People give away something to their interviewer what they normally don’t to others. One may call it sheer luck or an innate desire to inform the readers of their ‘self’ that is hidden from the public. It’s like opening the windows of their soul, to glimpse the inside of their lives. Artistes are sensitive souls, glitter, glamour, lights and applause enthral them; but once the show is over they are normal humans trying to adjust themselves to the norms of a routine life style; but to what extent they succeed, is their own dilemma which they have to deal with.
It can easily be said that Amjad Sabri was born with the creative blessings, bestowed upon him by his renowned father Haji Ghulam Farid Sabri and uncle Haji Maqbool Sabri, popularly known as the Sabri Brothers. But his journey into the field of destined singing started as early as when he was seven, when riaz classes were a daily affair. Therefore it did not come as a surprise when he said, “Mujhe bachpan se he gaane ka shoak tha” (I looked forward to singing from the early days only).
This ambitious Capricorn with his busy schedule of singing qawalis on foreign shores and on our local grounds doesn’t find much time to watch movies and dramas. But the few movies that he has seen during his early days are those that he still remembers fondly. One of them is the all-time Indian great, Sholay.
But more than the movie, it’s the dynamic performance of the late Amjad Khan and his powerful portrayal of Gabbar Singh that the singer remembers the most.
On the Pakistani film arena; the late Waheed Murad’s, inimitable style and the classic movie Gulfaam still impresses him. However, not surprisingly, he feels that not much progress has been made in the field of Pakistani movies; and our local Reema struts her stuff better than other Pakistani actresses. From across the border, it’s Rani Mukherjee who he regards as a ‘most sensitive artiste’ while Omar Sharif is unquestionably the ace comedy king of our local theatre scene.
When he was eight years old, Amjad emerged as a playback singer, when he recited the dua of Allama Iqbal, Lab-pe ati hai dua, in the film called Sahara. Thereon, there was no turning back.
In 1995 he left for Sydney University for higher studies, but destiny had other plans for him. A year later, he was headed back home due to his fathers death. “I was putting much on my own efforts, yet I was looking for my dreams to interpret my life rather than my life to interpret my dreams.” That is when he formed his group of qawals and musicians.
At the moment, Amjad is engaged in directing a tele-movie of his own; he describes as one that depicts our wedding culture. As for engaging himself in this directional project, Amjad feels he may be able to, if not transform, at least alter the image of Pakistani movies. “Every drop matters no matter how huge the ocean looks,” says the qawal with optimism. The tele-film will be aired some time in April.
Apart from movies, he has read a bit of Shakespeare as well. But that was when it was a syllabus prerequisite in his school and college days. Otherwise, English drama writers have not found a niche in his life.
His favourite poets are Hazrat Amber Shah Warsi and Husain Allaiabadi and his much admired in contemporary times is Fiaze Qadri, whose poems he uses in his qawalis.
Mezag-e-gardish, duran badal sako to chalo, Cherag ban ke hawa mein chaal sako to chalo. These are his favourite lines from Kamil Lakhnawee’s work and this attitude is also reflected in his way of life.
“Qawali itself is an absolute commitment,” says Amjad. “People find me there in front of them singing, yet that is my physical presence only, I am somewhere else; the realms are unknown. I have a penchant for flamboyant performances and I exaggerate to the point of hysteria in my qawalis. I try to transport my listeners to a state where they can find peace, that’s my objective, making them to participate and purifying their souls. So when one attempts to reach out to other human beings it doesn’t matter whether one calls it therapy, writing, reading, singing or expressing, like I do in my qawalis, the idea is reaching out to others. I am never reluctant to experiment or to loose myself totally while singing, because mostly qawali is a communion with god.
“Across the border; Sonu Nigam when he had to perform here in Pakistan, he inquired on the telephone if I was the real “Sabri” and when he was informed about my father, of Tajdara Haram fame, he embraced me and paid high respects to my late father. All glory belongs to Allah and all praises to Allah, that even after my father’s death people still feel that he is the unconquerable king of qawali,” concluded a proud Amjad.
However, he is sad about the fact the qawali is in fact losing its charm. People even intellectual ones don’t bother much about listening to qawalis. “Most of them, would prefer to watch a run of the mill stage show rather than a qawali programme on the TV. This really dismays me. Appreciation really encourages one to perform even better. But anyway, it has become a way of life to felicitate the death and ignore the living.”
FAVOURITE MOVIE: Sholay
FAVOURITE ACTRESSES: Rani Mukherjee and Reema
FAVOURITE POETS: Hazrat Amber Shah Warsi and Husain Allaiabadi
People give away something to their interviewer what they normally don’t to others. One may call it sheer luck or an innate desire to inform the readers of their ‘self’ that is hidden from the public. It’s like opening the windows of their soul, to glimpse the inside of their lives. Artistes are sensitive souls, glitter, glamour, lights and applause enthral them; but once the show is over they are normal humans trying to adjust themselves to the norms of a routine life style; but to what extent they succeed, is their own dilemma which they have to deal with. 
