A-Zal becomes a part of the ‘Marvel’ous cinematic universe

With A-Zal aka Atif Afzal’s latest track featuring in Season 1 of the web series Loki, the New York-based Indian singer and songwriter says that he’s now a part of the ‘marvel’ous Marvel universe.

A-Zal’s track Adhaan Maghribi plays in the backdrop as the series’ climax unfolds. And though A-Zal has been in the music industry for about a decade now, becoming a part of the Marvel studios team is something he only dreamt of. “To be a part of such a coveted studio and its project is a big feather in my cap and it does give a feeling of achievement in a rather surreal way. It is a part of my dream come true!” says he.

But he says that the stage for his big Hollywood break was set back when he was attending New York University. That is where he met the creatives of Marvel and discussed collaborating for a project. While the original project is still materializing, Loki released in the meantime.

Working with Marvel, A-Zal says, was an experience in itself, because there were no complications at all. Either your work was good or not. He adds, “We never got into a situation where the director felt or asked "could this track be better or improved?” It was a straight yes or no. And so, there was no option but to convince everyone that his talent was right for the project.

With composing for Marvel, also came the challenge of scripting a song that A-Zal didn’t know the sequencing of. “Marvel didn't tell me much about where the track was going to be used. All I knew was the situation and a synopsis of the scene, so I had to create the world in my mind first,” he says.

It was only when the track was finalized that the singer was informed about the scene in detail. And that is fairly typical of Marvel, keeping things confidential, even from the team, in the production stage.

But as a composer, A-Zal knew that he had to be prepared to take up any style or genre according to the needs of a film and do justice to it. That’s where his experience kicked in, he says. Adding, “In the last ten years, I have studied and worked on many films with different genres and audiences.”

An IT professional-turned-Bollywood singer, A-Zal says that he has had his own share of struggles as a complete outsider. But he’s worked his way through, from being a stranger in the industry to working in Cannes-nominated films. “To say that my journey has been a roller-coaster ride would be an understatement. I did make huge transitions in my life and trust me, they were not all cake walks,” says A-Zal.

The singer adds that transitioning to Hollywood, though a whole journey in itself, became easier for him with his bag of work in Bollywood standing as a testament to his skill. After all, he says, “At the end, what's the fun in reaching the destination if the journey isn't interesting enough!”

A-Zal is currently working on a few Bollywood projects. His latest work for Bollywood also released recently on Netflix’s Black Bud. His newest Hollywood project Resort to Love is also on the cards.

The singer is also working on his personal pop album 17 & 11 Nights, which he says is the most exciting thing he’s ever worked on. A few songs from the album are set to release soon, like ‘Autopilot', 'Phonebook' and 'I'm Looking Through You'. He adds that a global team is working on the singles, including singers like Justin Bieber. All he hopes for now is that the audience loves the pop singer side of him.