One of the most recognizable faces Ali Charlie, casually known as Dino is the one of the most recognizable faces in Pakistan right now. Dino came to Indus Music to sing and ended up as a host, how did that happened? Well, here’s what he has to say.

How did you end up at Indus Music?
You won’t believe it, I came to sing and I got enrolled as a VJ.

That’s what I want to know, how did that happen?
Oh well! I was in a trauma when I found out that I couldn’t go abroad to study for sometime. I was in a very bad state. my sister loves me to death, she couldn’t see me sittinghome starring at walls, so she came up with this idea of checking out Indus Music, but as a singer. I have been singing all my life. I write my won poetry and I love singing and thank god I am gifted with a good voice. I had some of my songs ready so I went to meet Nausheen Masood, the head of I M. Nausheen liked my song but she offered me a V J job ther.. She said I could go for an audition and we’ll see how things work out. I went for it and I did my best. I personally thought I sucked but than again, I was appreciated like they always encourage youngsters in I M. I went home thinking that it was all over.

So when did the whole V-Jay scenario started?
Yea, that’s an interesting story. You know what, my audition was aired on TV and one fine day I was sitting on the couch watching I M and this crazy guy comes on TV and starts talking about something which sounded familiar and my sister started screaming “Oh MY GOD! That’s YOU!!!!,” and I was like DHAAAA! Later I was called by I M and offered to be a Video Jockey which I accepted and now I love my job.

The early shows I did include Music on Wheels. I enjoyed doing it, it was about car collectors. Than 10 Tak Charts came long, and Dino Man became Famous! (Smiles…)

What’s your show like in your opinion?
10 Tak Charts is a show where you can have fun for 45 minutes straight. It’s my show and I do what I like in it, obviously with my director Ali Hussain, who’s younger than me but has brains and a lot of creativity. We have worked together on 10 Tak Charts, introduced some interesting segments and this is what make 10 Tak Charts stand out from the rest.

You did Face Of The Year 2002?
Yes!!! And I loved it. It was one of the amazing experiences I have ever had on-screen. Doing Face Of The Year was very exciting for me, with all those models, and me with the microphone standing amongst those attractive models was awesome.

I have seen you going live on air and your mother called you up in the middle of the transmission, how did I M take it?
You watched that? Oh well, nothing really, it was just that I forgot to switch off my phone and it was the 23rd of March so I had to go on air live. I was in the middle of the transmission when my phone rang. I clicked the end button twice but then it kept ringing and I had to answer, it was MOM! And I said hi! To her on TV, she didn’t know I was going live. Beside the fun, I love going live. Live is so exciting. I feel every show should be live, because it’s there when you can prove to be a good host or a V-jay. I enjoy going LIVE, it excites me and brings out the craziest things to say, my folks say I am not bad at it either.

I saw your performance on the Sprite V J Hunt, you sing pretty okay, when’s the album expected?
I am glad you liked it, I have been singing for a while now but never made a video, I have appeared in some but never made my own. I have a band now, I am the vocalist and I have two guitarists with me. We are on it now, we will come out with our album really soon. We are working on it, I wouldn’t say when it will come out, I don’t know that right now, but hopefully very soon.

Who came up with the name DINO!?
(smiles…) I loved the character Dino from The Flintstones. It was so obvious that my friends started calling me Dino at school. So eventually I became Dino for friends and now everyone I meet calls me Dino. Not only the viewers, every single person. I don’t mind it either, it feels so much like me.

What is the real Ali Charlie like?
I love loving. I just cannot hate, I am incapable of hating anyone. I make friends quick, I have some real nice friend who I love like hell. My sisters my mom and dad who have always been there for me.

What does LOVE mean to you?
I once heard some one say that love is like music from another room I mean you can sometimes barely hear it but still you tap your feet and you sing along, because you don’t care whether it makes senses or not to the rest of the world all you care about is the fact that at the exact moment u feel so happy and so complete and even though you know that the song might not last forever but the memory does.

Your first crush?
It was actually in school I mean this might shock you little bit I really become all goggle eyed in front of a girl I might like, I remember being in class 5th and liking this girl called Sarah and I swear I thought this girl was a goddess (winks*) and so one day I did conjure up the courage 2 ask her for her phone number and she looked at me and I’ll never forget these words, “main apne phone number kisi ko nahi dethi” (sniff)

Most romantic thing you’ve done?
Most romantic thing I haven’t done yet, because my romanticism is never ending I romanticize about everything the trees, the water, the flowers ,the sky etc.

What’s ringing in your head these days?
Fuzon ‘Tera Bina’ and ‘Tera Chera’ by Adnan Sami.

I am sure you’re very popular, almost everybody knows you, what’s fame like to you?
Oh! people who have this misconception that this whole showbiz thing is a life of campaigned and caviar then please loose this ghalatfami because its nothing but work, work, work, work and more work.

And the responsibility of so many youngsters looking up to you, it just makes you more driven towards doing a better job.

Goals left to achieve?
To make pursue my music career inshallah and definitely keeping the fun alive after all … I am….Dinooooo Mannnnnn!!