Pakistani singer Abrar-ul-Haq recently spoke about why well-known singers like Atif Aslam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan have vanished from the music industry. He explained that this is due to the ban on Pakistani artists in India and issues related to copyright. He also shared details on how Bollywood’s legal system works regarding songs.
In an interview on YouTube podcast Excuse Me with Ahmad Ali Butt, Abrar revealed, in the film industry, it is common for songs or film stories to be copied, often described as “inspiration.” However, if a song is used without permission or proper rights, it becomes a legal matter. A well-known example is the song ‘Nach Punjaban’, originally sung by Abrar-ul-Haq, which was used in the Bollywood film ‘Jug Jugg Jeeyo‘ without his approval.
As per Aaj Tak, Abrar-ul-Haq claimed that he holds the copyright to the song. Bollywood, he said, often takes songs from Pakistani artists without giving them credit or compensation. When asked about the case involving ‘Nach Punjaban’, Abrar said, “The case is ongoing. Once it is proven, everything will be set right. Right now, we are struggling to get our songs back from those who have falsely claimed rights over them. They have made fake documents to keep the rights. As soon as the truth comes out in court, our songs will be returned to us.”
The makers of ‘Jug Jugg Jeeyo’ claimed in 2022 that they had legally purchased the rights to ‘Nach Punjaban’. The film, starring Anil Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, and Prajakta Koli, was a box-office hit, and its songs were widely loved. However, Abrar maintains that he never sold the rights to his song.
Abrar also spoke about Atif Aslam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, explaining why they are no longer as active as before. He said, “I write and compose my own songs. Like when Atif went to India, he sang many songs. But there someone else is writing the songs, someone else is composing them. Only his voice is being used. He kept growing… kept growing… because the whole industry was engaged to back him up. So is there anyone in our Pakistani music industry who can back him up? No. We have to do everything ourselves here.”
He further added, “So as soon as he was cut off from India, the line was cut, his career graph started going down. Same thing happened with Nusrat sahab’s nephew Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. His new songs are not coming. He might be trying for new songs.”
