indian idol in nepal

KATHMANDU: As the band members climbed onto the stage at Tundikhel, the Nepal Army grounds overlooking the Himalyas one afternoon recently, thousands of youngsters who had gathered there clapped, whistled and cheered them on.
As the bands began belting out popular Nepali, Pakistani and Hindi numbers, the youth — Kathmandu-based young Indian expatriates among them — shouted: ‘Hii 1974 AD (a Nepali band)’; ‘Hii X-Mantra (Nepali heavy metal band)’; and Hii Jal (the Pakistani band)!’
Alongside Bollywood celebrities, now Pakistani bands have started making inroads into Nepal. Last month, it was the Pakistani band, Strings, and this weekend, it was Jal that left youngsters in the capital, Kathmandu, enthralled as they belted out popular numbers like Adat, Woh Lamhey and Dil Harey.
Nepal's young rock music aficionados are delighted. "Bollywood celebrities are always there, but it's good to have the representation of South Asian cultural diversities here," said Sunita Subba, 24, a Nepali rock music lover present at the open ground. "I am so glad to stand here and see them perform here, right there in front of me."
Pawan Neupane, 21, a young writer, added, "I am such a great fan of Pakistani bands, so, the more we can have them here to perform, the better."
Fans like Subba and Neupane need not worry, because Jal's members have promised to come back. "Thank you Kathmandu! We shall be back soon," said Jal's guitarist Gohar Mumtaz, before sighing off. The band is is also working on their new album that is due to be released in April.
Drawing parallels between mountainous Pakistan and Nepal, Mumtaz told the DNA: "See, we can relate our band Jal with the Himalayas here in many ways. After all, the Jal or the water melts out of the Himalayas."
On the sun-kissed green Kathmandu ground, those at the center of attraction, alongside the Nepali band members were, of course, the Jal's Mumtaz (lyricist) himself, Farhan Saeed Butt (vocalist), Amir or Shazi (the bassist), and other crew members Waqar Khan and Sultan Raja.
Before leaving, members of the band praised the breathtaking view of Mount Everest from the window of the plane that was flying them across.
Meantime, in eastern town of Biratnagar, thousands of fans of Bollywood's Indian Idol Abhijeet Saawant, are keeping their fingers crossed. He will due to perform there on Thursday before a crowd of thousands of Bollywood cinema and music lovers.