For those of us growing up in the ‘90s when the local music industry was alive and thriving and music shows such as Music Channel Charts were the highlights of our weekend telly viewing, it was hard to escape Komal Rizvi. Her debut single ‘Bauji’ became the earworm we just couldn’t shake off much as we wanted to. Rendered in the 18-year-old’s accented Punjabi, with lyrics that left a lot to be desired, this was a song that might have been popular with the masses but one that the musical snobs turned their noses up at.
For those of us growing up in the ‘90s when the local music industry was alive and thriving and music shows such as Music Channel Charts were the highlights 
of our weekend telly viewing, it was hard to escape Komal Rizvi. Her debut single ‘Bauji’ became the earworm we just couldn’t shake off much as we wanted to. Rendered in the 18-year-old’s accented Punjabi, with lyrics that left a lot to be desired, this was a song that might have been popular with the masses but one that the musical snobs turned their noses up at.
Fast forward to a decade later, and a mature and more vocally sound Komal Rizvi made a comeback via Coke Studio. Ask her the reason for her disappearance and the normally bubbly singer/musician/ actress sobers up. Without going into the details, she cites an unhappy marriage and in-laws for whom a bahu who sang and danced was the ultimate sacrilege as the reason she opted out of the spotlight. The marriage was a mistake, she now admits, but refuses to let the experience cast a shadow over her life and her ambitions.
“I’m a naturally positive person, baba, I refuse to dwell on the negative aspects of life,” she declares during the course of the interview. Perhaps it is because of this optimism that Komal carries on undeterred, despite her performances in Coke Studio garnering less than stellar reviews. Her sufi/folk turn on the platform, which included a rendition of Reshma’s iconic ‘Lambi Judai’ in Season 4 and more recently, the Baluchi folk tune ‘Washmallay’ in Season 7, left some people wondering about the show’s selection criteria.
For Komal, the experience was a defining moment in her career. “I got the opportunity to try out things I would never even have thought of otherwise. The chance to rework the songs of greats like Reshma was a huge honour as well as the fact that the producers had faith in me to do justice to them. Coke Studio is easily the best thing to have happened to Pakistan, for it has put us solidly on the global map in a very positive light.”
As far as her detractors are concerned, she says she’s confident in her ability as a singer to take on criticism. “I consider myself a very competent vocalist, compared to other singers in the same age bracket and genre. Even so, just like any other creative person, I can’t help being sensitive about my work. Constructive criticism is fine, but if someone tells me ‘you suck at what you do’ just for the sake of being hurtful, that’s not cool.”
The milestones in Komal’s career prove that she’s not all 
talk when it comes to considering herself talented. She bagged the National Award for her role in the television serial Hawain at the age of 18, became the first Pakistani to host Channel V’s popular countdown show BPL Oye and bagged a deal with India’s biggest record label Saregama HMV.
Komal Rizvi’s comeback single ‘Tu Beh Gaya’ sees her performing some super slick dance moves with Ali Kazmi in a video directed by Azaan Sami Khan.
Prior to her Coke Studio appearance, Komal had spent almost a year living and working in India and inevitably the film offers came pouring in. “I’ve toured India extensively and made a lot of music there, including the award-winning soundtrack for the soap Madhubala, so I’ve got a firm footing in the industry. Unfortunately the film roles that have come my way have not been appropriate for a Pakistani girl. I have an established family in the country and I don’t want to hurt their sensibilities.”
Komal laughs as she shares how excited she was when Tere Bin Laden director Abhishek Sharma offered her a part in his upcoming sequel, only to discover that the role was that of a married woman looking to cheat on her husband and who had no problems displaying her sexuality. “I told Abhi I would get murdered in my country if I did a role like that!”
She has no regrets about passing up on the film, and is throwing herself wholeheartedly into her upcoming project, a ballad titled ‘Tu Beh Gaya’, set to release on Valentine’s Day. The video features actor Ali Kazmi as Komal’s love interest and the BTS footage of the two performing intricate and intense contemporary dance moves looks slick and well-executed. “I’m very excited about the single because it marks a return to my pop roots, as I had mainly been doing Sufic-inspired music of late,” says Komal.
Is the song, a tale of love and loss, inspired by her personal life? “You would think so, but it’s not. I’m much more optimistic about my outlook on love and I strongly believe my soul-mate is out there.” She sighs before adding, “I know it’s a difficult proposition, finding a guy with a backbone strong enough to deal with a woman who is independent and famous. It’s very hard to be known as Mr. Rizvi.”
Here’s hoping Komal finds what she’s looking for – whether it’s Mr. Right or a hit on her hands with her new single.
