“Being in a rock band is like being in a marriage,” said Salman Ahmed when I met him in the main dressing room where he and his other long-time band members from the Vital Signs Shahzad ‘Shahi’ Hasan and Junaid Jamshed along with a bunch of assistants were preparing for the launch of their feel-good patriotic song, Chand Sitara. “In a good marriage, you intuitively understand your partner. But in a band there’s not just two people, there’s more people. I read Junaid completely. I read Shahi completely. They understand me.”

“The good thing is we’ve gotten over the early 20s ‘thing’ — the thing with stardom, money, power which unsettles you,” he continued, “Now we’re at a stage where we see inside of who we are.”

Was it difficult getting together after all these years? “We always stay in touch,” he remembered, “Whenever I come to Pakistan, I go over to Shahi’s place. When I came in 2013, I was recording a song with Shahi and Junaid was there. You know, we’re friends first, then musicians and then… other professionals.”

What brought them together now? “The idea was to do something,” he responded, “The problem was that he (Junaid) has an issue with playing with instruments. But when they heard Chand Sitara. I played them a recording of the song. Junaid said ‘I’m going to sing this song.’”

Three former band mates from the Vital Signs reunited to launch a song for Pakistan called Chand Sitara. In true Vital Signs fashion, the song was written, composed and the video was directed by Shoaib Mansoor.

Our conversation was cut short as the band was told they needed to make their way to the performance area. Before stepping outside though, on the intimation of Junaid, they formed a circle together and prayed that their efforts would bear fruit for the greater good. It was a nice gesture of them taking a moment together before facing the crowd.

Salman and Shahi went towards the main entrance where the ‘blue carpet’ was. Junaid headed in the opposite direction — he wasn’t supposed to make a public appearance just yet. He was the surprise of the evening.

Seeing how Salman and Shahi were completely mobbed by camera-flashing photographers and journalists, I made my way backstage where Junaid cut a lonely figure sitting by himself, although not for long, seemingly in a reflective mood.

“Do you remember the blast that took place at the Wagah Border?” he asked me. Indeed. It was a suicide bombing that took place after the daily border-closing ceremony and had left around 55 people dead and over 100 injured. “I was very depressed and with this deteriorating situation in the country. I spoke to Shoaib Mansoor and said “After Dil Dil Pakistan, I seriously want to do something for this country.”

He told him he’d written a song for Salman sometime in 2011. After Salman made him listen to a recording of it Junaid decided he wanted to do the song.

“I said, I want to sing it,” said Junaid. Salman, he said reacted with surprise. “I said, ‘You heard me right’,” added Junaid, “I want to sing it. But I’ll sing it the way I want to.”

What was it like working with the two of them together? “Very nostalgic,” said Junaid, “Things do change. I was a little apprehensive. When we were youngsters, we used to say so many things to each other. And it didn’t matter because we were kids. We didn’t take those things seriously.

“But now, I’m 50. Salman too is pretty close. So is Shahzad. I was a little apprehensive. But five minutes after we were together, I knew I was with my buddies. We were like boys again — back to being 22.”

We are joined backstage by Anoushey Ashraf and Faizan Haq, both of whom are hosts for the evening. Zoe Viccaji is seen backstage as well, she’s performing Dil Dil Pakistan with Shahi and Salman in the first part of the show.

“But I’ll tell you what frightens me,” said Junaid, coming back to the interview, “What frightens me is I am now running a business. I am a businessman. People know me through my philanthropy work. People listen to the word of God that I speak to them…

“The thing that scared me was that even though I was all of this, that kid just came out in me after so many years. That kid was saying to me: ‘Just let me be for a while.’”

To say that he’s been a controversial figure of late would be an understatement. How does he deal with that? “I take the criticism as a blessing,” he responded, “I tell myself, Junaid expand your heart to a point that you can take all of this and don’t respond in kind. If you say something, the effect of that can be too harsh on the other. Whatever other people are saying to you, that doesn’t matter. They know not what they’re saying.”

He stressed on exercising patience in the face of great adversity. “This is my test,” he said.

How does he reconcile the whole music and religion thing? When speaking with an English nausheed singer once, whom I found out uses the guitar to compose the melody for his naats though he may not use them in the final recording, he said that he doesn’t consider music itself to be ‘bad’, but that it’s a vessel that can be used for either good or bad purposes. It depends on you as to how you want to use it. “I somewhat agree with that and somewhat disagree,” responded Junaid, “I believe that whatever work you do, you put it on the test of time. Whether it’s right or wrong, let Allah decide.”

You’re all 50 years old now, does Shoaib Mansoor still treat you like 20-year-olds? “Absolutely,” laughed Junaid, “Shoaib is in a time-bomb. He’s still there. His dressing, hairstyle or way of talking has not changed. He’s still in the same time bomb. He doesn’t admit it. But because of him we all went back to being like our 20-year-old selves. The way songs were made in the Vital Signs, this song has been made exactly like that. Melody, Shoaib’s words, and how the song has to sound is 100 per cent Shoaib Mansoor’s opinion.”

What’s in store after this? “I don’t know what’s in the future for this collaboration,” responded Junaid, “I don’t know whether or not I will collaborate further but I knew I wanted to do this. For me Chand Sitara is more situational. I don’t see myself performing on stage.”

“I just hope the song does well,” he added.

Are you nervous going on stage? “In these circumstances, yes,” said Junaid. What circumstances is he referring to? “A very ‘musical’ environment and a very musical atmosphere, I am very nervous. I must be going on stage for this after 12 years!

“I was standing here by myself aur meri tangein kamp rahee theen. Even though I’ve previously faced thousands and thousands of people.”

Are you back to being that ‘sharmeela’ Junaid again? “I actually have become that kid,” he smiled.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, August 16th, 2015

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