an envelope. Naumaan advised me that it would be wrong to refuse the envelope at that point, and that I should take it. Hell probably give you a little more than 100 dollars, he said to me.

It turned out that I got a cheque for 200,000 rupees, Saife laughs. For quite some time, I didnt cash the cheque but then I got a call from Atifs manager asking why I hadnt cashed the cheque. I eventually cashed it. Do lakh say khaa pee leeya [I spent it all on food], laughs Saife.                                                                                https://www.dawn.com/news/1737742/prime-time-behind-the-scenes-on-tv-drama-sets