Zhalay irritated by anti-Atif sentiments online

Express Tribune

14-04-2025

Believe it or not, Atif Aslam's brand new Instagram reel era has stirred up quite the controversy, though his defenders have been just as loud. Following writer Sadiq Saleem's criticism of the singer's recent comedic antics, actor Zhalay Sarhadi took to Instagram to support Atif's fresh stream of content.
Zhalay, who often posts humorous content on her own account, wrote, "Why? Why is it that someone has to impose their own personal opinions on others? Whoever this open-letter person is needs to just live and let live. Gen Z, millennial, or whatever. So effing irritating and unnecessary."
The Mere Bewafa actor's response comes only a few days after Sadiq penned a thread-post of commentary disapproving Atif's "reel madness" and suggesting alternatives.
"Atif, we get it - Gen Z is the hot demographic, but if you really want to win them over, show them your world. Give us your riyaaz sessions, your backstage chaos, your soundchecks, that moment you lose your voice and panic before a concert. Because right now, it's not giving Atif Aslam. It's giving Atif Bhai trying to be a 'content creator'," Sadiq wrote.
The writer believes that putting out such reels compromises on the Pehli Nazar Mein singer's "pop star mystique". He made his case by citing other musicians who choose not to hop on trends to keep their audiences engaged.
"Atif, you're over 40, a loving father of three, with over two decades of music behind you, multiple state honours to your name, and the most bankable voice in the region. You don't need to chase trends - you are the trend."
Sadiq clarified that his intentions weren't malicious and that his comments were only stemming from a place of admiration for the singer's craft.
"This isn't coming from a troll or a hater. This is coming from a listener who hasn't missed a single one of your concerts, who still gets goosebumps every time the alaap from Aadat echoes, and who truly believes that you are the biggest audio legend of our time," Sadiq said. "That's exactly why it hurts to see you drift into this space that doesn't do justice to your incredible legacy. Especially when you're an icon."
As of late, Atif has taken fans by surprise over his newly developed reel game. For his latest posts, the singer recruited star power, such as The Legend of Maula Jatt director Bilal Lashari and the film's stars Fawad Khan and Faris Shafi, as well as younger musicians Hasan Raheem and Abdul Hannan.
Despite the initial shock, netizens quickly warmed up to the change. "Bro is conquering the meme world after conquering music," a user wrote.