Asif Mehdi (1966-2021) was a Pakistani

ghazal ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...

singer and a playback singer in

Lollywood Lollywood is Pakistan's film industry, which has served as the base for both Urdu- and Punjabi-language film production. Lahore has been the center of Pakistani cinema since independence in 1947. However, with the Urdu film hub largel ...

, Pakistan. He was known much for reviving classical singing in his country as well as for being the son of

Mehdi Hassan Mehdi Hassan Khan (; 18 July 1927 – 13 June 2012), known as Mehdi Hassan, was a Pakistani ghazal singer and playback singer of great renown. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential figures in the history of ghazal singing, ...

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article63176.ece, Profile of Asif Mehdi on The Hindu newspaper, Published 10 Dec 2009, Retrieved 15 Dec 2016

Early life

Born in Pakistan to Mehdi Hassan. He started his training at age 13 from his father and his uncle ''Ghulam Qadir''. His family migrated from

Mandawa Mandawa is a town located just 29 km from Jhunjhunu city in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, India. It is part of Shekhawati region. Mandawa is located at . It has an average elevation of 316 metres (1036 ft). The nearest rail ...

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

, to Pakistan at the time of

partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...

in 1947.

Performing career

Asif Mehdi performed with his father in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

in 1983 for the first time at age 17. When he sang, his father Mehdi Hasan was so annoyed that he rebuked him for singing in an effeminate voice. He has toured

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, along with ghazal singer

Jagjit Singh Jagjit Singh (born Jagmohan Singh Dhiman; 8 February 1941 – 10 October 2011) was an Indian composer, singer and musician. He composed and sang in List of languages by number of native speakers in India, numerous languages and is credite ...

, in 2009 on the concert tour called ''Music for Peace'' which seeks to establish peaceful relations between India and Pakistan which share a common culture and language. He, like his father, is fond of singing

nazms ''Nazm'' () is a major part of Urdu and Sindhi poetry that is normally written in rhymed verse and also in modern prose-style poems. is a significant genre of Urdu and Sindhi poetry; the other one is known as ghazal. is significantly written ...

by famous lyricists like

Mir Taqi Mir Mir Muhammad Taqi (February 1723 – 20 September 1810), known as Mir Taqi Mir (also spelled Meer Taqi Meer), was an Urdu poetry, Urdu poet of the 18th century Mughal Empire, Mughal India and one of the pioneers who gave shape to the Urdu ...

Ahmed Faraz Syed Ahmad Shah (), better known by his pen name Ahmed Faraz, ( 12 January 1931 – 25 August 2008) was a Pakistani Urdu poet, scriptwriter and became the founding director general (later chairman) of Pakistan Academy of Letters. He wrot ...

Qateel Shifai Muhammad Aurangzeb or Qateel Shifai (; 24 December 1919 – 11 July 2001) was a Pakistani Urdu poet and lyricist. Early life and career Qateel Shifai was born in Haripur District as Muhammad Aurangzeb in 1919 in British India (now Pakistan).< ...

Hafeez Jalandhari Abul Asar Hafeez Jalandhari PP HI (; 14 January 1900 – 21 December 1982) was a Pakistani poet who wrote the lyrics for the National Anthem of Pakistan and the Anthem of Azad Kashmir. He wrote in Urdu and Persian languages and is widely c ...

and

Mirza Ghalib Mirza Asadullah Beg Khan (27 December 179715 February 1869), commonly known as Mirza Ghalib, was an Indian poet. Widely regarded as one of the greatest poets in the Urdu language, he also produced a significant body of work in Persian. Ghali ...

.https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/records/n2vnpd, Soundtrack of Asif Mehdi on BBC Music website, Retrieved 15 Dec 2016 He signed a contract with Sony Entertainment last year and the album will be released across the globe in January 2010.http://www.deccanherald.com/content/40519/media-has-failed-promote-ghazals.html, Asif Mehdi's interview to the Deccan Herald newspaper, Published 10 Dec 2009, Retrieved 15 Dec 2016

Films

He has done 60 movies in the

Pakistani film industry The film industry of Pakistan, consisting of motion pictures, has had a large effect on Pakistani society and culture since the nation's independence. Pakistani cinema is made up of various sub-industries, including Lollywood, which mak ...

Awards

Asif Mehdi won the

Nigar Award The Nigar Awards () were presented in an annual award show to recognize outstanding achievement in Pakistani cinema, after having been revived in 2017 following a 15-year absence. The honors are awarded by Nigar Magazine founded in 1948. The ...

in 1999 for his playback singing.

Personal life

Asif Mehdi lived with his family in

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

, Pakistan, where he breathed his last on 2 August 2021.

References

External links

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03CZ4hJR_Tw, Asif Mehdi on his 2014 U.S. Tour, on YouTube, Retrieved 15 Dec 2016 {{DEFAULTSORT:Mehdi, Asif 1966 births Living people Muhajir people Nigar Award winners Pakistani ghazal singers Pakistani male singers Singers from Karachi Pakistani people of Rajasthani descent