Shiraz Uppal Speaks Out on Credit Dispute with Aima Baig Over ‘Funkar

In July, producer Shiraz Uppal publicly accused singer Aima Baig of not crediting him for his substantial contribution to creating their song “Funkari” during an interview with a local news outlet. In a recent candid conversation on the show Bakamal, Uppal elaborated on his decision to “correct” Aima and highlighted the potential benefits of unlearning certain habits for the film and music industry.

Voicing his frustration with the common practice of withholding proper credit from creators of successful songs, Uppal expressed his desire to “establish a precedent for newcomers.” Drawing on his extensive experience in the industry, Uppal emphasized that, when engaged in a project, he ensures there is evidence of his contribution.

Shiraz Uppal’s Frustration

“People are experts in denying artists credit where it’s due. So, for these newcomers, at least, I wanted to set a precedent,” said Uppal. “The video bite she [Aima] gave, about that song, it was written by me, composed by me and recorded by me. And whenever I do a project, I have proof of it. I simply asked Aima to go through our chat to check when we did this song. And the lyricist she was talking about, Shakeel Sohail, he was one of my best friends and he wrote for me for 20 years. Unfortunately, he passed away two years ago in June, 2020. May Allah bless his soul. And I wrote Funkari in November. So, Aima kept insisting that Sohail sahab has written this. And that annoyed me. Does she think I would do that to a friend? How can someone come out of the grave and write for you? I had to give an answer.”

Aima Baig’s Claim

During an interview with a local news outlet in July, Aima asserted that she had co-written “Funkari” with the late lyricist Shakeel Sohail. However, the music video uploaded on Baig’s YouTube channel credits Uppal as the exclusive writer and composer of “Funkari.” The song is licensed to Universal Music Group for 2023.

Also Read: Shiraz Uppal’s Ankahi Released