Desperately seeking Sonu
By Sanaa Ahmed
Not even corporate interests can stand in the way of a determined gonzo journalist.
Even dedicated, go-getter journalists have their off days. Typically, such days feature missed deadlines, interview cancellations and stories which pan out as duds. Sometimes, however, they also feature editorial edicts disguised as playful challenges. The Sonu Nigam assignment was one of these.
How difficult can it be, I reasoned, as I dutifully trotted off to Nigam’s hotel the evening of the concert. I had my answer two hours later: very difficult. The authoritative tone, the press card and a fictitious appointment cut no ice with the properly discreet desk manager. Since the hugely popular singer-actor had activated the do-not-disturb (DND) facility on his phone, I could either wait indefinitely in the lobby or ambush him in his room. And then there was the small matter of his room number. With typical journo pigheadedness, I abruptly changed tack.
“I feel people appreciate music here more than they do in India”
By Sanaa Ahmed
Q. Why the sudden interest in Pakistan?
A. Every country is special for different reasons. Pakistan is the closest neighbour we have yet so far because we have never been able to access it in any way. We know our movies go to Pakistan. We meet Pakistanis abroad and we know that they love us. So obviously, I wanted to go to Pakistan then and what better place to start off with than Karachi.
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