Shehzad Roy's 'Laga Reh' is storming its way to the top of the charts
Everyone has tuned in to the song: students, bloggers, executives, housewives, housemaids and even lawyers!
Fatima Zakir, Karachi
Shehzad Roy's latest video 'Laga Reh' is out and is creating waves on every music channel these days. The tune of the song is very catchy, and it's an Ahsan Rahim video, probably the snazziest he ever made but the real secret to 'Laga Reh's success is that the song and the video say exactly what most Pakistanis feel right now. 'Laga Reh' is a laugh out loud depiction of the what ails Pakistani society at the moment with a satirical touch that is making people across the country tune in to music channels.
The video kicks off with Shehzad singing for a cheering crowd and he is thrown off the stage as a politician mounts to speak to the people who are chanting for him. He then converses with a buzurg on a bus hurtling hap hazardly down the road (just as our buses do) they wonder about what is happening with this country (mulk kaise yeh chale ga) until the bus bangs into a rickshaw. It's the perfect depiction of how Pakistan keeps on starting up over and over again as a state, hits a road block and goes back to square one.
With 'Laga Reh', Shehzad Roy has come out of his lover boy of pop costume and has stepped into the shoes of a common man, asking questions about what's going on at a time when we are all wondering the same about Pakistan. Pakistanis are loving it!
"The lyrics, the music, the video… everything is so refreshing," says Samrah Aftab, a content executive at a PR firm. "The first time I watched the video I couldn't help smiling at the lyrics but watching it again and again made me realise it's not just to enjoy but to actually think about it."
Ahsan Rahim has the magic to illustrate the most serious ideas in a satirical way. They don't hit you hard in the face but are an eye opener even as they make you laugh.
Suraiya Qadir, a housewife, thinks that the way Shehzad Roy has incorporated the current lawyer's controversy and the indifference of people towards the false promises of our leaders in his video is accurate.
"That's who we really are," Suraiya tells Instep Today. "We have inequality and chaos in our country but don't have the courage to speak up for our rights."
The higher income classes are tuning in to this video and that is because instead of employing visuals of glamorized models and made up men, this video characterizes people we see everyday. The buzurg, the bus driver, the lawyer, the rioters and of course the Americans whose presence looms large over our country. Ali Azmat plays the character of a common man who cheers for his leaders in hope of a better political regime ignoring the mistakes they have made in the past. The ambitious chunk of us can entirely relate to Ali when he asks, 'To kia himmat haar doon?' The point is not just to hope but to actually stand up and do something about it.
And this is what is making people from the lower income brackets watch the video too.
"It seemed as if the singer has put forward the deep down feelings of the entire nation," says Shamim, a woman who works as a cleaning lady (maasi). "Our leaders promise us peace and prosperity and we fall prey to their vicious schemes. We are not concerned what they decide about the judiciary but when the city comes under fire because of this crisis… we suffer. A single day off work means reduction of your salary. But, can we really do something about it? Nearly all our leaders have been tried and tested, and we can't expect anything fruitful from anyone."
Instep Today also found it important to speak to a lawyer. How is the legal community reacting to the part of the video where Shehzad Roy sees a lawyer trying to burn tyres on the road?
"I am a lawyer but I must say that the video is well shot and executed," says Usman Jamil, a lawyer in Lahore. "My interpretation of the video is that the uproar lawyers are trying to create is not gotten shape yet. We are still unable to ignite the fire through our struggle but there is hope things will get better soon."
Perhaps the biggest achievement of 'Laga Reh' is that it mocks what is happening but abstains from carrying it to the point when it becomes offensive. That is why where some people are taking 'Laga Reh' as a wakeup call, others are just watching it for fun.
Qudsia Noori, an A Level student from Lyceum School says: "I am not a Shehzad Roy fan but I love 'Laga Reh'. The music is so different and the way he added dialogues in between is too good! My favorite one is 'Kuch na kar kuch na kar tu… sab kuch Allah par chhor de… bas Allah hi tera hafiz hai'. (Don't do anything and leave it God. He will take care of everything). The plus point is the video that is such a cool representation of the anarchy in our country. I am not really aware of the political situation around but this video made me realize how indifferent we all are towards our future."
With this we can also say that Shehzad Roy likes to be surrounded with controversies. He has pushed the envelope of pop music before. Remember his song 'Saali'? Some people went ballistic over his use of the word 'saali' which was not meant to be distasteful in any way. The song was a hit because it did strike a chord. 'Saali' is commonly used in our everyday vocabulary. But while 'Saali' was a minor affront to the sensibilities of some Pakistanis, Shehzad Roy has pushed the envelope to a whole new level with 'Laga Reh'.
Even the blogs have started talking about the song. According to the discussion on www.pakmusic.net, a user has commented, "Ye video bohat saheeh time par banai hai kyonke hum sab aisey hi ho gaye hain. Bilkul isi tarah hum sab tamasha daikhty hain. Ghalat kaam hota dekh kar hum usay rokna chahtey hi nahi balke kehtey hain laga reh. Is mulk ko leadership say ziada jazbay ki zaroorat hai." (This is the right time to release such a video because this is how we all have become. We believe in watching the show from a distance and don't want to step forward to curb the misconducts of the people. In fact, we let it happen. More than leadership, this country needs passion to bring change).
Hats off to Shehzad Roy for coming up with such a brilliant concept and an upbeat video. 'Laga Reh' shows how music can get into the core of politics and made us think. 'Laga Reh' is the first video from Shehzad's album Qismat Apne Haat Mein. It will be interesting to see what his next video will be. Here's hoping he picks a song that is as revolutionary and rebellious as 'Laga Reh'. Only such a song will be able to outdo the massive hit his last offering has become. More please Shehzad. We want to face more truths while being entertained!
Link: The News International - No. 1 English Newspaper from Pakistan
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