Faiza Mujahid is an unlikely singer. After she made waves with her first single Bandeya in the film Khuda Kay Liye, the feisty Pakistani rocker has not been as prolific as her fans wanted her to be. Not a trained artiste, she dabbles in music on her own terms.And her latest song Jeenay De Mujhe in the film Pink echoes all the things, small and big, that she cares for in life. And if we listen closely to her, these 'small' things could just make that 'big' difference  

Did you write Jeenay De Mujhe especially for Pink?
I composed this song way back in 2013 and was waiting for the right time to release it. I had to make some changes in the lyrics after hearing the brief from Ronnie Lahiri, one of the film's producers. The only brief which was given to me was that the movie is about three girls who live in a posh area in Delhi and would focus on women's emancipation. Jeene De Mujhe is not a situational song; the makers wanted the track to be the theme of the movie. That's why we didn't go too much into detail.

How did singing happen?
I am not a trained singer, but singing is in my blood. I am also a career marketer and have to juggle around my different projects. I am the only woman from my family who has pursued music professionally, even though the relatives from my dad's side are good singers. My cousin approached me to sing Bandeya, and it became a huge sensation. After that, there was no looking back. Rock music is something which comes to me naturally. So whenever I compose my own songs, they are usually in that genre.

Your songs are quite rebellious. Do your surroundings influence your music?
Instead of a rebellious streak, I would rather call it a 'live and let live' streak. I talk about all the things I have seen and felt in life. And they may seem like small things but they do affect the way our society thinks. This is true to an extent for our entire region, be it Pakistan or India. For example, the role of a woman is already defined in our society in terms of being a daughter, mother, sister and a daughter in-law. But what about her own identity? Do we ever ask our mothers if they wanted to be something else instead of becoming a housewife? There are so many things which we need to ask ourselves. Why do we always create a fuss about a girl's upbringing? Is it because she has to go to another house after her marriage? Even men should be brought up in such a way that they value integrity, respect and modesty. This has sadly been lacking in our societies. These are the themes and issues that my songs talk about.

Unlike your contemporaries, you don't seem to have capitalised on the success of your debut number...
Well, since I am not a full-time singer, I have to juggle my different projects. I just wanted to do good music, which I am still doing. I was faced with time constraints before, but now, I intend to release my tracks on social media.

As compared to female singers, don't you think more male artistes have made inroads in India and Bollywood?
Bollywood has probably been less experimental when it comes to female voices from across the border in recent times. Some exceptions in the past have been Reshma and Nazia Hassan, who were pioneers in their respective genres of music. In a similar vein, I hope to be the torchbearer of rock music in the subcontinent.

Which Bollywood composers would you like to sing for?
I would really love to sing for A R Rahman and Amit Trivedi. Also, among Indian singers, I would like to collaborate with Vishal Dadlani, as he understands rock music well.

What challenges do you face as a female rock musician in Pakistan?
Rock, in general, has a rather niche following across our region. Even globally, not many female rockers are active currently. Having said that, there has always been a thriving underground rock scene in Pakistan and that's why we have bands like Junoon and Noori, who made it big even on a commercial scale. I haven't personally faced any difficulties in this space because of my gender.