Behind The Microphone:

Junaid Khan

From music to acting, JUNAID KHAN talks to SADAF HASSAN about his journey and his future endeavours.

Growing up in the late 90s and 2000s, I can say that my generation was lucky enough to see a booming music scene in Pakistan. With active music channels and concerts, the youth often rocked to the hits by their favourite bands and artists. I also remember Junaid Khan’s voice tearing through our TV screens as he sang for Call the Band and gave hits like Pukaar and Sab Bhula Kay. With a promising venture into acting, I spoke to Junaid about the previous and current music scene, his experience of TV dramas and some quick bits about his life.

Despite vast exposure of social media and big forums like Coke Studio, why is music still not taken as a serious profession in our society?
Every change takes time. There was a time when media was not even considered a profession, and it was said that those who couldn’t do anything else went into media. There wasn’t much invested in media, but now you can see people make a living out of the entertainment business and educated people are involved in it. I believe social awareness is increasing.
As ambassadors of this profession, we do talk to people and promote it, but it will take some time to spread into the masses.

We don’t have music schools in Pakistan. Don’t you think that is a problem?
Yes, we never had music schools. However, we never had media schools either until a few years back and now media science, which includes courses like music production, is being taught on big scales in the country. So, such small steps contribute towards the acceptance of this profession in the society.

Talking about music schools, what role do they play in building a promising career? Is it not something you are born with?
Any form of art has to be in you before you learn it. You can go across the globe to get an education in music or acting, but if you don’t have it in you, you will not be able to portray it to the audience without looking mechanic. Every artist who has received an education from some music or acting school has a set of unique skills which they have defined for themselves. Schools help in polishing these skills. Though art is a craft but it has to come from the heart.

A lot of fame, money and glamour is attached to a singer’s career. When youngsters look at singers, they feel everything must be easy for them. How true or false is that in your life?
No job is easy. The thing is that you don’t have to go through undergraduate and postgraduate degrees to become a successful musician unlike other fields which require 4 to 6 years of higher education. This is why people don’t really “see” the background and don’t value the hard work that goes into a musician’s career.
I had an educational background. I studied engineering and then pursued MBA in marketing; however, many don’t have an academic background, but they are self taught and are groomed by experience, and are doing wonders. It takes a lot of time and sweat to get there. Also, paths only open if you are truly good at what you do regardless of fame and money.

YouTube and social media were not big back when Call started and most of the marketing depended on TV channels and a bit of the Internet. How is it different now that music channels have dried up?
YouTube and Facebook were there but small, and let’s not forget Orkut! However, our main medium was television. There was no Indian content, so our music channels had a lot of Pakistani content to play. There was Indus Music which was a pretty big music channel back then. It supported the music industry a lot. Several actors started their careers with it as VJs, and our audience loved watching the shows. Also, frequent concerts were a big push for us.
Then YouTube developed and expanded so we began sharing our work online and that is how it is now. Most of the marketing is done online. The reach is enormous. Our content can be viewed all over the world, so that’s good.

Pakistan has seen many singers and bands who were one hit wonders in the past decade. Why does music fail to become a stable career for many?
I feel as an audience our attention span is not very persistent. For instance, when one follows something, everyone jumps on the bandwagon and starts following it and consequently the advertisers and channels go in the same direction as well. When the audience gets bored of this one thing, they move onto something else and all the investment moves with them.
In our time, everyone was circled around music, so the bands and singers did pretty well. Then all of a sudden reality TV became a trend in the country. Then news channels and current affairs took much of the attention. Now TV dramas are big.

Where do you see the trend go now?
It is uncertain. The film industry is growing but at a slow pace. Several high budgeted films were made but unfortunately they didn’t do very well. I think the audience is waiting for something different.

Are we going to see you on the big screen anytime soon?
I have been offered movies, but I don’t want to jump into just any film or work with any team. I am waiting for something that I believe would help me grow. Until then I am comfortable with what I am doing.

Has being a musician, i.e, a known face helped you in getting into acting?
Yes, it made it easier. I started my acting career in 2010, but I was getting offers before that as well because Call was pretty popular, our album had released, we were travelling here and there, doing performances all over the world.
Meanwhile, our television industry was looking for fresh faces. I sat foot in acting only when I received some decent offers, something that interested me. So, yes, relatively it was easier for me to get into acting because I was already in the entertainment industry.

What has been your best performance as an actor? And what performance, when you look back at, you feel you could have done slightly better?
A year ago, I did a project called Yeh Mera Deewanapan Hai. It was a story about a young boy’s obsession with a mature woman, almost twice his age, and the script was just wonderfully written. We followed the story from the boy’s late teens till his 60s, so as an actor, I got a huge margin to experiment. The changes in looks and maturity levels from childhood to an elderly were a delight to experience. The audience loved it as well. I can say this project is the highlight of my career so far.

… And a performance you could have done better?
I think I give a 100% to all my projects. I get really involved in all my work. Yes, not all projects succeed and one person cannot be blamed for that. Directors, producers, the script, the cast, the TV channel, there are many factors that need to fall into place for a drama to be successful.

What one thing does the drama industry lack and could possibly work on?
The main viewers of our dramas are women, so the content is made for them. However, we need more male oriented stories because men are also watching dramas now.
Unfortunately, when male oriented dramas are made, they don’t get enough ratings, which results in less ad revenue for the TV channel and a problem for the producers. So, such dramas are discouraged, and we miss out on a lot of intelligent content merely because of the ratings.
For instance, as a musician, some of our band’s work is commercial while some is more instructive. Likewise, the TV industry should perhaps compromise a little on the commercial aspect and promote more educational work or male oriented stories, so the audience gets inclined towards watching different kinds of content and not similar stories over and over again.

How do you deal with rumors and celebrity gossip within the industry and on the media?
Rumors are a part of any industry. There are rumours and misunderstandings even in a corporate environment. It’s just our life is exposed to the public so things are circulated extraordinarily. I think the best way to deal with rumours is by not addressing them at all. You cannot please everyone and you cannot stop everyone from talking, so just keep yourself occupied in the work that you are doing and let the talk fade away.

What is the weirdest rumor you have heard about yourself?
Nothing, really, my life has been very straight forward.

Singing or acting?
Singing, for sure.

What is one thing you do, and advise others to follow, when you feel stuck creatively or when things don’t go as how you anticipate?
I would advise to just work hard and not stress about the results. Leave the latter to the Creator. I strongly believe everything comes in life in a timely manner. Do your best. If you get positive results, good on you, but if you don’t, work on something else. Do. Not. Stress!

What is one skill you feel every man and woman must know?
Can I say two? Tolerance and empathy. They are traits, not skills, but we need these more than anything.

An actress you would like to work with in the future?
In Pakistan, I have gotten the opportunity to work with everyone. I have been a big Madhuri Dixit fan, so maybe her?

A director you would like to work with?
Sarmad Sultan Khoosat.

What advice would you give your younger self? Professional and personal.
Nothing because even the mistakes I made gave me the strength to be what I’m right now. The mistakes are a part of the learning process.

What’s next for Junaid Khan?
A serial I am shooting for A Plus network, recording some music for Call and a lot more work.