Pakistani singer-composer Mustafa Zahid, whose voice defined the original ‘Awarapan’ in 2007, has expressed his gratitude after watching ‘Awarapan 2’. He reflected on how the sequel honoured the legacy of his iconic songs, despite him not being part of the project this time.
Mustafa Zahid’s emotional post after watching ‘Awarapan 2’
On Thursday, Mustafa Zahid took to Instagram to share a picture of himself standing beside the ‘Awarapan 2’ poster at a theatre, along with a video capturing his emotional reaction as the film’s opening credits featured his voice alongside visuals of Emraan Hashmi and Shriya Saran.He wrote, “Nearly two decades ago, Awarapan gave me a place in millions of hearts. Tonight, sitting in a theatre watching Awarapan 2, time stood still. In that opening minute, 19 years of my life flashed before my eyes.”He further reflected on his long journey with the songs, writing, “For 19 years, I carried these songs with me to every stage, every city and every concert. When I was approached about my songs for the sequel, I never had an issue with making space for new voices. I’ve always believed in giving back and making way for what comes next. All I ever asked for was dignity and due credit for what I had contributed to this legacy.”Mustafa shared that watching the film gave him a sense of closure and validation. He added, “Tonight, the film began with my voice, followed by the loud cheers from the crowd and in that particular moment, I think I received what I always wanted: Dignity & an insane amount of love from all of you.”He signed off his post by expressing hope for a future collaboration, writing, “Congratulations to Emraan, Disha, Vishesh and everyone at Vishesh Films on this new chapter of Awarapan. Maybe years from now, we’ll meet again for 3.0 … You’re crying, I’m not.”
Mustafa Zahid on being left out of the album
At a concert in Chicago last week, Mustafa Zahid had addressed his absence from the sequel’s soundtrack, saying, “It is unfortunate that sometimes art has to suffer because of all the politics around the world. So, unfortunately, I am not part of the album, but the amount of love and respect that I have always received from the Indians is absolutely amazing. Thank you so much, guys.”‘Awarapan 2’, starring Emraan Hashmi alongside Disha Patani and Shabana Azmi, was released in theatres on August 14 and has since grossed over Rs 153 crore worldwide.