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| Hasan Rahim: 'More money was being earned in singing than in doctorate' |
Singer Hasan Rahim's singing style is unconventional. They consider it 'strange' and sometimes hear their own song and say 'Yeh kya kiya hai main.
Hasan, who graduated as an MBBS doctor, made a name for himself three years ago with his song 'Ese Kayse' and thus his unique singing got recognition in the world.
In 2022, her song 'Pechhe Hit' for Coke Studio garnered millions of views on YouTube and was also part of the American TV show Miss Marvel. He is one of the most streamed young Pakistani singers on Spotify.
Talking to BBC, Hasan said that he was fond of singing since childhood. I used to sing since childhood. My mother was fond of writing, so she used to write notes. At my uncle's wedding, he wrote 200 songs, and all those songs were sung by me and my mother.
Hassan Rahim belongs to Gilgit-Baltistan, due to which the color of Gilgit can be seen in his songs, but according to Hassan, he writes songs not only in Gilgit but also in other languages of Pakistan.
"I always want people to know where I'm from and if you're getting the chance to represent your region through songs, you shouldn't be ashamed of it."
There are many singers whose singing style is highly criticized. Hasan also often faces criticism for his singing style.
He narrates an interesting incident 'I was playing a cricket match one day and a man came up to me, he said you look like Hasan Rahim but your voice is better than him.'
Hassan Rahim is one of the young Pakistani singers who got recognition from platforms like YouTube and Spotify.
According to Spotify, Hasan Rahim's songs have listened to the most in four major Indian cities including Delhi and Mumbai, and Lahore is the fifth in the list, the only Pakistani city in the top five.
One of his most hit songs is 'Peche Hit' which has garnered over 20 million views on YouTube. Recently, in a message on Twitter, he said that the song is now 'the anthem of the Women's March and is a part of this movement.'
The song was also featured in Disney Plus' first superhero series 'Miss Marvel' based on a Muslim character, which Hassan told us he was very happy to learn about. "Many people have been messaging me saying that my song has been used in Miss Marvel. I then went to YouTube and heard for myself whether this really happened.
Young boys and girls make great Instagram reels, YouTube shots, and Tik Toks on Hasan's songs. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why his songs are popular, but Hasan Rahim believes that his fans are not only young boys and girls but people of all ages.
"I get videos of three, four-year-old children, they don't understand my songs, but they are enjoying the music."
Online platforms like YouTube and Spotify allow youngsters to showcase their talent without any help and many singers started their music careers here.
He says that the coming of platforms like Spotify in Pakistan will give more people an opportunity to present themselves to the world.
But currently, he is working hard to organize international-level concerts in the country. He says that he also gives his opinion on the stage design for the concert because he believes that Pakistan will get the attention of fans from all over the world by holding concerts of international standards.
"I keep changing my appearance, so people often don't recognize me"
Sometimes the hair is short, sometimes long, and sometimes in a ponytail. People associated with the showbiz industry often change their appearance to attract the attention of their fans, but many times their appearance is changed so that no one recognizes them in public. Hasan Rahim is also seen in a different look in each of his songs.
Regarding this, Hasan said that whenever he goes somewhere, it cannot be recognized by the way he talks that he is 'Hassan Rahim'.
This may be because I keep changing my aliya every little while. Sometimes I keep a beard, and sometimes I get a haircut. I am always doing something.'
Just like Hasan's unique style, his song names are also unique, like 'Pint Butter, Jonah, Keleji', etc. While the name of his new album is 'Nutniki'.
He says that 'I don't think about the titles of the songs, whatever I understand at that time, I write what a common person would be thinking at that time.'
Due to his aloof style, he was also offered to act in dramas, but Hasan believes that he will be a part of a project that will give people a message.
One day at dawn, I asked my mother if I have been offered a play like this, should I do it? So Mom stared at me. I asked him if he could work on a project that would send a message to people, would I do it? So they said yes, do it, but don't act in a drama like that (Shoqiya).
Since Hasan is an MBBS graduate by education, it was not easy for him to take a break from work to sing. He says he took time out of his busy life to pursue his dreams.
On the question of how a doctor got the idea of becoming a singer, he jokingly said, "You have seen the conditions of the country, you had to earn money too, because being a doctor is more important than being a doctor."
I was getting money from it (singing) and I had to support the house as well.
Hasan says that if you have the passion to become a singer, give it 100% time.
He believes that singing in Pakistan is a profession that has the best chance to get ahead.