Akhi

Akhi Alamgir has been singing over a decade at a flurry of stage shows within and outside the country. That apart she has gained popularity as a TV host. She also won the National Film Award as a child artiste. The Daily Star recently had a chat with the popular singer.

Tell us about your upcoming album.

Akhi: I have done a solo album after a long hiatus. Though the album has been recorded, it is yet untitled. I have tried to introduce some variations and hope it will entertain music lovers.

What's your suggestion to protect the music industry from piracy?

Akhi: I recently spoke to Asif Akbar about this. As anyone can engage in copying, music piracy will go on unabated. The authorities should take punitive action to uproot this malpractice. Apart from this, we should create mass awareness against rampant piracy.

Tell us about your recent film ...

Akhi: It is not acting at all. My performance in the movie “Mayanagar” was akin to my performance in a stage show. I rendered a song for a scene there, at the request of slum dwellers.

As a National Film Award winner in your childhood, will you dedicate some time to celluloid in the future?

Akhi: I have no such plan. I prefer singing and want to stay in this arena.

Do you get offers to act in movies?

Akhi: I am flooded with offers including a suggestion to make a film on my life. Besides cinema, I have got offers for TV plays and telefilms.

Do you plan to continue as a TV show host?

Akhi: I emceed a reality TV show “Power Voice” which gained much popularity. There was no script of the show. I emceed impromptu. After that I got numerous offers to anchor similar shows. However I am not anchoring at present.

You also featured in a TV commercial?

Akhi: The TVC was aired on different TV channels and viewers liked it very much. It was shot in India. After the commercial, I was flooded with offers.

With a trend towards heavily instrument-dependent songs, where does the music industry go from here?

Akhi: There will certainly be a little bit of a loss where a song is dependent mostly on instruments. But it does not mean that everything is lost. Instruments are accompaniments without which a song will lose its appeal, however, it shouldn't dominate the song.

What are your future plans?

Akhi: An artiste never has 100 percent satisfaction. I wish to sing some melodious songs and remain immersed in music forever.