Shahzeb Shaikh
Karachi
Pakistani artistes are true patriots. Many, if not all, make it a point to voice the worries of the nation via their art. They make great efforts to compose musical numbers, which not only deliver positive messages to the people but lift their morale. There have been myriad tracks composed on different occasions and situations by different artistes. However, one such band which undoubtedly tops the list in this domain is the duo of Strings, which are Bilal Maqsood and Faisal Kapadia.
Be it terrorism (‘Yeh Hum Nahin’) or brutal massacre of Muslims (‘Beirut’), be it the matter of Indo-Pak friendship (‘Jeet Lo Dil’ with Euphoria) or the World Cup fever (‘Hai Koi Hum Jaisa’), Strings have always been around at each crucial hour.
The latest issue which has caught the band’s attention is the ongoing socio-political turmoil that plagues the country. Pakistan has been hit by a heap of critical issues such as inflation, corruption, water and power crisis, sugar crisis, terrorism etc.
Not surprisingly, these problems lead to serious havoc in the daily lives of many. For this very reason, Strings have taken it upon themselves to boost the morale of the nation with a inspirational anthem, ‘Ab Khud Hi Kuch Kerna Parega’.
For the track, Strings have collaborated with none other than the super popular Atif Aslam. The track aspires to drive raw energy into the youth to stand up for themselves and cure the ill-wills of society.
Shot by Jami – whose previous videos with Strings have resulted in gems like ‘Duur’, ‘Dhaani’, ‘Humsafar’ – who was at the helm of this video shoot, the locations were spread throughout Karachi.
The first one was a set in the middle of a Saddar market with dark backdrop. This was to symbolize the murky and gloomy situation that surrounds us. Another was the rooftop of a 16 storey building, which according to the team was to capture the view of the entire city to complement the concept. Since the building was under-construction with no elevator, one had to either walk or ride a motor cycle to reach the rooftop.
Atif Aslam and Strings were all dressed in black outfits. The location in fact reminded me of the video of ‘Koi Aanay Wala Hai’ in which the band performed on the rooftop of a skyscraper in Malaysia.
Speaking with Instep Today, Atif Aslam commented: “Songs sending message to the youth hardly click with the audience in Pakistan. The only thing is 
that no one in the country is realizing that whatever wrong is happening here isn’t being prevented. So, the message in the content is all about that. We should do something about it instead of getting on with our own lives. This is our country and it has given us a lot. And a lot needs to be done for it.”
I asked him if it’s the dissatisfaction with the present scenario and government’s performance that has urged him to deliver this message, he replied, “Well, I don’t know about the government but I think whatever is happening around is not fine.”
About the experience of working with Strings, Atif joyfully said, “Amazing! It has always been an enjoyable process, working with Strings.”
Meanwhile director Jami, in between breaks, spoke to us and expressed his wish that the song be a wake up call. “Allah kare, the nation wakes up!” he said and added, “Even if it works one per cent, I think we will have achieved our task.” When asked whether his dissatisfaction is with the government and the current situation urged him to work on this concept, he aptly answered, “There is no point in accusing the government. The government will do what the people will ask them to. So the people should stand up for themselves!”
Jami described the experience of working with Strings as heavenly. They sync very well; Jami has directed memorable videos for ‘Duur, ‘Dhaani’ and ‘Anjaanay’
The shoot involved several re-takes and finally ended as the sun began to set.
Speaking about the concept of the video, Bilal Maqsood told us, “This is my concept. It was conceived when we returned from the US tour last year. As one returns from a successful tour, one is excited about it. However, upon returning, we witnessed critical issues such as security, terrorism, load shedding, inflation, unemployment, disturbing almost everyone. Hence, we decided to pen the lyrics which depicted the current scenario.”
Interestingly, after a long time, Strings have come out with a track which hasn’t been penned by the legendary Anwar Maqsood. Faisal threw light on it, “This song has been written with heart and soul keeping in mind the present turmoil. Since this song doesn’t have a love theme, we didn’t require poetry or any fabrication. Hence whatever Bilal felt, he penned it down. We made it a point that the song could be understood by the common man.”
When asked as to why Atif Aslam was chosen for this collaboration, Faisal stated, “First of all, the message this song carries for the youth is that they will have to do something together. So, when we talk of doing something together, it had to be us who should have done this track in collaboration. And who could be better than Atif Aslam? He has done so much for Pakistan!” said Faisal. “We also know Atif very well so when the project came up, we made him listen to the song and he expressed his willingness in doing it as a patriotic Pakistani.”
So what does the band expect to achieve with this effort? “We never have any expectations from any project. We would only want people to relate with this song. We blame others and expect others to rectify mistakes. But the time has come that we will have to do things on an individual level,” said Faisal.
Musically, the track is bouncy, full of life with rocking riffs and motivational lyrics such as “Ab khud hi kuch kerna parega hum ko/Jalna parega/Marna parega”. The most attention grabbing part, however, is Bilal’s guitar solo of the national anthem. Here is hoping that the song makes the connection the artists hope for with the people!
– Photos by Tarik Hussain
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