Growing up listening to the soulful melodies of Rafi instilled in Abid Anwar a love for Hindi songs. He started learning his Carnatic lessons at the age of seven, which he continued till his focus shifted to his studies, but even then he participated in inter-school fests. Abid also nurtured an interest in drama and did justice to both the artistic streams of singing and acting. He has sung for two Malayalam films and has also sung for albums, in addition to being a part of more than 300 stage shows. Last, but not the least, he has also modeled for some prominent advertisements.
A reality show that he was a part of proved to be his launch pad into films. Abid narrates, “Rajasenan was one of the celebrity judges and he saw my performance and queried if I would be interested in acting. That is how I made my debut with a supporting role in Innanu Aa Kalyanam, directed by Rajasenan. I decided to concentrate on acting and went on to do a serial Devi Mahatmyam, in which I had a prominent role.”
Abid was also the hero of the film Flat Number 4B, which was a commercial and off-beat film. Currently, he is excited about the release of his Tamil film Kerala Naatilam Pengal Udanai, which is scheduled to release on the 25th. There are only a handful of successful actor-singers, so what is the role that is close to his heart? “Singing gave me a head start! The kind of exposure I got was through various reality shows and meeting the right people at stage shows also helped me get a break in tinsel town. While acting is my passion, singing is an integral part of me, something I will carry with me forever,” he says.
The Malayalam industry is teeming with fresh blood in every walk of life and as a singer, does he finds the going tough? Abid very candidly expresses, “I am more comfortable singing in Hindi, but I am taking my Malayalam music very seriously. I am brushing up on my Carnatic and Hindustani lessons too. It would be great if I could sing and act.” At present, shows and ghazals are keeping him busy, as is also a short film in which he plays the lead.
