Atif Aslam refuses to promote Bollywood song, says film's producer

Mumbai: Pakistani singer Atif Aslam has been repeatedly shrugging off requests to promote his latest song Sehmi hai dhadkan from the forthcoming Bollywood film Daas Dev, says its producer Sanjeev Kumar.

"Atif said he will do it, but it hasn't been done. I'm not sure why he isn't taking part in the activity, but, as a producer, I see that work promised hasn't been executed," Kumar said in a statement.

Sehmi hai dhadkan was launched on February 22 as the first song from Sudhir Mishra's film Daas Dev, a contemporary take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel Devdas.

Earlier this month, politician Babul Supriyo had asked for a ban on Pakistani artistes working in the Hindi film industry. He had also objected to the inclusion of Pakistan singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's voice in the film Welcome To New York.

Kumar said: "Normally, such statements are made by fringe groups. When a minister says it, it leaves an impact on more people. But we needed Atif for this song. He has 20 million followers on social media. Imagine the kind of traction we would have got had he promoted it."

Daas Dev stars Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari and Rahul Bhat. It is scheduled to hit the screens on March 23.