Magical Night 2.0: The night Dhaka rocked to Atif’s rhythm

The end of November surely isn't the worst time to host an open-air concert in Dhaka with the weather slowly starting to shed its torturesome heat. Thousands gathered inside and outside the Army Stadium, their excitement undeterred despite hours of waiting, kilometres-long queues, and the occasional chaos of stampedes. 

All eyes were on the stage, their anticipation building for the night's crown jewel—Atif Aslam.

Around 8:40 PM, a dramatic two-minute long teaser lit up the massive screens, a signature prelude to Atif Aslam's concerts. Moments later, the star himself appeared, igniting the crowd into a burst of collective euphoria. 

For twenty unforgettable seconds, the Pakistani singers' soaring vocals felt at one with the cheer of the crowd but that was that. 

After mere seconds on the stage, calamity had struck on 'Magical Night 2.0'. The power supply failed, overwhelmed by the surge of fans pressing on the wires near the audio engineers' panel to the right of the stage. In a cruel twist, the stage lights dimmed as Atif got down from the stage, leaving the audience stunned as the long-awaited show screeched to an abrupt halt.

Quite anti-climactic, isn't it? 

Well, that's the charm of Dhaka for you, where even an international icon isn't immune to the quirky and unfortunate realities of the city. 

Take two.

After a fifteen minutes-ish break for fixing the power supply issue, the countdown timer replayed, along with the teaser and this time round, once Atif stepped up on stage...again, he didn't leave it for the next two and a half to three hours even for as much as a refreshment break.

Well choreographed with the music behind the teaser, Atif seamlessly soared through the final two verses of 'Rabba Sacheya' from his third solo album from 2008 'Meri Kahani' to kick off his set in an upbeat fashion, followed by 'Bajrangi Bhaijan's 'Tu Chahiye'.

It didn't take long for the singer to take a more sombre and melodious turn and no sooner than he recited the ever so recognisable intro lines, "Shining in the setting sun like a pearl upon the ocean," everyone in the stadium knew what was next.

Just after the guitar solo in 'Tera Hone Laga Hoon', Atif let the crowd take point in singing the rest of the song—the first instance of the singer exchanging song lyrics with the fans that would continue throughout the rest of the night.

Atif's brilliant showmanship lies in his masterfully curated setlists, showcasing his versatility and an instinctive knack for picking songs that spark the loudest sing-alongs. He knows how to work a crowd, engaging with fans effortlessly, signing autographs and merchandise brought to the concert. 

Atif's setlists are carefully crafted into distinct segments, blending high-energy tracks—often performed at a tempo faster than their studio versions to ignite the crowd—with softer, stripped down renditions where his voice, paired with a single instrument, takes the spotlight. His ability to read and respond to his fans' energy levels elevates his concerts to unforgettable experiences.

During 'Pehli Nazar Mein', knowing that the crowd knows each line, Atif stood still with his arms spread out during the chorus as the entire stadium sang along with the melody of the piano in the back. At that point he kept transitioning into cover numbers of different artists, sometimes as a tribute, sometimes just to keep the vibe going. Of those, 'Pehla Nasha', 'Aaoge Jab Tum', 'Mast Qalandar', 'Jab Koi Baat Bigad Jaaye' clearly resonated with the filled-to-the-rafters audience.

For about twenty odd minutes, Atif captivated the audience with an acoustic session, focusing on romantic ballads and a few heartbreak songs. This intimate segment featured soulful and softer renditions of 'Bakhuda Tum Hi Ho', 'Hona Tha Pyar', and 'Tere Bin', allowing the crowd to fully immerse themselves in the purity of his raw vocals accompanied by the gentle strums of the acoustic guitar.

There's no Atif Aslam concert without his iconic rock numbers and he threw in the full throttle. For 'Doorie' and 'Woh Lamhein', he amped up the tempo, igniting the venue as the crowd jumped in unison. 

As the night seemed to be near its end—or so everyone thought—he smoothly transitioned into 'Hum Kis Gali Jaa Rahe Hain.' 

During the song, he climbed onto a nearby pillar supporting large speakers, drawing even closer to the ecstatic audience. He then moved on to two fan favourites—'Tu Jaane Na' and 'Aadat'. During Aadat, as is tradition, Atif let the crowd join him in the sargams and alaaps, creating a wild, electrifying moment where both the singer and audience lost themselves in the music.

As the crowd began to thin, with thousands leaving to beat the Banani traffic, Atif shifted gears for the next forty minutes. Moving away from the high-energy rock anthems, he dived into soulful ghazals, qawwalis and spiritual melodies. 

These songs weren't about adrenaline but about immersing the audience in the serene, introspective essence of their deeply spiritual themes.

Well, it would be utterly wrong to not even mention the other performers on the night even though Atif Aslam was the headliner. Before Atif, it was Tahsan Khan who mesmerised the entire venue with his rather short but beautifully crafted set.

Tahsan kicked off with 'Ekhono' from his 'Black' days and instantly got the crowd to take part in the choruses. Followed by 'Koto Dur' and in the middle, at the request of the crowd he sang the first few verses and the chorus of 'Chuye Dile Mon'. 

To end his set, he conjured up a mashup of his iconic 'Prematal' and 'Alo'—the stadium particularly feeling at one during the latter as the house lights dimmed and everyone waved the flashlights on their phones.

Atif wasn't the only Pakistani on the roster on the night of 29 November. A huge chunk of a younger pool of audience did come in to see Abdul Hannan for the first time in Bangladesh. Hannan, although his voice cracked through and went off pitch a couple of times, did deliver a rather strong outing. 

His Coke Studio Pakistan version of 'O Yara' resonated with the audience while his cover of Harry Styles 'As It Was' was truly a pleasant surprise because no one saw it coming. The cherry on the cake was probably when the fans got to witness Hannan's most beloved track, 'Iraaday' twice—once with an acoustic guitar before he ended his set with another version in which the entire band took part. 

Before Abdul Hannan, our very own Bangladeshi band 'Kaakaal' opened the proceedings in the afternoon.