Ali Azmat Butt (born 20 April 1966) is a Pakistani singer-songwriter, musician and actor. He is best known as the lead singer for the influential Sufi rock band Junoon and for his subsequent solo career later followed by a career as an actor as well.
Early life and education
Ali Azmat Pacha was born in Havelian, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, into a family of ethnic Kashmiri descent, where his grandfather was posted as station master of Havelian railway station. He grew up in Garhi Shahu, Lahore and speaks Punjabi as his native language. While with them, Azmat wrote his legendary hit song "Dosti". He later sang and recorded "Dosti" with Junoon, after which the song gained national fame.
The band's 1995 album, Inquilaab, was a major hit and its only single, "Jazba-e-Junoon", was a super hit and topped the charts, it became the band's signature song and national song of 1996 Cricket World Cup and the Pakistan national cricket team. Azmat gained further success after release of the Sufi rock hit single "Sayonee" from their fourth album Azadi (1997).
Solo career
After breaking up of Junoon band, Azmat released his first solo album Social Circus (2005),
Acting career
He launched his acting career in the 1990s with Talaash, a telefilm featuring the group Junoon, and later in cinema with notable roles in box-office hits such as Waar (2013) and The Legend of Maula Jatt (2022).
Politics
Ali Azmat is close to Islamist defence analyst Zaid Hamid and hosted his TV show Iqbal Ka Pakistan in 2008–2009, where both discussed the philosophy of Allama Iqbal and a supposed Zionist conspiracy against the Islamic world.
Awards and nominations
Junoon won the Best International Group award at the Channel V Awards in New Delhi in 1998, – 3rd Jazz IM Award (2006)
- Won - Best Pop Male Artist.
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