Junaid Khan never settles for less. This year, he made his mark in television in a string of successful dramas. Acting aside, he has produced some incredible rock tracks including an upbeat anthem for the Pakistan cricket team and ‘Pakistan Zindabad’. He has further immersed himself in a new collaboration with Indian rock band Spunk titled ‘Talaash’. With this hyped song, they seek to bridge the differences between India and Pakistan and endorse peace as their motto. Your songs always seem to convey important social messages. What are you trying to send across to the listeners with your new collaboration titled ‘Talaash’? The hashtag for this collaboration is #TalaashforPeace. The title of the track is ‘Talaash’ and we have used this particular hashtag because we, as artists from the subcontinent feel that there has to be unity between India and Pakistan. It is a collaboration with an Indian band named Spunk. Creative individuals and artists belonging to both these countries are very much united. We are always in search for working with each other. Indians want to collaborate with us and we want to work with them, be it in music, television or films. We are urging to team up but unfortunately, the political scenario does not allow us to do so. The message is simple; we should stand united. As Indians and Pakistanis, we love each other dearly. However, we need political integrity, cultural, artists and business exchanges to create a conducive environment in the subcontinent. That is the song’s main purpose. Why is this song important to you? As artists, we are the ambassadors of our country. It is our responsibility that we convey a positive message to the audiences and around world through our art, music and voice. Since our voices matter and reach out to people, we are able to inspire. Someway, both countries, India and Pakistan conveyed similar messages in the past about peace and unity. I would say ‘Talaash’ is important to the two countries, entertainment industries and myself. Everyone in the world should know that people from India and Pakistan love each other and want peace. What drew you to the collaboration? The band Spunk approached me for the song. They had prepared the track’s demo and I really liked it. Spunk’s genre was entirely in sync with my kind of music and we were aligned creatively. We shared the same sentiments about its message. Spunk emphasised on collaborating with me and working together. India loves our music and we love their songs and films. The song ‘Talaash’ itself is a very happy, pop rock song. We took the track on another level and added the lyrics. The band and I co-wrote the song and recorded it together. The music video will be out soon and I personally love the track for what it is. Do you think this collaboration will bring India and Pakistan together? Of course! The purpose of collaborations is to bridge the differences between individuals and artists. It is simply to overcome atrocities and strengthenthe communication process for the benefit of both parties. What response are you anticipating with ‘Talaash’? I am hopeful for a good response. It is a very sincere effort to do something creative and reduce prejudice between India and Pakistan. As I said earlier, we, as artists love to collaborate with each other and bring people closer. India views our work and we fondly watch their films in Pakistan. The response has been mutually strong about our content in their country and their content in our country. I hope Pakistanis, Indians and those who keep a close eye on both will hear our collective voice. What makes ‘Talaash’ different from your past musical creations? In terms of genre, it is the same from what I have done before. It is mainly alternative rock but the ideology is different. The concept is unique for sure. I believe every song I have written in the pasthas a story linked to it. There is a thought process behind every track. ‘Talaash’ is a concept we not only needed to express as artists but also collectively as nations. What is the song’s genre? We have created an alternative, progressive rock track. The theme is to live for the moment and forget about the past. It is all about bringing people together. Is a studio album in the pipeline with CALL? Yes, CALL has been working aggressively on creating new tracks. If you check out our recent singles such as ‘Zalmifor’ PSL (Pakistan Super League) and ‘Pakistan Zindabad,’ the official 2018 anthem for the Pakistan cricket team, they are great tracks. There are a few others in the pipeline. As a band, we are passionate when it comes to making quality music. We are performing in and outside of Pakistan and the overall process of making tracks is quite fulfilling. Like before, we are planning to release four to five tracks and later working towards compiling an album. Do you plan to experiment with genres other than rock in the future? Yes – we, as a band love experimenting with different genres. What we did with the track ‘Zalmi,’ was unique direction wise. It was still under the rock banner but it was a fusion of traditional Pashto music and rock instruments. As a solo artist, I have worked on many OSTs for my drama serials. They are quite different from what I usually do as a rock artist. They are more mellowed tracks. Experimentation is always something to look into. There are basic lines you have to work within but we love to experiment and stretch as much boundaries as we can, keeping our integrity intact. How do you simultaneously manage acting and singing? It is a tough job but I am very passionate about my work. My creative outlet is music and acting is something I love doing too. I keep myself busy with the things I love because that is my work.That drive motivates me to manage everything simultaneously. It boils down to drive and passion in the end. If you are not driven, you would probably not manage work but I am highly motivated. I am at a point in my life and career where I feel extremely motivated to progress and work towards improving myself in both fields. Published in Daily Times, November 15th 2018.