Famous Pakistani pop singer Ali Azmat is not new to controversy and is known for his unfiltered statements about politics and other celebrities. He is once again under fire for passing insensitive remarks against the Legendary singer Noor Jahan, who died in 2000.
Recently he appeared in a talk show and talked about music and arts as a part of Pakistani tradition. The conversion was unnecessarily diverted and included discussions about Noor Jahan. Azmat made highly derogatory, ageist, and sexist comments for the veteran singer that angered the viewers.
Some called him mentally ill, an attention seeker, or simply a rude person who wasted all his years in the music industry and did not even learn to respect his predecessors.
What Did Ali Azmat Say About Noor Jahan?
The ex-vocalist of Junoon said that in his childhood we used to get irritated by watching Noor Jahan on the TV all the time, wearing a sari and big jewelry with heavy makeup. He said we hated that woman who looked like a Maai (granny) even at that time. Furthermore, he said that she looked like a ‘Kofta’ (meatball) and we didn’t need to watch her.
The hosts were trying to calm him down and defend Noor Jahan by saying that she was highly graceful. However, it did not stop Ali Azmat from completing his ill-mannered statements.
Pakistani fans adore Madam Noor Jahan for her immense contribution to the success of the Pakistani music industry. They could not stand such disrespectful words for her so they responded to Ali Azmat with an equal level of contempt. Even those who liked Azmat and his songs were feeling ashamed of supporting such a person.
Noor Jahan’s Career
Noor Jahan was popular in Pakistan and India as a singer and film actor, whose career spanned over 6 decades. She has recorded over 10,000 songs and was able to sing in several languages i.e., Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, and Sindhi, which made her one of the most influential singers in South Asia. Her glamourous career was compared with the likes of Marilyn Monroe.
Noor Jahan has worked in many memorable films such as Pind di Kuri (1935), Heer-Sayyal (1937), Khandaan (1942), and after the partition of the sub-continent, Jugnu (1947), Chanwey (1951), Dopatta (1952), and Mirza Ghalib (1961).
Previous Controversies
Ali Azmat is often seen making controversial statements, which is why fans often take him as a troubled person.
He was widely criticized in 2013, when he was judging Pakistani Idol and humiliated a contestant by making fun of his appearance, saying his voice was childlike, and even mimicking his voice by squeaking like a rat.
Last year during Pakistan Super League (PSL) 5 season he complained about his opening performance time being cut short and alleged that someone was running a hate campaign against him. He also alleged that a rival artist had hired some bloggers to post negative feedback on his PSL anthem, which was being used before Ali Zafar’s anthem got famous. Fans figured that the ‘rival artist’ could have been Zafar because the latter also released a sarcastic video on social media after Azmat’s remarks.
