What does it take to be a multitalented performer? An eagerness to learn, a melodious voice to croon and a pliable personality to adapt to any character or role. Komal Rizvi is in that league.
She chants the lyrics of a folksong about Kalat, Sehkumb and Marap and pays tribute to Koh-e-Suleiman in northern Balochistan. Then, singing ‘Jhooley Lal’ she joins the whirling darvishes of Sehwan Sharif. Not a voice of the dessert, she still offers glimpses of Reshman.
In ‘Boond Boond Qatra Qatra,’ she yearns for her beloved as she sits on a broken chair in the backyard of an old haveli. Her track ‘Dilruba,’ paints a feminine soul liberated from the shackles of slavery in the name of love. Her fourth consecutive appearance in Coke Studio speaks volumes of her skills.
Komal started acting at a young age in ‘Hawain.’ She has acted in ‘Samander Hay Dermiyan,’ where she outperforms the male protagonist.
Komal Rizvi is a TV host as well but would like to be known more as a singer. Here are her views:
Tell us about yourself.
In the mid-90s when we had just shifted to Pakistan, my mother, who is fond of singing, hosted a mehfil-e-moseeqi at home. TV directors Haider Imam Rizvi and Ghazanfar Ali were also invited. After listening to me, Ghazanfar sahib said to my parents, “Your daughter is such a good singer, so why don’t you allow her to perform on television?” My father said there are all bankers and doctors in our family and singing would be taken only for fun. Ghazanfar sahib asked my father to let me sing in public just once. I also pleaded with my father to let me perform and my father relented.
My first song ‘O Sathi Re’ was broadcast on STN. It was a hit and Haider Imam Rizvi then asked my father to let me play a small role in his drama serial ‘Hawain.’
However, the small role became big in the end. Since then I have never looked back.
What are you more passionate about — acting or singing?
Singing - that is why I am mainly a singer.
Your projects?
I have done Cornetto Pop Rock and also performed at the ARY Awards. I am doing a show in Mussoorie near Delhi and then the biggest musical project in Pakistan. I plan to visit America too.
How many plays have you done so far?
I have performed in Hawain, Kabhi Kabhi, Mujhe Roothne Na Dena, Samander Hay Dermiyan, Teesra Pehr and Lehrain. My role in ‘Samander Hay Dermiyan’ is my favourite. I never realised I would do a role that I could relate to. I realized that being in agreement with a character is necessary.
My role was that of a Hindu girl who falls in love with a Muslim boy and, to be closer to him, she tries to know more about Islam. She later converts to Islam and clearly tells her lover that even if he does not live with her, it wouldn’t matter as she had discovered something bigger, which stands well above worldly relationships. Being a firm believer, you transcend into the world of spiritualism, which I relate to a lot. It helps us be above everything else in the world and we become bigger human beings in the end. Spiritualism raises one’s intellectual capacity manifold.
What was it like at Coke Studio?
It has been a marvellous experience. I think I am the only girl who has appeared in most episodes.
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Any disappointments?
I am not able to give more time to riyaz (practice). Riyaz gives mental calmness and polishes my talent. Singing is a kind of art one keeps learning from no matter how much one has mastered it. It is a journey with no end.
What has been your biggest achievement?
I am a good daughter. I also try to be a good phuppo, a good sister and a good friend. Overall, I always try to be a good human being. My biggest achievement in my career is that I made a comeback in 2010 and am still a successful performer. In fact, it is very difficult to return after a 10-year hiatus and to get the same respect one was getting a decade back. Definitely, it is Almighty God who is behind this success.
Do you like reading books?
A lot. Unfortunately, I cannot give enough time to it because of my busy schedule. The last book I read was ‘The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammad’ by Lesley Hazleton, a Jewish writer. She gave such an unbiased, objective and factual account about the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). What a wonderful book it is!
 What is the hardest part of being a celebrity?
A celebrity is always supposed to project a well-rounded image. Especially in the east, people prejudge a celebrity without knowing. Often, people judge the person according to the image projected in a photo shoot or the character one has performed in a play, which is quite the opposite of real life.
The most difficult part is to convince people that wearing green dress or having orange beads does not make one a sufi. Wearing a trouser above the shoes or having a long beard does not make someone a true Muslim. You cannot label a human being on the basis of his or her getup.
Every person communicates with God through a different medium. If I sing or wear jeans, it does not mean my relationship with my mother is weak or it does not suggest I cannot cook and all that. You cannot judge a person through appearance. Similarly, a mere photograph does not reflect the true persona.
I give credit to the Pakistani nation that now we are getting rid of a confined way of thinking. Our people are very intelligent and very observant and kind-hearted. What I want them to do is to stop making generalised images of people.
Can acting and singing become career paths?
Yes, they offer many possibilities. I have paved the way for girls who want to make a career in music. When I started singing in the mid-90s, there was only Hadiqa Kiyani performing and it was the end of the great Nazia Hassan. I faced a lot of problems and had to struggle on many fronts. It was quite a difficult journey. Currently, singing is a positive area for girls and they want to become singers and actors. All praise to Allah, this is one of the more positive things that have been achieved by the media.
Your experience as a TV host?
I like it very much as it lets me be myself, be friendly and I can talk to people openly. I do not need to pretend while hosting a show.
The future of show business in Pakistan?
It is very bright. Our artistes get huge respect in the country without going to India or Hollywood. Our songs, films, videos, plays, TV shows and reality shows are spectacular. Personally speaking, the future is really, bright.
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