The second episode of Sur Kshetra started on a melodious note with Pakistani captain Atif Aslam belting out two songs-the romantic Pehli Nazar and the soulful Saanu Ik Pal Chain Na Aaye. He also got up and shook a leg with the dancers that milled around for the song. That's a cool captain!
Ayesha Takia, looking gorgeous in a black outfit, asked Atif about his 10 soldiers in the musical battle. Atif looked pretty confident and said that he had invited 3 'geniuses' to select the final 6 from his team of 10 able singers. Though he did make a face when Ayesha Takia mentioned Himesh.
Atif Aslam invited the best voices from Pakistan, ghazal singer Ghulam Ali and his son Aamir Ali, acclaimed singer Sajjad Ali and the voice of the youth Hadiqa Kiani to handpick the 6 voices that would represent Pakistan in Sur Kshetra
The opener for the Pakistani team was Ameer Ali from Karachi, who sang the song Dil Se. And true to the song, he did sing from his heart, which the judging panel noticed and appreciated. The geniuses also said that he looked way more confident than a first time. Now that's quite a compliment!
Sara Raza Khan is distractingly pretty, but once she took the mic, everyone was enthralled by her singing. A trained singer, she hit the most difficult of notes with utmost ease, earning the highest of praise from all the judges. And when Ghulam Ali sahab said 'Achha laga' when asked about her performance, this pretty lady couldn't help but blush.
Next on the stage was one of the youngest contestant on Sur Kshetra, Daim Gill. This slight boy had a surprisingly strong voice and when he sang the crowd pleaser 'Tere Bin Nahi Lagda Dil Mera'. Atif said that this was the future of Pakistan. If this was not enough, even the judges lauded Atif's selection.
When your captain says that he has high hopes for you, you are bound to be under pressure. But Nadeem Abbas, who Atif declared was his 'chosen one', proved his captain right when he sang 'Mora Saiyyan Mose Bole Na'. Can you see Atif in the dark, listening closely as his favourite contestant sings? Nadeem left the judges impressed with the honesty that he put into the song, leaving Atif with a proud smile.
After Nadeem's performance, the bar was raised by afew notches. But Imraan Ali Akhtar was undeterred and went ahead and gave his best in the song 'In Dino Dil Mera'. His sincere and solid performance gave the judges a reason to cheer.
In the midst of all this musical bliss, Ayesha Takia, in her own cheeky style, kept reminding Atif about Himesh's team and his challenge after each performance. But Atif, confident of his contestants, gave it back just as he got. And left Ayesha in awe of his attitude.
Mulazim, the boy whose name Atif liked a lot, was next on the stage. And apart from his name, his singing too, was very likeable. He sang 'Kesariya Baalam' which made Atif quip that just like the song says 'Padhaaro Mhaare Des', he invited everyone to visit their country.
Faraz Nayyar, with dreams of becoming a playback singer, sang the popular song 'Mitwa'. But it didn't have the expected results as the judges as well as the captain were less than impressed by his performance.
After the dip in talent, came the high. Nabeel did full justice to the song 'Bulla Ki Jaana' and left the audience asking for more. All the judges were united in their praise for Nabeel, and said that he had gotten the mood and the soul of the song exactly right.
The very pretty Misha sang the peppy number Bhaage Re Mann from Chameli. Though the judges liked her, they were not very happy with the way she sang and offered some critical comments on her style. This sure dimmed Misha's pretty smile a little.
After the amateurs, came the time for the pros to take the stage. On Ayesha Takia's request, Atif Aslam and Hadiqa took the stage and sang the very romantic 'Hona Tha Pyaar'. This superb impromptu duet left everyone asking for more.
The last singer, Ashfaq Hussain, sang Deewana Tera. And he turned out to be a 'deewana' of Ayesha Takia himself. Ayesha was happy to meet a fan and had to pinch Ashfaq to ensure him that he was not dreaming. Atif took this chance to tease Ashfaq about behaving like a fan boy. Good fun all around!
After listening to the 10 best singers in Pakistan, Atif Aslam finally got his team for Sur Kshetra in the form of Nadeem Abbas, Imraan Ali, Ameer Ali, Nabeel, Mulazim and Sara Raza Khan. With his team, Atif challenged the Indian team that he was ready to take them on. May the best team win!
