Ali Zafar talks Bollywood stardom, reviving his music career and the importance of mental health

One of Pakistan’s most recognisable entertainers, singer and film star Ali Zafar is busting some moves. Dressed in fashionably frayed jeans and a black muscle shirt, he kicks and jumps in the video, dancing to the beat of the music he has written for this year’s Pakistan Super League cricket competition.

Zafar posted the energetic dance video on Instagram in February. In an astute marketing move, he invited anyone interested in dancing with him in the final music video to send in an audition clip.

The 39-year-old singer-songwriter, actor, producer and screenwriter has reached remarkable heights in South Asia’s film industry, in India’s Bollywood and in Pakistan’s cinema hub, Lollywood.

Having weathered an extremely public allegation of sexual harassment, the multitalented artist has continued with both his music and acting, and his legions of fans have not deserted him: he has a stream of 3.8 million followers on Instagram and 2.3 million on Twitter.

Based in the Pakistani city of Lahore, Zafar first began attracting attention on television, in a series called Kollege Jeans in 1999 and then Landa Bazar (Flea Market) in 2002. The following year, his chart-topping single Channo from his debut album Huqa Pani was released. The album eventually sold more than five million copies worldwide.

After releasing three albums, Zafar segued into film acting south of the border, starting with the critically acclaimed Bollywood comedy Tere Bin Laden (Without You, Bin Laden), released in 2010. In this Bollywood dig at the United States’ “war on terror”, Zafar plays a reporter who sells a video of an Osama bin Laden lookalike he has discovered, to build his journalistic profile and smooth his migration to the US.